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November 20, 2009 - 11:43PM
Australia have suffered a setback on the eve of the rugby Test against Scotland in Edinburgh, with outside centre Digby Ioane ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Ryan Cross has been called up to replace Ioane, with Lachie Turner promoted to the bench.
The injury is to his right shoulder, not the left which required a reconstruction earlier this year and sidelined Ioane for six months.
Making no apologies, the Wallabies say they will be happy to win ugly at Murrayfield if that's what's required to avoid their first loss to Scotland in 27 years.
Bracing themselves for horrible conditions after a rain-filled week in Edinburgh, the Wallabies will once again be relying on midfield playmakers Matt Giteau and Quade Cooper to continually boot them out of their danger zone.
"Because of the conditions being as bad as they are, then you've just got to do whatever it takes to win," Giteau said. "That's the reality of it, you've got to play to the conditions.
"All teams, or most teams, like to play expansive and like to throw the ball around, but we've got to go in with that mentality that we need to play as tight and as simple as we need to win the Test.
"If there's opportunities, you've got to take them and you've got to be good enough to take them."
The orders to play a typically dour northern-hemisphere brand of rugby are coming from the top.
"You don't want to be playing with the ball in the wrong part of the ground," coach Robbie Deans said.
"It's easier for defences to really pressure if you become isolated or get caught behind your support."
Australia learned that the hard way against Ireland last Sunday when, after controlling the game for more than an hour, the Wallabies conceded two late tries to allow the Six Nations champions to snatch a 20-20 draw.
Both scores came after the Wallabies lost possession in their own half, enabling Ireland to apply relentless pressure before, almost inevitably, striking with converted tries.
Deans realises running rugby is more attractive to fans, but also suspects Australians wouldn't cop a humbling defeat at the hands of world's ninth-ranked team.
"Obviously we are aware there's an interested public - we hope there's an interested public - and we'd certainly like to have them identify with not only the way we go about our work, but also to have an appeal," he said.
"But I think even our sporting public would concede that they're probably happier to accept a result that's not so pretty than something that's pretty but doesn't provide a result.
"Put them both together and we'd be very happy, and that's what we aspire to.
"The blokes love to play; the most enjoyable rugby they can play is rugby where they're all involved, all 15, and get to express what they can do.
"So that's we try and work hard to create that opportunity, but you've got to earn that right. It doesn't come easily because there's someone on the other side who wants the opposite."
Despite Australia's conservative approach, Deans is expecting Scotland, under new coach and former England boss Andy Robinson, to throw caution to the wind in a bid to snap a 16-Test losing streak against the Wallabies.
"He wants them to unshackle, he wants them to play with ambition and that ambition will be two-fold," Deans said.
"It will be through physicality and then being prepared to take a risk, prepared to chance their arm in order to profit.
"That's what we expect."
It's a shame the Ioane/Cooper midfield combo haven't got another chance to strut their stuff together. Good for us that Crossy is getting another chance though I suppose.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
About time. I hope he is up to the extreme challenge of the Scotland backline.
Pieter, much of the time, the Wallabies have been playing in ideal ballrunning conditions. I can't remember a wet test match for ages. The relentless poor kicking has so far not been because of the weather. Actually kicking a slippery wet ball directly to the man in muddy conditions is more likely to produce a knock on.
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Oh, yeah, I agree with that bit. Winning's good!
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Cross was rubbish. Absolute rubbish and if by chance he gets to see this how about TRYING TO PASS THE BLOODY BALL. Giteau was shit too.
100% agree, what the hell is up with the Wallabies, we need to do the following things:
1. Get rid of Giteau, he is just rubbish and over rated. Couldn't pass or kick if his life depended on it. He is out there to set players up and make the right choices, but all he does is try to be everywhere and cover everyone else's position, don't see any reason for that.
2. Get rid of Cross, he is obviously out there to follow instructions to pass the ball and never hit the ball up as we have a real problem with supporting players. We need players who are not afraid to pass at international level.
3. Get rid of Deans, im not an international coach, but its clear to everyone he has no real direction and is leading us into another failed WC.
Jazza93, not sure how much of that was tongue-in-cheek, but I'll bite:
1. Agree. Giteau's trying to do it all and ending up failing to do the basics right. He needs to get sat down for the Wales game and I hope he learns to trust his team-mates for next year. Funnily enough he hasn't had this trust issue with the Force - must be something to do with how bad our backs are!
2. If Cross is worried about getting over the gain-line only to then lose the ball when he does get tackled due to a lack of supporting players, who's fault is that? Shouldn't it be down to his team-mates to support him? Again, watching Pocock, Hodgo, Brownie, et al for the Force this year we haven't had this issue.
3. Deans is there until 2011. He's been hit by injuries and they may be something of the difference in rugby cultures between Australia and New Zealand. In Australia there's more player-power, whereas in New Zealand the coach is in charge (Mitchell's also had issues with this!) I always back the coach - it's his team and any prima-donna player who thinks he's bigger than the team will soon learn what a bum full of splinters feels like.
yea i was being sarcastic.
1. Giteau has to do so much, people expect him to score trys, set up trys, kick goals, kick in play, create opportunities and so on, the only player who gives him any help is Barnes but he is gone so now he has to try and do it all himself. Also he is an amazing passer and runner of the ball, you would have to be wearing Brumbies hating blinkers to think otherwise.
2. Cross does what he is told by the coaches and shouldn't really be criticized for not creating plays.
3. Deans is a very good coach, just wait until everyone loves him again when we are peaking in September 2011. Unfortunately people would rather we do an All Blacks and win every game in the 3 years preceding it.
Has anyone else put on the crazy cap and asked themself what the season would have been like if Tuqiri was still playing for the Wallabies. Good or bad- you have to wonder.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Neah, yeah....no
If it cant get any worse, Lote will find a way how!
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That's exactly the problem Jazza, he doesn't have to try and do it all, he has to stick the match plan, execute it and trust his players.
He tried to do it all at the Force and it failed, he's trying to do it all for the Wallabies and it is failing and if he tries to do it all for the Brumbies it will fail there as well.
The only real success he has had this year is when he is far closer to the advantage line and has been prepared to trust those around him.
Relying on one player is pointless and will backfire on team depth, moral and success.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Burgs, you know your shit!
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