Preview: Australia v Wales
The respective domestic seasons are over, the best players have come to the fore and proved their worth and now it is time for the finest in Australia and Wales to do battle in a two Test series. At least that is how it is meant to be, but in reality it is a different story.
Firstly Australian rugby and successful teams are not exactly synonymous at present, a quick glance at the final Super 14 standings will confirm any doubts as to how bad times have been, just ask the Reds. Not exactly the ideal preparations to go into the international season with.
Added to that John Connolly has, for the first time, deemed it necessary to appoint co-captains. The major surprise being that not only did George Gregan lose the outright captaincy but he was also overlooked for the co-captaincy.
On the other hand the Welsh regions have enjoyed contrasting successes, with the Ospreys clinching the Magners League title from the Blues on the last weekend of action and the Scarlets making it to the Heineken Cup semi-finals. It was somewhat of a surprise then that they were greeted in Sydney with such hostility.
“After the (Welsh) squad touched down for their two Tests it was fortunate customs officers didn’t send them home on the next plane for arriving under false pretences,” wrote John Geddes in the Sydney Daily Telegraph. A slightly harsh criticism off a squad pruned of their leading players after an arduous season at home.
Yet despite their respective predicaments both sides will boast vast experience, despite coming in for criticism over weakened selection policies. The truth is that with the World Cup looming large on the horizon both Gareth Jenkins and John Connolly are running short on chances to run the rule over players hopefully of making it to France.
In the aftermath of Gregan’s dethroning Matt Giteau steps into the number nine shirt, a role he became accustomed to occupying for the Wallabies last season. Once the incumbent name on the team sheet Gregan now finds himself riding pine for an inside centre come scrum half, hardly happy times for the Brumbies stalwart.
For an experimental side, as the Australians have been dubbed this week, their pack gleams with quality and has more than a slightly heavyweight look to it. Matt Dunning in particular will add some much needed beef at the scrum, having packed on an extra eight kilograms of muscle since his last Wallabies outing.
The back row has a mature blend of power and pace, with the wily ball-winning Phil Waugh complimented by the hard hitting and direct running of Wycliff Palu and the abrasive Rocky Elsom.
It is the back line which has an element of experiment to it, although the use of Giteau at scrum-half can hardly be justified as an experiment now. The inclusion of Adam Ashley-Cooper at inside centre is something of a risk, although he has showed his talents in different positions for the Brumbies during the Super 14.
The troubled full-back spot, for so long occupied by the injured Chris Latham, goes to debutante Julian Huxley, who to his credit was one of the standout players in the Super 14, and not just in Australia. The emergence of Huxley has been a blessing for Connolly who at one stage had thought of recalling veteran Matt Burke.
Gareth Jenkins, whilst without the services of several key players, has named a side with an air of respectability and more than its fair share of experience. Granted, the bulk of the caps comprise mainly of those won by Gareth Thomas and Colin Charvis, but those less decorated are hardly new to the international arena.
Gareth Thomas will become the most capped Welsh player on Saturday, as he wins his 93rd cap in an international career that started at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. His fellow wing Chris Czekaj was only ten on the day Thomas first donned the three feathers, a fact that highlights the mix of youth and experience in the side.
The inclusion of James Hook at fly-half will not come as a surprise, despite Jenkins’ preference to select him at inside centre, as there has been increasing pressure for Hook to be the first choice ten in Wales. It was Hook who changed the shape of the last meeting between these two when he came on as an early replacement, and it will be hoped he has the same effect from the start on Saturday.
If either side hoped to garner an understanding of how they were shaping up for their vital World Cup pool game in Cardiff then they will have to look elsewhere. For if we are being honest both will field vastly different sides come September and the quest for the Webb Ellis Trophy. But expect a full-blooded encounter from two sides with plenty to prove both on an individual and collective bases.
Ones to Watch:
For Australia: With former skipper George Gregan on the bench it will be of interest to see if Matt Giteau can perform to the same levels he did in November, although it seems wherever he plays he does so with distinction. However it will be the Brumbies debutante Julian Huxley who you should keep an eye on. He proved his worth in the Super 14 with searing breaks and sublime vision and also provides a useful kicking game. Wales will pressure him early on and it will be a telling time, but expect him to weather the storm and ease his way into international rugby.
For Wales: Gareth Thomas will become Wales’ most capped player on Saturday, and you would expect him to produce a game worthy of such an occasion. The selection of James Hook at ten will please many, with most believing he is the best ten in Wales. For us though it is the Cardiff Blues scrum half, Mike Phillips, who will be the one to keep an eye on. Having found his best form for the Blues this season he would have felt hard done by to not have had more of a chance for Wales until now. He will be out to prove he is the form nine in Wales at present.
Head to Head: The battle of the nines, Matt Giteau and Mike Phillips is going to be the key area in this game. Both will have a lot to prove, maybe Phillips more so, and the battle they will contest promises to be an intriguing one. Giteau is an elusive runner, but can be slow to get the ball away from time to time. Phillips will look for the confrontation and try to bully Giteau. Neither will budge an inch but only one will come out on top.
Prediction: It is difficult to predict such a game, with so many front line players missing, but one gets the sense it could go one of two ways. Wales could be hit or miss. If they perform it is going to be a tight battle to the end, however if they fail to get going it could be a long night in Sydney for them. Australia by 10.
Past Results:
Nov 2006: Australia drew with Wales 29-29, Millennium Stadium
Nov 2005: Wales won 24-22, Millennium Stadium
Jun 2003: Australia won 30-10, Stadium Australia
Nov 2001: Australia won 21-13, Millennium Stadium
Oct 1999: Australia won 24-9, Millennium Stadium
Dec 1996: Australia won 28-19, Cardiff Arms Park
Jun 1996: Australia won 42-3, Football Stadium
Jun 1996: Australia won 56-25, Ballymore
Nov 1992: Australia won 23-6, Cardiff Arms Park
Oct 1991: Australia won 38-3, Cardiff Arms Park
Jul 1991: Australia won 63-6, Ballymore
Jun 1987: Wales won 22-21, Rotorua
The Teams:
Australia: 15 Julian Huxley, 14 Mark Gerrard, 13 Stirling Mortlock (vice-captain), 12 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Sam Norton-Knight, 9 Matt Giteau, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (c), 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 Nathan Sharpe, 3 Guy Shepherdson, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Matt Dunning.
Replacements: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Benn Robinson, 18 Dan Vickerman, 19 Stephen Hoiles, 20 George Smith (vice-captain), 21 George Gregan, 22 Scott Staniforth.
Wales: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Gareth Thomas (c), 13 Jamie Robinson, 12 Sonny Parker, 11 Chris Czekaj, 10 James Hook, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Jonathan Thomas, 7 Gavin Thomas, 6 Colin Charvis, 5 Rob Sidoli, 4 Brent Cockbain, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Iestyn Thomas
Replacement: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Ceri Jones, 18 Michael Owen, 19 Scott Morgan, 20 Gareth Cooper, 21 Ceri Sweeney, 22 Gavin Henson
Date: Saturday, 26 May
Venue: Telstra Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 20.05 (10.05 GMT)
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Paul Honiss (New Zealand), Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
By Marcus Leach
