Rookie Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is under no illusion as to the enormity of the task his side face in the Tri-Nations Test against South Africa tomorrow.
Although the Wallabies looked sharp in successive Test wins over France in recent weeks, including a 40-10 success last weekend, Deans knows the reigning World Cup champions provide the first real challenge of his four-game tenure.
The Springboks arrived in Australia buoyant after a historic 30-28 win over the All Blacks in Dunedin last weekend.
Expecting a bruising encounter with the powerful ’Boks, Deans plumped for experience when he named his team, recalling winger Lote Tuqiri, lock Nathan Sharpe and flanker Wycliff Palu.
He also recalled George Smith to the run-on side for the Wallabies first match of their Tri-Nations campaign.
South Africa recalled Pierre Spies, Francois Steyn and Conrad Jantjes.
The Wallabies go into the series as rank outsiders for the Tri-Nations title, but Deans said he believed wise heads would help his side prevail in what he is certain will be their most physical match of the year.
“Experience is always valuable,” the former Canterbury Crusaders mentor said. “This is our first Tri-Nations Test and we are conscious of the fact it is going to be a step up from what we have encountered to date. When you get into that sort of circumstance, to have as many blokes as possible around who have got some kilometers on the clock is valuable.”
Deans said the two Tests against the All Blacks showed the Springboks were playing a more expansive style of rugby than in their World Cup success.
“The physicality is still there, but they were a little bit more prepared to use the width of the ground and that makes them a more challenging opponent to defend against,” he said.
The Springboks made their Tri-Nations intentions clear with the win over the All Blacks last weekend, their first victory in New Zealand for a decade.
They will be without captain John Smit, who will miss the rest of the Tri-Nations because of groin surgery, and hooker Bismarck du Plessis, who was suspended for three weeks for making contact with the eyes of All Black Adam Thomson.
Springboks coach Peter de Villiers said his side had moved on from the New Zealand win.
“You can’t take history with you and that win means nothing this weekend,” he said. “They [the Wallabies] are a team that you do have to respect.”
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games landed in Rome on Thursday following a handover in Greece. The flame was carried in a small lantern aboard an ITA Airways flight between the Greek and Italian capitals. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini — an Olympic gold medalist — and local organizing committee president Giovanni Malago carried the flame off the plane. “I feel honored. It’s an incredible emotion,” Paolini said in brief remarks before the lantern was driven away toward the presidential palace. A 63-day torch relay covering 12,000km is to start in Rome today and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces
The Kashima Antlers won a record-extending ninth Japanese title on the final day of the J. League season yesterday, holding their nerve to beat the Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1. Watched by Brazilian legend and former player Zico, the Antlers went into the game at their packed home stadium with a one-point lead over Kashiwa Reysol in the table. A goal in either half from Brazilian striker Leo Ceara put the Antlers in control, but Yokohama struck in the first of five minutes of second-half injury time to set up a nail-biting finale, with Reysol winning their game 1-0. The Antlers saw out the
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
RSS