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Wallabies working on lineout
- Bret Harris
- From: The Australian
- September 02, 2010 12:00AM
ASSISTANT Wallabies coach Richard Graham has defended the team's attack in its 44-31 loss to the world champions in Pretoria last Sunday.
After scoring three tries in the first 10 minutes, the Wallabies managed only one five-pointer in the last 70 minutes.
While conceding there was work needed on the lineout, Graham was encouraged by the fact the Wallabies had put themselves in a position to score more tries.
``If you look at the start of the game, it was unique,'' Graham said. ``There were five tries in 17 minutes.
``That was never going to continue. If it did, the score would have been 190. It wasn't realistic.
``It's not a concern. We put ourselves in a position to score.''
Graham pointed to a try that Wallabies outside centre Adam Ashley-Cooper would have scored ``99 times out of 100'' to support his case.
The Wallabies were trailing 34-31 with just over 20 minutes to go when Ashley-Cooper received the ball out wide in the Springbok 22.
But the ball was jolted out of Ashley-Cooper's hands in a try-saving tackle by Springbok halfback Francois Hougaard.
``Adam Ashley-Cooper was outstanding,'' Graham said.
``He carried the ball well and got across the advantage line. If you put him in that position 100 times, he would score 99 times. It was the one time he didn't.''
Of course, the Wallabies' chances of adding to their try tally was impeded by the malfunctioning of their lineout, particularly towards the end of the game.
``We are working on our set-piece,'' Graham said. ``We turned over three possessions in our lineout between the 60th and 75th minutes.
``Technique is something we continue to work on. We are continuing to educate our lineout callers, particularly in pressure situations.''
Graham was pleased with the Wallabies' scrum, but did not believe Australia was rewarded for its dominance at the set-piece.
``Our scrum at the start was outstanding, but we were not rewarded how we should have been,'' Graham said.
``As the game went on it came back to an even contest. We'd like to see more clean ball from the scrum.''
While the Wallabies have never won in Pretoria, they have least won once in Bloemfontein, although that was in 1933.
Graham believes it will be an advantage for the Wallabies to play back-to-back Tests on the high veld, which is something they have only done once before.
The Wallabies, who have not won on the highveld since 1963, lost both Tests in Johannesburg (33-20) and Pretoria (22-16) in 2005.
``It's fantastic,'' Graham said. ``You rarely play at altitude two weeks in a row.
``We have never won in Pretoria, but we have only played them five times in 47 years. That's once every nine years. We are not there every year.
``We haven't won at altitude for a long time and it's something we are very keen to do. If you break a hoodoo, it gives you a shot in the arm.
``It would be very beneficial for this young group to get a win. It would show them the work they have bene doing is right and they would be rewarded for it.''
Meanwhile, Graham claimed he did not know about former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer's stinging criticism of Robbie Deans and his coaching staff in a weekly column on his website.
``The internet is down in the hotel,'' Graham said. ``Maybe it's a good thing.''
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225913026174
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