Wallabies primed for European trip

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand embark on northern hemisphere tours this week with different objectives following a dramatic conclusion to the final Bledisloe Cup Test on Saturday.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans believes Australia’s dramatic 26-24 victory over the All Blacks in Hong Kong will provide a platform for their upcoming European tour, while New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has demanded a positive reaction from his side when they face England on Saturday after their long unbeaten run was halted.

The triumph provided a welcome lift as they prepare for games against Wales, England, Italy and France next month, as well as against Leicester and Munster, but Deans was loathe to hail the result as a turning point in a mixed year so far.

“I’ll let you be the judge of that,” he said. “We’ve got home at the death twice in our last three outings, maybe it’s becoming a habit. I hope so. It’s a win. It’s great for us, it’s important for us for what’s going to be a tough block of rugby games in the northern hemisphere. Flying there is a lot more pleasurable with a win than a loss but that’s all it is. This is just a game along the way.”

Rather than dwell on the end of a 15-Test winning streak, All Blacks skipper McCaw was instead keen for his men to learn from a below-par performance and vent their frustrations on Martin Johnson’s side at Twickenham next weekend.

“We’re proud of what we’ve done over the last 12 months but there’s a week next week as well,” McCaw said.

“I guess the character of the team is how you get back on the horse. We’ve got a big Test match coming up that we need to make sure we prepare well for and take the lessons out of this game. If you’re a quality team, you’ve got to be able to do that.”