AUSE01Z50MA - V1 THE AUSTRALIAN, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 26 SPORT RUGBY UNION theaustralian.com.au/sport Refs having too much Connolly: say in outcome of games McKenzie slams ‘yo-yo’ bring in Referees don’t have to worry WAYNE SMITH about getting physically smashed Robinson — although Kiwi Glen Jackson did cop a devastating “don’t media on Beale selection for scrum argue” from Ben Tameifuna in a recent ITM Cup match that cost “You blokes are like yo-yos, But McKenzie said that was the gible to play for the Wallabies this for a reason. We thought he was the huge Waikato prop a five- The press focus on the aren’t you?” said McKenzie, who sort of impact he expected from week but his Test debut has been pretty close and he is. It would be week ban — and yet still they No 10 spot exasperates was clearly exasperated by the the bench players, indicating Beale delayed by the aggravation of a nice if he was available.” make some appalling mistakes, so question. “You go backwards and would remain a super-sub for the hamstring injury and he will be One of the best scrummagers in WAYNE SMITH perhaps the Wallabies should be the Wallabies coach forwards. You go round and round Argentinian Test. “I think you sidelined indefinitely. world rugby, Polota-Nau would cut a little slack when they err. on the 10 thing. I don’t know what know me pretty well. You know I “His comeback trail has been certainly be handy against Argen- JAMES Slipper is expected to be IF there is one theme rugby And they did err in Perth, early BRET HARRIS you want me to say. like to use the bench. Apart from pretty seamless. He literally woke tina, who pride themselves on fit to play against the Pumas on the critics, and indeed rugby’s critics, and often on Saturday night, but “We picked the combination one game, I think we’ve used the up sore. It’s not like he has had an- their powerful scrum. “It’s part of Gold Coast on Saturday, but for- consistently harp on about, it’s in the end they composed WALLABIES coach Ewen Mc- we thought would work for the bench pretty well,” he said. other episode. He has woken up their rugby psyche, the scrum. mer Wallabies coach John Con- consistency. themselves enough to get the job Kenzie has described the media as game and that’s what we’ll do “We want players to go out sore in the same spot, the same They certainly did a great job on nolly believes the moment has The Wallabies lack it — more done, even if the feeling lingers “yo-yos” after he was asked again.” there and make a difference be- area,” McKenzie said. South Africa the other week,” Mc- arrived to recall Australia’s best on that in a moment — but so do that the better side lost. whether Kurtley Beale deserved to McKenzie would not have had cause we actually value them. “I’m not interested in creating Kenzie said. scrummaging loosehead, Benn match officials, and never was Greg Martin was way off-base start against Argentina on the to field the question about Beale if Everyone seems to think the play- some sort of chronic issue. He is “We had that discussion last Robinson, to the Test side. that shortcoming more evident with his claim that Wycliff Palu Gold Coast on Saturday night he had not flip-flopped on the five- ers outside the 15 are inferior play- with the Brumbies and they have time we played them in Argentina There is only one scrummaging than in the back-to-back Rugby “dogged it” against the All Blacks after his cameo off the bench eighth position. Bernard Foley ers. They are actually good players been rehabbing him well. We’ll and we handled them well on the challenge the Wallabies will face Championship Tests on Saturday. but there is no denying that the against the Springboks in Perth. started at five-eighth in the clean … in their own right. They’re quite wait and he will be available when day. Without getting too technical, this year more daunting than the Australia’s epic next-to-last- No 8’s rugby is flat at the Notwithstanding that the sweep of France in June, but Mc- capable of going out there and he is available.” some scrums go well against some one awaiting them at Skilled Park gasp victory over the Springboks moment. Springboks were a man down with Kenzie handed Beale the gold No making a difference. McKenzie was hopeful hooker scrums and other scrums don’t. on Saturday night and that is when will forever be tainted, at least in It was commendable of winger Bryan Habana in the sin 10 jersey for the opening two Bled- “They are quite capable of Tatafu Polota-Nau would recover “As you go through, you have they again confront Argentina on the memories of South African Michael Hooper to pull out Palu’s bin, Beale enlivened the Wallabies’ isloe Cup Tests against the All starting and making a difference, from a knee injury in time to play your bogey teams. We scrummed their home soil in Mendoza on and neutral fans, by Irish referee impressive run and tackle stats attack when he came on at inside Blacks. too. You can only put 15 on the against Argentina, but he was still well against Argentina last year so October 5. George Clancy handing Bryan from the Eden Park Test but high centre in the 73rd minute, combin- After the Wallabies’ record field. The rest have to come off the doubtful. “He has been progress- I expect us to do the same.” In recent weeks, the Pumas Habana a yellow card in his 100th numbers don’t compensate for ing superbly with his NSW Wara- 51-20 loss to the All Blacks in bench. We’ll just use them the best ing really quickly. He did a bit of McKenzie was pleased with the have dealt harshly with both the Test. low impact and it may be that tahs teammates in the backline Auckland three weeks ago, Mc- way we think we can get an out- contact work yesterday morning. Wallabies’ scrummaging against All Blacks and Springboks scrums, The moment Habana went Palu simply needs a breather. such as fullback Israel Folau. Kenzie recalled Foley and put come for the game.” A little bit more to do yet, but he South Africa, but they still con- both of which have troubled Aus- high on Adam Ashley-Cooper, If Bismarck du Plessis can be Beale’s performance in the Beale back on the bench. While Even though the Wallabies got has progressed very well. ceded six points from penalties for tralia, and while it doesn’t necess- Clancy was reaching for his stood down to the bench for 24-23 win against the Springboks Foley kicked the match-winning out of jail against the Springboks, “If he is fit, we will obviously scrum collapses. If Polota-Nau is arily follow the Wallabies pack will pocket, although Kiwi assistant looking tired, why not Palu, has commentators questioning conversion of winger Rob Horne’s McKenzie is unlikely to make consider him (as a starter). We unavailable, James Hanson will struggle against them, there is no referee Mike Fraser momentarily especially since Scott whether he should start at five- try, Beale arguably made more im- many, if any, unforced changes for aren’t going to take damaged play- start at hooker with Saia Faingaa question Argentina will view Sat- stayed his hand by beseeching Higginbotham delivered so much eighth or inside centre against pact on the game in his seven min- Argentina. Brumbies winger ers into the game. likely to reclaim his place on the urday’s set piece battle as the key him to take another look at the in the final quarter without, Argentina. utes off the bench. Henry Speight will become eli- “We brought him in this week bench from Josh Mann-Rea. to claiming its first Rugby Cham- incident on the big screen. remarkably, giving away a single pionship scalp. Springboks captain Jean de penalty? Slipper has been the pick of the Villiers seized the moment to Australian pack this season, regis- remind Clancy that not 10 Modest match-winner celebrates milestone tering more carries than any other minutes earlier he himself had All he ever will forward, but Connolly believes he been collared high by Rob is far better suited to tighthead, his Simmons at the other end of the recall of his 100th original front-row position. field, which was true enough, Test is that he cost It will take another season of though Habana’s tackle did look South Africa the Super Rugby for him to readjust to marginally the more dangerous. match and quite the right-hand side but in the Maybe by now Clancy had had meantime, and certainly for this enough of high shots — Duane possibly the Rugby Test, Connolly is adamant Wara- Vermeulen had also been Championship tahs stalwart Robinson would rep- penalised, also contentiously, for resent better value at scrum time. his bell-ringer on James Slipper in Overall the Australian Connolly is well aware Robin- the first half — because he backrow looks out of balance at son has fallen out of favour with refused to be deterred and the moment and not just because Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie officiously pointed Habana in the of Palu. direction of the naughty chair.