Aussies 'went missing' when it mattered
Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:16
Robbie Deans: Please stop losing. (c) Gallo
Wallaby coach Robbie Deans bemoaned his team's inability to "last the pace" against an improving Springbok team, and felt their lack of experience also showed.
South Africa scored their first Tri-Nations win of the year, defeating Australia 44-31 in a seven-try thriller in Pretoria on Saturday.
The Springboks twice clawed back from 14-point deficits in a seven-try opening half and after trailing 24-28 at half-time took control to claim victory.
Deans admitted that both teams were desperate for the victory.
"The conditions were prefect and both sides were pretty keen to get a result [victory]," Deans said in his post-match reaction.
"Both sides played constructively and when you have that, you get that," he said of the high-scoring game.
"It was fast and an awful lot of points were scored early."
In the end the Boks outscored the Wallabies by five tries to four - with all four Wallaby touchdowns coming inside the first half-hour.
"It was obviously a game we could have won, even though we haven't won here [Pretoria] previously," he said.
"So the opportunity was certainly there."
The Wallaby mentor admitted that mistakes at crucial stages cost his team.
"We went missing when it really mattered, particularly set pieces," Deans said.
And then there was a couple of key injuries - veteran Nathan Sharpe suffered an ankle injury and left the field in 65th minute, while Scott Higginbotham was injured in the pre-match warm-up.
"Obviously losing Sharpie didn't help and Higginbotham in the warm-up didn't help either.
"But that just seems to be the way things are running for us to that end at the moment."
The Wallaby coach said he was looking forward to another great battle with the Boks when the two teams meet in Bloemfontein next Saturday.
"There was a lot that was constructive and good for us, so we'll be hoping for better next week."
He added that while the injuries are causing problems, there is an up side to it.
"That is just part of the territory for us at the moment," Deans said of his ongoing injury concerned.
"The one good thing that comes out of that is that we are exposing a broader group to rugby [at Test level].
"They are not far away, but they are not there yet."
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