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Wallabies in search of respect
By Wayne Smith
November 15, 2008 AUSTRALIA climbed one summit this season when they beat the Springboks on South African soil for the first time this century, but until they conquer the three highest peaks of European rugby they will not get beyond base camp in terms of respect.
The Wallabies away record against England, France and Wales since 2000 is little short of deplorable - just three wins and a draw from 12 Tests. Throw in Ireland and it gets worse, just four victories from 15 internationals on the road.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is not entirely correct when he argues that past results have no bearing on present-day outcomes, because there is no disguising the confidence Australia's opponents draw from having beaten the Wallabies so regularly in recent years. That is especially true of England which has only lost once to the Wallabies at Twickenham since 1998, the Matt Giteau-inspired 21-19 victory in 2004.
In the entire professional era, England has lost only twice at home in seven matches against the Wallabies, by a combined margin of three points.
"Australia appear to be the weakest of the three major southern hemisphere countries touring in Europe this autumn," Stephen Jones wrote in The Times this week.
While his assessment conveniently overlooks the fact the Wallabies defeated the Springboks twice in this year's Tri-Nations, historically it is unarguable. Since the game went professional in 1995, the All Blacks have won 92 per cent of their 25 European tour matches, the Boks 68 per cent (from 32 matches), while the Wallabies average out at 63 per cent (from 33 matches).
Most disturbingly, all 10 of the Wallabies' tour defeats in the professional era have come since 2000.
As patronising as the critics are, dismissing the Wallabies as a team in transition that struggled to beat Italy last weekend, the Twickenham Test looms as a genuine opportunity to win back some respect.
The Australian side is settled, with the substitution of Hugh McMeniman at blindside flanker for Dean Mumm the only change to the XV that ran the All Blacks so close in Hong Kong, while the England side features new units virtually across the board. Only in the front row, where 2007 World Cup captain Phil Vickery has been recalled to join hooker Lee Mears and loosehead Andy Sheridan, can England hope to squeeze any benefit out of an established combination.
Arguably, England might draw some comfort from fielding six Wasps players in its starting XV were it not for the fact that the London club is languishing 10th on the 12-team premiership table.
Sweeping judgments have been made that the England team under new manager Martin Johnson is about to embrace running rugby, all on the evidence of its 39-13 victory over a combined Pacific islands team which had had only three training runs together.
Certainly, Wallabies flanker George Smith, who has played 10 times against England, is going to take a lot more convincing that Johnson, the most uncompromising of second-rowers in his playing heyday, is about to jettison England's traditional forward-based game.
"It's pretty early in his coaching career," Smith said.
"Last week they obviously threw the ball around a bit but their strength is always their set piece. Their scrum and lineout will be very good and we will have to be at our very best to combat that."
Giteau, however, is not so sure, believing that sides that persist with a lumbering style of play under the experimental law variations will go the way of the dinosaur.
"I think it had to happen because of the new laws," Giteau said of the new, adventurous England. "Every side is encouraged to throw the ball around and to play on instinct and to use the ball more. That was the obvious way and the only way they could have gone."
Nor does Giteau buy the argument that if instincts are given free rein, England will revert to what it knows and does best, playing narrow and kicking for field position.
"I'm not too sure," he said. "You look at the guys they've brought in, they love to attack.
"Certainly the game on the weekend they looked to attack even from deep in their 22, so that's something we need to be wary of."
Second-rower Nathan Sharpe, one of five Wallabies to have tasted defeat at the hands of England in the 2003 World Cup final, the 2005 Twickenham Test and last year's World Cup quarter-final in Marseille, knows that wins against Australia's traditional rival at Twickenham come so rarely that the Wallabies cannot afford to waste this chance.
"The last time was 2004, I think, so it's been a long time coming," Sharpe said.
"You know you've got to be at the top of your game to beat England at Twickenham. You've got to cross all your Ts and dot your Is, that's for sure.
"The boys did a good job in Durban this year and shoved the gorilla off the back so hopefully we can do the same thing over here."
It's not just the win the Wallabies want. It's the respect they're not getting at the moment.
"That's the biggest thing you want from the opposition, that respect," Giteau said.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html
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