NEW ZEALAND: RUGBY - Wallabies welcomed to Auckland and say they will stick with winning formula for World Cup opener

Record ID: 744693

  • Title: NEW ZEALAND: RUGBY - Wallabies welcomed to Auckland and say they will stick with winning formula for World Cup opener
  • Date: 7th September 2011
  • Summary: AUSTRALIAN TEAM WALKING UP ONTO STAGE FOR WELCOMING CEREMONY FANS WAVING AUSTRALIAN FLAGS MAORI ELDERS BLESSING WORLD CUP 2011 CAPS BEFORE THEY ARE HANDED OUT TO WALLABIES PLAYERS PLAYERS ON STAGE PLAYERS RECEIVING CAPS AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN JAMES HORWILL ADDRESSING CROWD AUSTRALIAN FLAG MAN SINGING AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYERS POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH CAPS ON WELCOMING CEREMONY IN PROGRESS WALLABIES COACH ROBBIE DEANS AND CAPTAIN JAMES HORWILL SITTING DOWN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 BANNER WITH WORDS 'WORLD IN UNION' EMBLAZENED ACROSS IT NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA COACH ROBBIE DEANS SAYING OF JAMES O'CONNOR: "He wasn't available to us in the last instance and he is on this occasion and he has been selected on the bench, which is one step closer. I guess, you know it's a bit like injuries, people look at injuries and a lot of time is spent talking about people that aren't available to you. But the game isn't about that, the game is about the people who are available to you and those who are lucky enough to get the opportunity and most players don't waste those opportunities when they are presented to them and that's the key: make the most of the time that you've got" REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA COACH ROBBIE DEANS SAYING: "Well it's better than the alternative I guess, but it's also part of history you know and the world cup is distinct. Some have experienced it before, some haven't and it's really important that we're not suprised by the intensity of it and the passion that every side will bring" WORLD CUP BANNER (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA COACH ROBBIE DEANS SAYING: "We have a lot of respect for the Italian side. I've watched them play some great rugby, I've watched them develop. I watched it live earlier in the year, when they should've tipped over Ireland, they probably should've beaten Wales, they did beat France. And we've struggled ourselves against them in recent times. So yeah it's a sign of respect not only to the Italians but also ourselves. This World Cup doesn't come around often so it's got a lot of meaning for these blokes to pull the jersey on and and represent their country at a World Cup" REPORTER AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA CAPTAIN JAMES HORWILL SAYING: "Their set piece is quite intimidating. We have watched plenty of footage from the Six Nations and you know the scrum is a real weapon for Italy and it is something that we have you know identified and had to work on you know because it's an area that we feel we need to make sure that we match up in and we've done a lot of work on. So you know I don't like to single out players because you know we're playing a team game but I think as a forward pack, we've really focussed on the set piece work, even the lineout, the maul, they like to use that part of the game as a weapon and we need to be pretty wary of that and we need to be able to combat that" CAMERAS AT NEW CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: New Zealand, New Zealand
  • Country: New Zealand
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5W64EWG1A6TL8TD6KWLNY1W4Q
  • Story Text: The Australian rugby union squad was welcomed to Auckland on Tuesday (September 6) fresh from their triumph over New Zealand to win the Tri Nations tournament.
    The players received an official welcome and their caps for the world cup tournament beginning on Friday.
    The Australians are in Pool C with Ireland, Italy, USA and Russia and play their first match against the Italians in Auckland on Sunday (September 11).
    In that opener Australia coach Robbie Deans, himself a New Zealander and former All Black, has decided to stick with the team that won the Tri Nations. Goalkicker James O'Connor was named on the bench after serving a one-game suspension for indiscipline and is one of three changes to the replacements.
    Deans named O'Connor, prop James Slipper and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau instead of Rob Horne, Saia Fainga'a and Salesi Ma'afu.
    O'Connor was suspended for the Tri Nations decider when he failed to attend a team photo-shoot and function after what local media reported was a night out.
    Asked at a news conference about not opening the world cup with O'Connor, Deans said:
    "He wasn't available to us in the last instance and he is on this occasion and he has been selected on the bench, which is one step closer. I guess, you know it's a bit like injuries, people look at injuries and a lot of time is spent talking about people that aren't available to you. But the game isn't about that, the game is about the people who are available to you and those who are lucky enough to get the opportunity and most players don't waste those opportunities when they are presented to them and that's the key: make the most of the time that you've got."
    He said playing in a world cup was tough, but better than not playing.
    "Well it's better than the alternative I guess, but it's also part of history you know and the world cup is distinct. Some have experienced it before, some haven't and it's really important that we're not suprised by the intensity of it and the passion that every side will bring."
    Italy had a good Six Nations this year and Deans said it made sense to select a strong line-up against them.
    "We have a lot of respect for the Italian side. I've watched them play some great rugby, I've watched them develop. I watched it live earlier in the year, when they should've tipped over Ireland, they probably should've beaten Wales, they did beat France. And we've struggled ourselves against them in recent times. So yeah it's a sign of respect not only to the Italians but also ourselves. This World Cup doesn't come around often so it's got a lot of meaning for these blokes to pull the jersey on and and represent their country at a World Cup."
    Captain James Horwill singled out the Italian forwards as being particularly dangerous.
    "Their set piece is quite intimidating. We have watched plenty of footage from the Six Nations and you know the scrum is a real weapon for Italy and it is something that we have you know identified and had to work on you know because it's an area that we feel we need to make sure that we match up in and we've done a lot of work on.
    "So you know I don't like to single out players because you know we're playing a team game but I think as a forward pack, we've really focussed on the set piece work, even the lineout, the maul, they like to use that part of the game as a weapon and we need to be pretty wary of that and we need to be able to combat that," said Horwill.
    Australia fly-half Quade Cooper, who made four of six kicks against New Zealand in the Tri Nations final, will retain the kicking duties against Italy, but Deans said O'Connor would take over if he was on the pitch.
    The return of replacements Slipper and Polota-Nau from injuries comes as a welcome boost for the Wallabies, who, although heavy favourites to win Sunday's Pool C match at the North Harbour Stadium, may have their scrum heavily tested by the Italians.
    Wallabies team to face Italy: 15-Kurtley Beale, 14-Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13-Anthony Fainga'a, 12-Pat McCabe, 11-Digby Ioane, 10-Quade Cooper, 9-Will Genia, 8-Radike Samo, 7-David Pocock, 6-Rocky Elsom, 5-James Horwill (captain), 4-Dan Vickerman, 3-Ben Alexander, 2-Stephen Moore, 1-Sekope Kepu. Reserves: 16-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17-James Slipper, 18-Rob Simmons, 19-Ben McCalman, 20-Scott Higginbotham, 21-Luke Burgess, 22-James O'Connor
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