RUGBY UNION: Bret Harris | August 21, 2009

Article from: The Australian

FEAR of failure, rather than fear of the axe, will be the motivating factor for the Wallabies in their do-or-die Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks in Sydney tomorrow night.

There has been speculation several senior positions in the Wallabies pack will be on the line if the home side loses its third straight game in the tournament.
Hooker Stephen Moore said the players did not need the threat of being dropped to produce their best. "Everyone is under pressure. The whole set-up is under pressure," he said.

"The players are certainly under pressure to perform. That's the way you want it to be. When you are playing for your country you would hope there would be pressure on you to perform on the biggest stage. That's the way we are approaching it.
"Personally, I just want to go out there and play well and perform my role well and contribute to the team. That's all I can really focus on and that's all I'm worried about."

A crucial area in the Test will be the scrum.

After struggling in the scrum in their loss to the All Blacks in Auckland, the Wallabies performed better against the Springboks in Cape Town.

"We have worked really hard on it. We were pleased with the result we got in South Africa. We didn't have any trouble there with any collapsed scrums or anything," Moore said.

"That was positive for us. We have worked hard, as we do before every Test. We'll go in with a positive frame of mind to scrummage positively and that's all we can really worry about. I know the boys have trained well and they are really ready for this Test."

Tighthead prop Al Baxter was penalised repeatedly for illegal binding in Auckland, but Moore was confident that would not be an issue tomorrow night.

"We've got Jonathan Kaplan this weekend, who is an excellent referee of the scrum," Moore said. "I'm sure he'll make the right calls. That's all you can hope for.
"We need to take the referee out of the equation as much as we can by scrummaging well and scrummaging positively, which is what we intend to do.
"We are aware the All Blacks pose a different threat in that department and we have prepared in that fashion."

The forwards will be relying heavily on inside backs Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes to keep the ball in front of them with their tactical kicking, which is also expected to be important.

The All Blacks used the high ball to good effect in Auckland, where they relied mainly on five-eighth Stephen Donald. The restored inside back combination of Dan Carter and Luke McAlister will give the All Blacks two kickers in general play.

"It gives them a lot more options," Barnes said. "A right- and left-footer will certainly help them. Obviously, getting out of trouble and that sort of thing.
"Luke is a very powerful player. Good on his feet. He'll bring another element for sure.

"Kicking is going to be part of it no matter how much we say we want to see running rugby.

"There is going to be an element of kicking to it because field position, with the way the laws are, plays a big part in winning games. If you are down the right end, you'll go a long way to winning it. But I hope when we get the opportunity to play football, we will."

Barnes conceded the Wallabies' kicking game has not been as accurate in the Tri-Nations as it was in the Tests against Italy and France.

"We have been winning in terms of territory, but some of our kicks haven't been as well directed as we'd like," Barnes said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html