|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Aussie angst Coach Macqueen fears test posed by England
EDINBURGH (Reuters) -- Australian coach Rod Macqueen believes his world champion will have to play “exceptional” rugby against England at Twickenham on Saturday to finish off its European tour unbeaten. As the Wallabies travelled from Scotland to London on Sunday after a 30-9 defeat of the Scots, Macqueen said England had produced the kind of effective, expansive rugby usually associated with the dominant southern hemisphere nations during its drawn series in South Africa in the European summer. England has not beaten Australia since the 1995 World Cup but the two teams drew 15-15 at Twickenham three years ago and the Wallabies just won 12-11 at the same ground in 1998. “Looking at England in South Africa, it could have been any Southern Hemisphere team playing,” Macqueen said. “They are a well-organised side. We are under no illusions they have been waiting for this game and have done a lot of homework. “We're going into the game with our eyes open. We know that they are a very good side. We're going to have to play exceptionally well if we have any chance of being successful.” The Wallabies will be playing their third test in successive weeks, having beaten France 18-13 in Paris on November 4 before Saturday's victory at Murrayfield. The Scots made the Wallabies work hard for their victory, holding them to 9-9 at halftime of the test before three second-half tries from fullback Chris Latham and wingers Joe Roff and Matt Burke sealed the issue. The home side disrupted the Australians' lineout. In the first half the Wallaby backline, missing key halfbacks Stephen Larkham and George Gregan and winger Ben Tune on the tour because of injury, found it hard to get through a well-organised Scottish defence. Macqueen hinted that he might play 23-year-old Elton Flatley at flyhalf from the start against England after he replaced Rod Kafer in the second half against Scotland. “We will have to make a decision during the week to see whether Flatley might even get a run-on against England,” he said. Saturday's game will be England's first outing in a series of internationals in the next month which also includes Twickenham tests against South Africa and Argentina. Macqueen said he knew the English, who made a disappointing quarter-final exit at the hands of South Africa at last year's World Cup, had been focusing its mind on the world champion for some time after having come so close to beating the Wallabies in Europe in recent years. “England see this as their opportunity, this one,” he said. “I have noted that (coach) Clive Woodward has come out and said it'll justify the last two years and so on. “We understand that they see it as a milestone for them. We have to look at it as another game and as the pressure that comes on you when you are world champions.”
| ||||||||||||||||||||
