• Tim Clarke
  • August 26, 2009 - 7:35AM
Western Force flanker Richard Brown believes playing badly and still falling just one point shy of the All Blacks is proof the Wallabies are close to their first Tri-Nations win of the year against the Springboks on Saturday.
With Force skipper Nathan Sharpe ruled out of the game, along with playmaker Berrick Barnes, injuries have been added to the growing insults about Robbie Deans' side.
While Brown admits his patchy form, which has included two yellow cards, he insisted a breakthrough was not far away.
"They have been really close games, we have been right in them, we can take confidence we are not far way from having these wins - and we are playing badly," Brown said.
"My discipline for one, and the amount of errors and lack of fluency we have been playing with ... we have been (within) one point of beating teams."
Western Force teenage star James O'Connor looks likely to recover in time for Saturday's clash, but Sharpe's absence is a huge blow. Mark Chisholm looks the likely replacement after taking over the veteran's line-out calling duties at training.
Deans said a new face for old campaigner Victor Matfield to deal with might be an advantage for the home side.
"I don't think it's (Sharpe's shoulder) anything too sinister, he just took a knock to it and this isn't a game you'd want to go into with a player who wasn't 100 per cent," Deans said.
"We are fortunate to have a player like Mark Chisholm become available to us again. He's been out for a significant period of time with injury, but has had a couple of club games and is back in consideration as well. That timing is fortunate for us really."
Rocky Elsom is also still in line to play despite an ankle knock picked up in the Bledisloe Cup heartbreaker last weekend.
"Rocky's still in consideration. He picked up a bit of an ankle complaint, but it doesn't seem too bad," Deans said.
"He has started moving and is still a prospect. It will be good to have him there and it was good to have him back last week where he did remarkably well in his first outing. He made a difference to the lineout and likes the contest in all areas."

http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/wall...0825-ey5m.html