AUSTRALIA COACH Robbie Deans is resigned to being without injured duo Berrick Barnes and Timana Tahu for Saturday's Test against England and the rest of the Wallabies' European tour.
Barnes, 22, suffered suspected posterior cruciate ligament damage early in the Wallabies' 30-20 victory over Italy in Padova on Saturday.
The Queensland Reds outhalf will undergo scans in London but he is expected to be ruled out of Saturday's Cook Cup clash at Twickenham plus Australia's appointments against France, Wales and the Barbarians.
Tahu, Australia's latest dual international, damaged hamstrings in the same game and is also expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the tour.
Australia travelled with a squad of 34 and Deans is not considering calling for replacements.
The blow of losing two midfield options will have been eased by the impressive debuts in Italy of outhalf Quade Cooper, who scored late on to seal the victory, and 18-year-old utility back James O'Connor. The twice world champions were tied 20-20 against the dogged Italians with eight minutes to go when substitute back Cooper danced through a muddle of players to put them in charge.
Wing Lachie Turner scored the Wallabies' only other try, with Matt Giteau notching up 17 points with the boot and captain Stirling Mortlock also getting on the scoreboard with a penalty.
Winger Mirco Bergamasco crossed the line for the Azzurri. Outhalf Andrea Marcato and his replacement Luciano Orquera kicked the rest of Italy's points.
After an early trade of penalties between Mortlock and Marcato, Turner ran in the first try for Australia in the eighth minute when swift hands created an overlap on the right.
Outhalf Giteau, on from the bench after Berrick Barnes took an early knock, replied to another Marcato penalty before the Italian playmaker narrowed the gap with a fine drop goal and a third place kick.
The Azzurri managed to get some momentum going and took the lead on the half hour when fullback Andrea Masi burst through the Wallabies' backline following a clever switch of play from a scrum to set up Bergamasco. Giteau split the posts with a long-range penalty to send the teams in level 14-14 at half-time. The match remained tight until the closing stages, when Cooper's fancy feet saved the Wallabies' blushes.
Scorers: Italy- Try: Mirco Bergamasco; Drop goal: Andrea Marcato; Penalties: Marcato (2) Luciano Orquera (2). Australia - Tries: Lachie Turner, Quade Cooper; Penalties: Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau (5); Conversion: Giteau.
