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Australia and Wales ready to go on the offensive

THE AUSTRALIA coach, Robbie Deans has said he sympathised with his opposite number for tomorrow’s third-place play-off match …

PAUL REES in Auckland
Thu Oct 20 2011 - 01:00

THE AUSTRALIA coach, Robbie Deans has said he sympathised with his opposite number for tomorrow’s third-place play-off match in Auckland. Wales’s Warren Gatland admitted earlier in the week he had considered the idea of going to uncontested scrums after feeling his captain, Sam Warburton, had been unjustly sent off in the semi-final against France, only to decide it would be morally wrong.

“I have never cheated, but I have been accused of it,” Deans said. “I am not in Warren’s shoes, but I can understand his frustration. Perhaps having eight substitutes so that all the frontrow positions are covered would be the way forward.

“I do not think the Warburton sending-off will make the play-off more meaningful to Wales than us. We will be up for it. Wales are a very good side and they have shown a lot of quality.

“They have been unlucky. We are the two youngest sides here and we have both picked attacking line-ups so I would not expect the game to be a kicking contest.”

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The secondrow Nathan Sharpe will win his 100th cap for Australia, 10 years after turning down an approach from Wales. “I spoke to Graham Henry (now the All Blacks coach), who was coaching them then,” he said.

“My grandfather was born in Wales but I chose Australia. I guess it is a coincidence that I am reaching my landmark against the other country I could have played for.”

Kurtley Beale has recovered from a hamstring strain to return at fullback for Australia, who have gone with their most attacking back division, while only two of the forwards who started Sunday’s semi-final against New Zealand, James Horwill and David Pocock, survive.

Wales, meanwhile, have been keen to stress they have dealt with the fallout from Warburton’s dismissal and the subsequent defeat. “It was a devastating blow to come so close to making the final, but we have got to move on,” the Ospreys hooker Huw Bennett said. “We are involved in a play-off and if you cannot get up for that, you are in the wrong job.”

AUSTRALIA: K Beale; J O’Connor, A Ashley-Cooper, B Barnes, D Ioane; Q Cooper, W Genia; J Slipper, T Polota-Nau, S Ma’afu; J Horwill, N Sharpe; S Higginbotham, D Pocock, B McCalman.

WALES: L Halfpenny; G North, J Davies, J Roberts, S Williams; J Hook , M Phillips; G Jenkins, H Bennett, P James; B Davies, L Charteris; S Lydiate, T Faletau, R Jones.