|
|
 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Best ever? Australia heralds British tourists
BRISBANE (Reuters) -- The British and Irish Lions have played just two matches so far on their tour of Australia but already they're being compared to the greatest teams ever to visit these shores. The Lions opened their 10-game tour with a record 116-10 thumping of a scratch amateur team from Western Australia in Perth on Friday then overcame a shaky start with 11 second half tries to destroy a youthful Queensland President's XV 83-6 in Townsville on Tuesday. The tourists have been careful not to gloat about their early performances because of the standard of the opposition but the Australians say they've already seen enough to know that the 2001 Lions are as good as any that have come before them. "They're as strong as any team in the world, there's no doubt about that," Australian captain John Eales said Thursday. "They're going to be the biggest challenge Australia has faced in many years. "You'd have to say England on their own are up there with the best teams in the world but this team's just going be stronger with the influence of a few other players and obviously (coach) Graham Henry." Despite having beaten every rugby-playing nation and being the only country to have twice won the World Cup, Australia has never beaten the combined forces of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales in a series. In fact, the Wallabies have beaten the Lions just twice in 10 official tests. The closest they came to winning a series was in 1989 when the Lions last visited Australia. The Wallabies won the opening test, lost the second, and should have won the third if not for a moment of madness from winger David Campese. Much better Queensland coach Mark McBain played for the Reds against the 1989 Lions but said the 2001 team was much better. "I played against the Lions in 1989 and I wouldn't have rated them above the All Blacks but this side I rate very, very highly," McBain said. "They've got a lot of strikepower in attack, their defense seems to be well organized and their set pieces seem to be well organized. "I saw them play in Townsville and I was very impressed with them, I think they're a very good side. They've really got some speed out wide and they look like they're going to try and throw it out there a lot." The Lions have scored 199 points, including 31 tries, in the opening two games but current Wallaby centre Daniel Herbert said his biggest fear was that they still had still not showed their full potential. "With the pace they've got out wide we've got to be very careful with our defense, we can't give them too much room to move and I still think they're holding back," he said. "Often when you're playing in Super 12 you can target one or two weaknesses throughout a team but I don't think you can do that against an international team, let alone the Lions who get to choose from so many countries. "We might be at home but they don't have to acclimatize now to the conditions, they've been over here for a few weeks and I'm sure their body clocks have checked in."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
