The Wallabies are failing to capitalise on their home ground advantage by playing rugby union tests in Perth, on Australia’s west coast, says South Africa coach Jake White.
”It’s not a home fixture for a lot of [Australia’s] players, it’s a four hour flight away,” said White ahead of Saturday’s Tri-Nations match in Perth. ”At this stage it’s probably a little bit better for us.”
Australia’s rugby stronghold is on the east coast — in the capital Canberra and in Queensland and New South Wales states.
The Wallabies beat Scotland in Sydney and Melbourne and overwhelmed World Cup winners England in Brisbane before losing 16-7 to New Zealand in the Tri-Nations series opener in their first away match of the season.
South Africa lost 23-21 in the last minute to New Zealand in Christchurch last weekend and faces Australia on Saturday in Perth before hosting the All Blacks and Wallabies next month.
”The pressure’s on Australia, they lost to the All Blacks and they’re not playing,” in a traditional test venue like Sydney or Brisbane, White said.
The South Africans have strong support from a big expatriate population in Perth and have registered a win and a draw against the Australians at Subiaco Oval, venue for Saturday’s test.
”It’s been good to us this field … a happy hunting ground,” he told the Australian Associated Press.
White said the narrow loss to the All Blacks had lifted spirits in the squad but that match was irrelevant against Australia, a two-time world champion and runner-up at the last World Cup.
”The expectations we have as a team is to see whether or not we’ve got enough character to play Saturday after Saturday at a certain level.” – Sapa-AP