Giteau expects more from England backs
Matt Giteau says the Wallabies backline took a massive step forward in Perth, but expects the big England backs to give them a sterner test on Saturday night.
Australia's blossoming backline created three tries in the 27-17 first Test win last Saturday, while the tourists were restricted to two penalty tries from Australian scrum infringements.
Giteau, who is tipped to regain the inside centre position after withdrawing from the Perth clash with a hip injury, anticipates the English backs will pose a bigger physical challenge at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.
With veteran five-eighth Jonny Wilkinson expected to start, Giteau tipped a different approach from what looked an unimaginative England backline last week.
"I'm sure they will make a few changes which will probably improve the way they are going to play," Giteau told reporters on Tuesday.
"I think this week they are going to use their bigger backs a lot more.
"Everyone is expecting Jonny to be playing this week, so we are not so much preparing for it, but it won't shock us if he gets named.
"I think he offers different things from (incumbent five-eighth) Toby Flood as a fly-half, so with that comes a different game.
"They didn't use their big backs as much as they would've liked, I think this weekend they are going to be using them a lot more."
Forced into a rare spectating role last weekend, Giteau was hugely impressed by the continuing development of the Wallabies' backline.
"There are still areas that we can work on, but it was a massive step forward for us as a backline on the weekend," Giteau said.
"I thought all the backs and even the reserves, when they got on and got an opportunity, performed really well."
Giteau initially suffered his hip knock in the opening Test of the season against Fiji, but was philosophical about some of the brutal hits which he absorbed in that game.
"That's just part of Test rugby, I know when you are playing the Fijians that you are going to get hit hard,' Giteau said.
The much criticised Wallabies scrum from last weekend was subjected to a different type of blowtorch on Tuesday when former Australian and Argentinian prop Patricio Noriega subjected the forwards to a torrid scrummaging session.
Lock Dean Mumm admitted the forwards' pride had been hurt, but was confident they would bounce back after Tuesday's strenuous workout.
Urged on by a vocal Noriega, the Wallabies gave the scrum machine a right royal hammering, with Mumm declaring it a "really progressive scrum session" and saying the players had taken up the challenge presented to them last weekend.
"Any time we tried to fight with them (England) we just got ourselves in trouble, so it's about scrummaging on our terms and holding the pressure as long as we can," Mumm said.
"If you've ever met a prop in your life, you realise that scrummaging is all pride for them.
"On the scrum front, our pride is probably a little bit bruised but we are doing as much as we can to try and fix that up."
Post a comment about this article
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.