Wallabies ready to go despite long break
The Wallabies coaching staff believes their players will be primed and well-conditioned for the coming six-match tour despite a lay-off of almost two months.
The first of four weekly camps in the lead-up to the tour ended on Thursday in hot conditions in Sydney.
The players were put through several drills in the enervating heat.
Over half the squad enjoyed a couple of weeks off following the final Tri-Nations match against New Zealand and won't have an opportunity to play again until the tour opener against New Zealand in Hong Kong on November 1.
Some of New Zealand's leading stars are getting the opportunity to stay match fit through the closing stages of their major domestic competition, which doesn't finish until the last week of October.
Assistant coach Jim Williams was confident the Wallabies would be well-conditioned enough to handle their longer break from playing.
"The strength and conditioning staff has catered for that and worked very well towards it," Williams said.
"With a squad of 34, it's going to be difficult to give everyone a game ... but they will be physically ready."
Williams said the Wallabies had also used the camp to review the mistakes they had made in the final Tri-Nations decider against New Zealand.
"What we're trying to do is make sure when we get in that situation again, is that doesn't happen," Williams said.
"They were fairly basic and obvious (mistakes), those three tries that we got against us in the second half, lineout turnover, missed tackles and a dropped ball from a kick.
"We had a good chance about that when we first came into camp on Monday night and sorted out a few things and changed a few policies and methods."
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