Wallabies fly out of Sydney ahead of tour matches against Wales and Barbarians
By Adrian Warren AAP November 19, 2011 4:07PM
Captain James Horwill has targeted the breakdown and set pieces as areas Australia will be looking to improve on their brief British tour, as they seek to shake off their Rugby World Cup blues.
A 26-man squad, including the uncapped trio of forward David Dennis and backs Ben Tapuai and Ben Lucas, left Sydney on Saturday.
The Wallabies play the Barbarians at Twickenham next weekend, followed by a Test against Wales the following weekend.
Lock Horwill pinpointed a couple of the key forward battlegrounds as areas the Wallabies were looking to develop following their third place at the recent World Cup.
"Our effectiveness and efficiency at the breakdown is an area that we've identified as something we can improve from our World Cup performance," Horwill said.
"Our set piece consistency is another one. We had good games with the set piece and we had poor games, that needs to be a consistent factor.
"Because when you've got a strong set piece, you build a platform for everyone else to attack off."
Coach Robbie Deans stressed there wasn't the time on tour to make major changes to the team's style.
"We don't have time to change to any great extent, but you are constantly looking to tinker, that's more based around our opposition than us," Deans said.
While Australia's RWC campaign finished just four weeks ago, Deans said the players were in a good frame of mind.
"They are looking forward to it and, from a coaching perspective, that's what you need."
Horwill said it was important Australia stuck to their own game against the Barbarians rather than allow it to be compromised by the traditional ad lib style of the opposition.
Deans said he was looking for Australia to be as cohesive as possible and wanted the Wallabies to avoid joining New Zealand and South Africa as recent Barbarians victims.
"They (the Barbarians) are quite openly out for our scalp, we are the only one (of the Southern Hemisphere) teams they haven't been able to scalp (recently)," Deans said of the invitation side.
He said the declaration of ARU boss John O'Neill that he wanted Australia to take the number one ranking from New Zealand didn't put pressure on the group as they also aspired to be number one.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wa...-1226199993018
Pocock expects Wales to ride emotions
David Long
November 20, 2011
THOUGHTS of the beach and those of a disappointing World Cup both need to be put to the back of the mind for David Pocock and the Wallabies after a 26-man squad flew out of Sydney yesterday to embark on a two-game tour of the UK.
While the All Blacks have been able to bask in the glory of their World Cup win and enjoy their break, the Wallabies have had to continue fitness work to prepare for next weekend's game against the Barbarians at Twickenham and then their Test against Wales the following Sunday morning.
It may be a tour mainly organised to recoup some of the Australian Rugby Union's losses during a World Cup year, but Pocock says they're still two important fixtures.
''There was a lot of disappointment after the World Cup with our performance and we've had a couple of weeks to deal with that a bit more and do a bit of training,'' Pocock said.
''Now we've had a good week of training and really looking forward to getting over there.
''As a team we'll change a few little things, but we've got to improve with what we're doing and we've got a few new guys in the squad who've added a bit of energy, and that's been good.
''It's a short tour and we've got to focus on the two games as a team and then we get a rest.''
Pocock knows they'll be expected to win against the Baabaas, but it will be an intriguing clash against a Welsh side still on a high from how they performed above expectations at the World Cup; they'll also have the extra motivation of wanting to send off winger Shane Williams on a good note.
''Wales will be right up for it,'' Pocock said. ''It's Shane Williams's last test at the Millennium Stadium and you couldn't get a better place to send off a player who's been magnificent over his career and has been one of the most entertaining players in the world.''
Meanwhile, Pocock said the concept of his recently released book, Openside, expanded on the publisher's original idea.
''Initially it was pitched as a World Cup diary but it evolved more into my life story, and then there's quite a bit about the World Cup and my experiences,'' he said of the book, which reveals he struggled with body-image issues as a teenager.
''I've had people say that I'm quite young to write a book, but it was an interesting experience and I think I learnt a lot from it.
''There is a bit in there about the way we left Zimbabwe and moved to a new country … In some ways it was good, but it's also painful to look back.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...#ixzz1eCBmo2qc
