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Backline will get beter: Giteau
June 22, 2008 AUSTRALIA play maker Matt Giteau has foreshadowed a huge improvement in the Wallabies backline play heading into the two-Test Rugby series against a French team he believes will display a nothing to lose attitude.
Australia squeezed past Ireland in their first Test under new coach Robbie Deans last week, with the Wallabies backline displaying sporadic glimpses of their undoubted flair.
Giteau said the Australian backline had "huge potential for development."
He said while the Wallabies produced some good patches of play against Ireland, especially in the first half, they may have switched off after the break.
The mercurial five-eighth felt those lapses were more to do with establishing combinations than any problem with concentration.
"I think it's more combinations, I suppose we did switch off a little bit in the second half and we had to defend a lot of time, though I think defensively we were really happy with our effort," Giteau said.
"But attack wise, there's huge improvement. We only put together maybe 25 minutes of good attractive running with the ball, so we still got a long way to go."
He was adamant switching positions with inside centre Berrick Barnes, who played at five eighth for most of last year's World Cup, hadn't required much of an adjustment.
"As far as phase attack goes, we've got a bit of a free license to move around and ball play or run if we want to, it's not that big an adjustment," Giteau said.
The match winning pivot dismissed suggestions an understrengthed and inexperienced France team would provide little opposition to Australia.
"We are under no illusions, this is going to be a tough Test, as much as everyone else is saying otherwise," Giteau said.
"They've got nothing to lose, they've come over here with that attitude from what I've heard, they will throw the ball around and by the sounds of things, they will try to play tight, but they've also got the players, that if they want to, they can throw the ball around."
Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom said the French squad looked like a "forward dominated side", which he thought would rely heavily on the experienced back rowers Sebastien Chabal and Imanol Harinordoquy.
Elsom described charismatic crowd favourite Chabal as "a real momentum builder".
"It's a real boost for the team having him on the tour, because when he's going well he lifts the team," Elsom said.
Still to make a decision on whether to re-sign with the NSW and Australian Rugby Unions, Elsom said he would like to end the speculation by making a choice "as soon as possible".
While speculation continues Elsom could play overseas next year, he said he hadn't spoken to his former Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie, who has just been appointed coach of powerful French club Stad Francais.
AAP
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html
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Originally Posted by pieter blackie
