0
Australia warmed-up for its Test away to Wales next weekend by running in eight tries as it overwhelmed the star-studded Barbarians by a record 60-11 win at Twickenham on Sunday morning.
Both Wallabies wingers Lachie Turner and Digby Ioane and replacement forward James Horwill, Australia's regular captain, scored two tries each.
Australia coach Robbie Deans was delighted ahead of a clash with Wales - the team the Wallabies beat to finish third at the World Cup.
"It's ideal for us, the right order to have the games. That (Wales) is going to be a tough assignment so it was good to have a hit-out before we get to the Millennium Stadium," he said.
The Barbarians managed a try in stoppage time from Wigan rugby league wing Sam Tomkins, playing his first union match, following two penalties from England discard and Melbourne Rebels pivot Danny Cipriani.
Barbarians coach Graham Henry, fresh from leading New Zealand to World Cup glory, said his side had been beaten by a top-class Australia team.
"They got their second wind in the last five (minutes) and it's just a pity it didn't go for another 40, because I think we could have pulled them back," Henry joked.
"The Australians, when they play like that, are an outstanding rugby side. They played some real quality football. We just couldn't hang on to them."
Australia's win surpassed its previous best against the Barbarians of 55-7 in Sydney two years ago.
James O'Connor, normally a wing but selected for the first time at fly half at international level by Deans, landed eight out of nine goalkicks on his way to a match haul of 20 points.
An incident-packed and error-strewn first half saw Australia turn round 18-3 in front after it scored two tries, butchered several others and had both Adam Ashley-Cooper and James Slipper sent to the sin-bin.
The Wallabies saw both centre Berrick Barnes (knee) and O'Connor (hand) suffer injuries but they were optimistic the pair would be fit for next weekend.
Both sides made numerous passing and handling errors with Turner making a mess of a huge overlap in the 10th minute when he failed to find Ben Horne.
Four minutes later the Barbarians were level and Australia a man down.
Uncapped New Zealand centre Robbie Fruean intercepted O'Connor's pass and sprinted 50 metres downfield. But his intended pass to Tomkins was knocked on by Ashley-Cooper, yellow carded by French referee Romain Poite.
Cipriani kicked the ensuing penalty to make it 3-3.
Australia though scored next when O'Connor's mis-hit drop-goal from 25 metres somehow went over the bar.
Minutes later, O'Connor's cleverly delayed a pass to Ioane, running from deep, and the wing brushed aside Fruean and Cipriani before scoring a 25th minute try.
Prop forward Slipper was then sent to the sin-bin for a late tackle on Cipriani.
O'Connor and Scott Higginbotham both burst clear only to deliver wretched passes when seemingly certain tries loomed.
But on the stroke of half-time, the Wallabies worked an overlap that saw O'Connor send in Turner for a try in the corner.
The half ended in bizarre fashion when O'Connor, after Poite signalled for him to kick, took too long with his trademark deliberate run-up and saw charging Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer steal the ball off the kicking tee - the only conversion the Wallaby missed.
Henry emptied his star-studded bench at the break and Cipriani then reduced Australia's lead with a penalty.
It was Horwill who scored next when fellow substitute Stephen Moore rolled off the back of a lineout and fed his fellow forward close to the line.
Italy prop Salvatore Perugini, on as a replacement, was also sent to the sin-bin and Australia then ran riot, starting when Cipriani's pop-pass close to his own line was picked off by Wallaby centre Rob Horne.
Australia: 60 (J Horwill 2, D Ioane 2, L Turner 2, R Horne, R Samo tries; J O'Connor 7 cons, pen, drop goal)
Barbarians: 11 (S Tomkins try; D Cipriani 2 pens)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-2...d-rout/3697342
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Burgs
