Wayne Smith | June 19, 2009

Article from: The Australian

MOST Australians have tended to regard tomorrow's Wallabies-Italy Test at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium as an open-and-shut case, but that was before Azzurri coach Nick Mallett hit the roof.

Mallett wants the retractable roof open, presumably in the hope that rain will affect the surface and force the Wallabies to play a less expansive game that will play into Italy's main strength, its heavyweight pack.

"Our feeling is that we'd prefer to have it open because weather conditions play a part in rugby," Mallett argued yesterday. "If you're going to be playing under dew or rain or wind, it's part and parcel of rugby.

"I think in the (tour) agreement, both coaches have to agree to it being closed."
That's not how the Australian Rugby Union views it, with an ARU spokesman insisting last night that tour agreement made no mention of the Etihad Stadium roof, apart from stipulating that both teams had the right to have their captain's run under the same conditions that would apply for the match.

The roof had always been shut for rugby Tests at the ground since the first one was played there in 2000, ironically against Mallett's Springboks - a match won by the Wallabies 44-23. During the 2003 World Cup, the International Rugby Board agreed the roof should be closed for all matches played there during the tournament.

While the Wallabies studiously were avoiding any involvement in the dispute last night, there was a sense that they believed what goes around comes around. When Australia played Italy in Padua last November, they discovered the Stadio Euganeo ground was seven metres narrower than the recommended width - which meant that every time they moved the ball wide, they found themselves hemmed in against the touchline.

The controversy stirred memories, too, of the Wallabies' 1999 World Cup final against France played at the only other major rugby stadium in the world with a retractable roof, Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Annoyed that Wales deliberately had left the roof open to let in the rain before playing in the quarter-finals, the Wallabies lobbied hard for the final to be played indoors, arguing it made no sense to not use the technology that guaranteed perfect playing conditions.

"It's like having a Ferrari in the garage and deciding to take the bus," Tim Horan remarked at the time.

The British media predictably savaged them, even though France too was in favour of a closed roof. "If the Aussie rugby players want to avoid muddy knees, let them take up ballet instead," the Evening Standard thundered in an editorial.

In the end, the World Cup final was played under the roof. But it did rain on the Wallabies that day, with confetti positioned in the roof showering down on them after they defeated France 35-12.

The roof dispute has added a sharper edge to a Test that, as a crowd-drawer at least, had been dulled by the Wallabies' comprehensive 31-8 victory over Italy in the first Test in Canberra last weekend.
The Italians yesterday followed the Australian example of making massive team changes, Mallett retaining only five members of his starting team from last week, among them Australians Craig Gower and Luke McLean.

But while the personnel might have been turned over, nothing has changed in terms of where the Italians fancy their chances, with Mallett sending a coded message yesterday that the Azzurri will be targeting new Wallabies tighthead Ben Alexander.
"I thought the scrummaging was very even in the first half (in Canberra) but we actually got a bit of an edge in the second half," said Mallett, well aware that Alexander, a loosehead specialist, had a torrid time of it at tighthead when sent on there to replace Al Baxter for the last quarter.

Alexander yesterday was confidently looking forward to starting a Test for the first time in the number three jersey, even though he estimates he has played no more than 20 matches throughout his entire career on the tighthead side. But what he doesn't know is how severely the added strain of packing on the right side of the Australian scrum will sap his energy and impact on his outstanding general game.
"I've only had those little spurts (off the bench) and it's hard to fatigue after only 25 minutes so this will be a big test, but obviously your priority is your
scrummaging," Alexander said.

The complete package of the Australian front-row of Alexander, hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and debutant loosehead Pek Cowan has never been tried before at Test level.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015652,00.html