Wallabies waiting for 'lightbulb' moment

Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 5:17 AM
Beth Newman
by Beth Newman
Adam Coleman is set to make his Wallabies debut tomorrow night after Michael Cheika trimmed his extended bench.

Wallabies vice-captain Michael Hooper says the side just needs a “lightbulb” moment to turn its fortunes around.

The Wallabies go into Saturday’s final Test as outsiders for the first time this series, against an England team that is on an eight-game winning streak.

Australia has remained outwardly positive all week about this third Test and Hooper said he was confident just one flick of a switch could put the Wallabies on top.

“Momentum for a team as far as coaching and leadership within players is really crucial,” he said.

“Confidence builds within the players and things just seem to happen.

“In saying that, when you are down and we've dropped two games, you can turn it around really quick... you can have that lightbulb moment, that eureka sort of thing that just makes everything click, makes everyone switch on to what it is when it is really hard, what it is that works for you when it is really battling.”

One of the issues the Wallabies this series  have faced is poor discipline, on the end of a heavy penalty count in the first Test before an intense second match.

Michael Hooper is confident the Wallabies can turn it around in the final Test. Photo: ARU Media/Stu WalmsleyIn a fiery second Test, the Wallabies captain found himself in the middle of some scuffles and was warned by referee Craig Joubert to control his players’ communications with the whistleblower.

Moore said it was something the Wallabies had spoken about ahead of Saturday’s final Test.

“Every Test is different and it's always a fine line between overstepping that part of the game and maybe taking your focus off what you're trying to do in the game so that's something we did speak about during the week,” he said.

“Every week that's something you do speak about and in the heat of the moment, sometimes that stuff happens but that's something we always talk about.”

Moore said earlier in the week that this match would be a litmus test for the side’s leaders and he said he was by no means exempt from improvement.

“There's always things we can do better and I can do better personally,” he said.

“Leadership and your own performances are constantly something that you look at week on week.

“Tomorrow I want to go out there and do as well as I can in both those areas.”

There’ll be a different dynamic in the lineout, with man mountain Will Skelton coming into the starting XV but Moore downplayed the change it would have.

“He’s not a bad jumper, so he’ll be an option for us.”

Share
‘Fire's always there’: Pietsch hoping breakout Lions game boosts Wallabies ambitions
Wallaby great Gary Ella has found a blossoming rugby community since moving to Lake Macquarie (Source: Getty)
Back from the brink: how Gary Ella fell in love with the Lake Macquarie and Hunter rugby community
Vincent Tshituka makes his official debut for South Africa. Photo: Getty Images
Congo-born Tshituka to make Test debut as Springboks change five
British & Irish Lions Tour 2025: How to Watch, Fixtures, Teams, Schedule and more