TRI-NATIONS:WALLABIES CAPTAIN Rocky Elsom cut a far different figure on Saturday than earlier in the week, despite his side succumbing 20-10 in Christchurch for their ninth straight loss to the All Blacks.

The blindside flanker was widely reported to have been frustrated at training on Tuesday, standing apart from the team as they dropped pass after pass, flubbed set-pieces and kicked aimlessly.

However, against the All Blacks at Lancaster Park on Saturday the Wallabies did what he had asked of them – they fronted up – and while their attack was thwarted time and time again by a swarming black line, Elsom said the performance showed signs of life as they look ahead to next years World Cup. “I think that was definitely a building block there,” said Elsom. “While we didn’t get the result we wanted, that was a very focused performance.

“There are things we would like to change, but it’s always like that. As far as the way we want to play and how we want to play, for the large part you saw that.”

Elsom, sporting several stitches in a cut above his right eye, said the challenge for his young team, who have been criticised for being inconsistent from week to week, was now to build on their trip to South Africa.

The Wallabies play the Springboks, who are winless and now have no hope of retaining the Tri-Nations title, twice in South Africa on August 28th and September 4th. Australia won their first match 30-13 in Brisbane last month.

Elsom acknowledged there were similarities between the current squad and the green-tinged side Bob Dwyer built to win the 1991 World Cup, in the way players had been thrust into Test rugby about 18 months out from the tournament.

“I’d struggle to say that we are the same team as we were 12 months ago . . . we have a very different roster. Last night was invaluable to give these guys a feel of what Test rugby is like. I think there is a lot of positive things, but we can’t rest on that.”