Match Preview : Qantas Wallabies vs France in Brisbane
July 05, 2008 - 10:42am
Story by: ARU
As the Qantas Wallabies trooped into the dressing room at halftime at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney last Saturday night, they must have been preparing themselves for a fearful blast.
After some positive signs against Ireland in Melbourne the Wallabies had put in a less than impressive first half performance against France, saved only by a Matt Giteau try in the 36th minute.
They must have been expecting the steam to be coming out of new coach Robbie Deans’ ears, in the tradition of a long line of firebrand Wallaby coaches from Dave Brockhoff to the two Jones, Alan and Eddie.
But instead they got a quiet smile and a few re-assuring words. “Calm down” was the simple message Deans gave to his team. “The opening’s are there, you’re just panicking. Relax and the tries will come.”
The softly-softly approach worked perfectly as within five minutes of the re-start two well-worked Wallaby tries, the first to Nathan Sharpe, the second to a re-born Rocky Elsom, had killed off the Test as a contest.
It could have been more if lock James Horwill’s fingers had stretched a centimetre further as he was pulled down just short of the tryline after man-of-the-match Peter Hynes had put him away.
Australia then showed some committed defence, already a hallmark of Wallabies Version 08, to hold France out, apart from one blemish, before an intercept try to captain Stirling Mortlock rounded out a 34 – 13 win, the equal second largest victory margin over France in the countries’ 80 year competitive history.
But despite the 21-point victory the talk after the game was more about the lapses in the first half rather than the flourishes of the second.
As many pointed out – the Wallabies seemed in that first 40 to be reverting to bad-habits of old. Where was the new Deans game plan?
But what Wallaby fans need to remember is that the future of Australian Rugby is not built in 160 minutes of Test Rugby.
As Deans showed season after season during his unmatched triumphs at the Crusaders, he knows how to coach winning teams. But it will take some time till a squad of players, so indoctrinated into the heavily structured multi-phase Rugby of the Eddie Jones’ years, are confident enough to trust their instincts and play “what is in front of them” as Deans encourages.
Wallaby fans scratching their heads after last Saturday night might also do well to heed Deans message: “Calm down. The tries are coming.”
In the selection of the team for the second Test Deans has shown, as he has always displayed throughout his career, that he is quick to adapt and not scared to try something different.
So into the starting XV come five new faces, three through injury, one through form and one perhaps so Deans can consider his options.
The players being replaced through injury are Lote Tuqiri who “jammed his knee up”, was the technical phrase used, which gives an opportunity to Waratahs speedster Lachie Turner who has carried his impressive Super 14 form into the Australia A campaign, scoring a double at Ballymore last Sunday against Fiji.
Joining him is No.8 Stephen Holies who comes in for Wycliff Palu (neck soreness). And on Thursday versatile NSW Waratahs forward Dean Mumm was elevated to the starting line up after Sharpe pulled his groin at training.
Young Queensland Reds loose forward Hugh McMeniman, so impressive for Australia A against Fiji last Sunday, comes in for Mumm on the bench.
Phil Waugh, who has been devastating off the bench in the first two Tests, earns his starting spot at openside flanker with George Smith dropping to the bench.
And the “considering options” change sees Adam Ashley-Cooper get a start at fullback although Cameron Shepherd didn’t do too much wrong in Sydney, and set up Giteau’s try by launching a flowing counter-attack from his own 22.
The French continue to experiment with no less than 10 changes from the starting XV that took the field in Sydney, seven in personnel and three positional.
Only two are enforced through injury with prop Lionel Faure (knee) and fullback Pepito Elhorga (shoulder) out and into the run on team come yet another debutant, Albi prop Pierre Correia and Bourgoin-Jallieu wing David Janin, who made his debut off the bench last weekend. Biarritz winger Benjamin Thiery moves to fullback.
Of the other omissions perhaps most notable is experienced international centre Damien Traille who is gone from the 22 altogether with Lièvremont opting to blood young Toulouse centre Maxime Mermoz.
The others to drop out of the starting line up are: Bourgoin-Jallieu flyhalf Benjamin Boyet, Biarritz scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili, Montpellier No.8 Louis Picamoles and Biarritz prop Benoit Lecouls.
Coming into the starting XV along with Mermoz are: Thibault Lacroix from Albi, who will play inside centre, Castres-Olympique scrumhalf Sebastien Tillous-Bordes, Dax flanker (and younger brother of the coach) Matthieu Lievremont and prop Renaud Boyoud, also from Dax.
In terms of positional switches Montpellier flyhalf François Trinh-Duc, a surprise selection at outside centre last week, shifts in to his usual position for the axed Boyet and Biarritz No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy also reverts to his usual position from flanker.
Boyet however got a late reprieve on Friday when he was brought on to the bench after reserve lock David Couzinet was ruled out with a calf strain. As one perplexed French journalist said when he heard of the change: "It is uncertain whether Boyet will play at lock if he comes on to the field."
Young French coach Marc Lievremont brought 12 uncapped players on this tour. By fulltime in Brisbane, he will have capped all of them. Roulette after all is a French game and Lievremont seems to be playing it with abandon at the selection table.
The business end of the season starts in two weeks for the Wallabies when they take on the Springboks in Perth in Australia’s first Tri Nation’s clash and the Wallabies know this is their last chance to impress.
With that added incentive, and the benefit of the run in Sydney last week, the Wallabies will be one further step along the Deans’ master-plan tonight. The French, as always, well it’s anyone’s guess.
One thing is sure. You’ll see some tries tonight. Most from the Men in Gold.
Teams for the second Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series Test between the Qantas Wallabies and France at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane this Saturday:
Qantas Wallabies
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies), 14. Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds), 13. Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies) (captain), 12. Berrick Barnes (Queensland Reds), 11. Lachlan Turner* (NSW Waratahs), 10. Matt Giteau (Western Force), 9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs), 8. Stephen Hoiles (Brumbies),7. Phil Waugh (NSW Waratahs), 6. Rocky Elsom (NSW Waratahs), 5. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs). 4. James Horwill (Queensland Reds), 3. Al Baxter (NSW Waratahs), 2. Stephen Moore (Queensland Reds), 1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
Replacements: 16. Adam Freier (NSW Waratahs), 17. Ben Alexander (Brumbies), 18. Hugh McMeniman (Queensland Reds), 19. George Smith (Brumbies), 20. Sam Cordingley (Queensland Reds), 21. Ryan Cross (Western Force), 22. Cameron Shepherd (Western Force)
XV de France
15 Benjamin Thiery (Biarritz), 14 Alexis Palisson (Brive), 13 Maxime Mermoz * (Toulouse), 12 Thibault Lacroix (Albi), 11 David Janin (Bourgoin-Jallieu), 10 Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), 9 Sebastian Tillous-Borde (Castres-Olympique), 8 Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), 7 Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), 6 Matthieu Lievremont (Dax), 5 Lionel Nallet (Castres Olympique) (captain), 4 Sebastien Chabal (Sale Sharks, UK), 3 Renaud Boyoud (Dax), 2 Sebastien Bruno (Sale Sharks, UK), 1 Pierre Correia* (Albi).
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser (Leicester Tigers, UK), 17 Benoit Lecouls (Biarritz), 18 Benjamin Boyet (Bourgoin-Jallieu), 19 Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), 20 Yannick Caballero* (Montauban), 21 Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), 22 Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet* (Bayonne).
* denotes uncapped
Date: Saturday July 5, 2008
Kick-off: 20:05
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Marius Jonker (South Africa), Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Television match official: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
Assessor: Andrew Cole (Australia)
