England captain Lewis Moody believes his team must raise their game as they attempt to complete back-to-back victories over Australia at Twickenham today.
In what is being billed as a battle of English brawn versus Australian flair, Moody’s men are aiming to score their second consecutive win over the Wallabies after winning 21-20 in Sydney five months ago.
England produced an improved performance against the All Blacks in their opening autumn international last Saturday, before eventually succumbing 26-16 to the powerful Tri-Nations champions, but Moody believes England must take their game to yet another level if they are to prevent Australia from registering a hat-trick of away victories at Twickenham following wins in 2008 and last year.
Photo: Reuters
“We need to show we are a quality side,” Moody said. “Australia are hungry for revenge after what was a tough game in Sydney. We are very excited about this game because we realize at the weekend we had an opportunity to beat the No. 1 side in the world, but we missed it because of a lack of composure. We were in the game to win it and the second half showed everyone the ability we have as a side. We realize we are a team that has to keep improving. Our aim is to keep getting better.”
England are likely to target Australia’s scrum in an effort to gain control. The Wallaby pack struggled against Wales last Saturday and only dazzling play by Australia’s backs prevented defeat.
While England routed Australia’s scrum in consecutive Tests in June, the Wallabies eight that will take to the field today is a different proposition, boasting a front row bolstered by the return of Stephen Moore.
In any event, Australia have shown that their effervescent back division — marshaled by skillful flyhalf Quade Cooper — is more than capable of winning a match even when forced to live off meager possession.
SCOTLAND V NEW ZEALAND
AFP, EDINBURGH
New Zealand may have never lost a Test against Scotland, but simply extending that unbeaten run at Murrayfield today won’t please All Blacks coach Graham Henry.
The Tri-Nations champions were not altogether convincing winners in a 26-16 victory over England at Twickenham last weekend that nevertheless kept alive hopes of a third Grand Slam in five years.
In both 2005 and 2008, New Zealand made multiple changes against Scotland, but, ahead of hosting next year’s World Cup, Henry has decided to stick with the bulk of the side that beat England.
Jimmy Cowan returns at scrumhalf after starting in the defeat by Australia in Hong Kong two weeks ago, with the gifted Conrad Smith back in the center and Isaia Toeava on the right wing.
Meanwhile, flanker Liam Messon is back in the All Black pack.
New Zealand may not be able to field Keven Mealamu against Scotland depending on the hooker’s appeal against a four-week suspension for headbutting England captain Lewis Moody late yesterday.
The uncapped Hikawera Elliot will make his debut in place of Mealamu should the ban be upheld.
Captain Richie McCaw and fullback Mils Mulaina will both win their 92nd caps today, equaling former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick’s national record.
“What they’ve achieved has been immense,” Henry said. “To be equaling Fitzy’s record — Fitzy was an icon of the game and these two are just as much — is the ultimate really.”
If Scotland are to pull off one of the great upset wins, flyhalf Dan Parks is likely to have to produce one of his best international displays.
“We know we’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us come the weekend, but we’re very confident that we’re going into it with the right frame of mind and we’ve trained well,” said Australia-born Parks of a Scotland team missing the injured quintet of Alastair Kellock, Chris Cusiter, Johnnie Beattie, Simon Danielli and Alasdair Strokosch.
WALES V SOUTH AFRICA
AFP, CARDIFF
South Africa aim to take the second step toward redemption on their tour of Britain and Ireland when they face Wales today.
The Springboks have looked anything but reigning world champions this year after finishing bottom of the Tri-Nations and with disappointing performances from their franchises in the Super 14 tournament.
However, a hard-fought 23-21 victory over Ireland in Dublin last week, despite the loss of several leading players, has given new determination to Peter de Villiers’ team to end a disappointing season on a high.
Wales lost 25-16 to Australia last weekend, but South Africa’s Bryan Habana said: “I don’t think we are favorites for this game. We have had a bad year. We were disappointed in ourselves during the Tri-Nations, and we know we want to rectify those results and performances moving forward towards the 2011 World Cup. We have to do well on this tour and that means facing up to every northern hemisphere side for four weeks. It was a good win for us in Ireland. We let it get too close toward the end and Ronan O’Gara, in his 100th game, was probably disappointed he missed the conversion.”
Habana lines up against uncapped Scarlets teenager George North, one of four changes to the Wales team that lost to the Wallabies. Lions fullback Lee Byrne has recovered from a broken hand, allowing James Hook to revert back to center, while veteran flanker Martyn Williams starts at No. 7 in place of injured Cardiff colleague Sam Warburton, with Wales looking to play a far more expansive game than the one they managed against Australia.
Having looked to take on the Wallabies up front and with huge success at the scrum, Wales aim to rediscover their creative flair against South Africa in a bid to move the visitors’ pack around the field.
“We changed our approach against Australia and looked to take them on up front,” Wales coach Warren Gatland said. “That is something we haven’t tried before against the Tri-Nations.”
This will be the last time the teams meet before they come face to face in their opening game of the next year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
So it is a good time for South Africa to recall a World Cup winner in center Francois Steyn, who broke Welsh hearts at the Millennium Stadium with a trademark 50m penalty to clinch a 34-31 victory in June.
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