Wallabies skipper George Gregan on Monday cautioned against making wholesale changes to his team but said criticism of their Tri-Nations loss to South Africa last weekend was justified.
The Wallabies returned home on Monday with Gregan and coach Eddie Jones saying the teams’s performance was disappointing in the 26-22 loss in Cape Town.
”Probably a fair bit of it (the criticism) was justified, it was a disappointing performance,” Gregan said at Sydney airport.
”Right across the board we were outplayed and out-muscled, especially at the breakdown.”
Australia has only three more Tri-Nations internationals to finalise a settled side prior to October-November’s World Cup and while Jones is looking for his best combination, Gregan stressed the need to develop continuity.
”I think we’ve got the core of guys here who are going to proceed through the Tri-Nations to the World Cup,” Gregan said.
”It’s a matter of persevering and learning from our errors. I think making wholesale changes and chopping and changing doesn’t help build continuity, doesn’t help build confidence.
”I think the team just needs to stay tight and maintain some consistency, not only in selection, also in its performance.”
Jones would not specify what changes the selectors were considering for the underachieving Wallabies.
He said while he would like to have a settled team by the end of the Tri-Nations next month it wasn’t a case of experimenting but finding ways of improving the side.
Jones said a number of other leading World Cup contenders were going through the same process and England, Ireland and Argentina were probably the only settled sides.
”I think New Zealand, South Africa, France and ourselves are all still finding what’s going to be the right side.”
Asked about areas of concern, Jones focused on the backline.
”The scrum was good on Saturday, the line-out is certainly on the improve, but our backs’ play certainly wasn’t very good on the weekend.
”We didn’t execute our plays very well and particularly out wide we turned a lot of ball over in the tackle.”
Jones said the Wallabies needed to stand deeper to counter the rushing defences.
Gregan acknowledged the backs hadn’t adjusted to Jones’ match instructions on Saturday.
”It’s something we’ve got to keep working on and persisting at because I think we’re going to come across that type of defensive pattern more often in the coming weeks (although) not necessarily against New Zealand, who play a slightly different defensive pattern,” Gregan said.
”But other teams in the world will take note of that, so we’ve just go to adjust.”
Asked about his chest-banging confrontation with Springbok captain Corne Krige, Gregan said it was a reaction to three players coming in on him and said ”it’s a contact sport, we aren’t playing lawn bowls”.
Jones said winger Joe Roff was doubtful for the July 26 Test against New Zealand in Sydney with a rib cartilage injury. Winger Lote Tuqiri, who will appear before an Australian Rugby Union judiciary later this week after picking up his third yellow card of the season, said he was sure worse things happened in a game than his lashing out at South African prop Robbie Kempson. – Sapa-AFP