20th July 2009, 6:00 WST


Eden Park remains a paradise lost for the Wallabies but Richard Brown at least emerged from Saturday’s Tri-Nations loss in Auckland with reputation and right foot intact.

The Wallabies remained winless in 23 years at Eden Park after blowing a half-time lead against the All Blacks for the third successive time to slide to a 22-16 loss.

The result held the potential for further frustration for Brown, who limped from the field in the second half with a foot injury so painful the medical staff suspected a broken bone.

Brown was sent for an X-ray immediately on arrival at Sydney yesterday and was cleared of long-term damage.

“No breaks,” he confirmed. “I’m confident I’ll be OK to train by the end of the week.”

National coach Robbie Deans would have been equally relieved, given first-choice blindside flanker Rocky Elsom is still struggling with a knee problem likely to sideline him from the Wallabies’ next Tri Nations assignment, against South Africa in Cape Town on August 8, and No. 8 Wycliff Palu went largely missing in action on Saturday.

The versatile Brown can wear the No. 6 or No. 8 jersey and, if not as physically imposing as Elsom and Palu, is renowned for producing hardworking performances week in, week out.

Inconsistency and ill-discipline continued to drag down the Wallabies who admitted they blew a great chance to beat both the All Blacks and the Auckland hoodoo when they failed to make the most of a storming start.

Centre Berrick Barnes wasted the best chance when, with his team leading 10-3 in the 18th minute, he butchered a four-on-one situation by delaying his pass too long.

He flung the ball into George Smith’s head rather than his hands and, instead of seven points for the Wallabies, the All Blacks got a scrum and a lifeline they used to trip up the Wallabies for the ninth consecutive time on home soil since 2001.

Australia’s profligacy continued in the second half when handling errors and ruck turnovers frustrated their efforts to cross the try line on the rare occasions they established themselves in the hosts’ 22m area.

Of the 13 penalties they conceded, five were within range for All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald who booted his team to victory from a 13-10 deficit with four second-half flag-raisers.

Apart from Palu, captain Stirling Mortlock failed to fire, replacement James O’Connor made a nightmare Bledisloe Cup debut, tighthead prop Al Baxter fell foul of the referee — again — and scrum-half Luke Burgess had such a shocker he’ll need a DNA test to convince his teammates he’s not a Kiwi ring-in.

Despite the disappointment, the Wallabies believe they can still reclaim the Bledisloe Cup they last owned in 2002.

Deep down they sense what even the most one-eyed, dyed-black, fernwaving New Zealand rugby fanatic knows: this is not one of the better All Blacks teams.

DAVE HUGHES
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=156555