Aussie second string secure top spot

Australia 37 Canada 6

If Australia’s second string were hoping to blast out a message to next week’s quarter-final opponents England then they failed against a spirited Canada at the Chaban Delmas stadium.

In a match interspersed by torrential downpours, the Aussies crossed for six tries with wing Drew Mitchell scoring twice and Al Baxter, Adam Freier, George Smith and Chris Latham all posting touchdowns.

But it was far from the free-flowing display for which Aussie coach John Connolly might have hoped in his final Pool B match.

It means Canada go home having failed to win a World Cup match for the first time in their history, their only meagre success being a 12-12 draw against Japan.

But they did manage to win the pride and respect demanded by scrum-half and captain Morgan Williams who was one of three retirees from international rugby when the final whistle blew, the others being Rod Snow and Mike James.

Connolly will have been pleased, however, with the way Lote Tuqiri announced his quality, along with captain George Smith and full-back Latham, all certain starters for the quarter-final against England.

And he will hope his first string get into their stride a good deal sooner than his reserves who took the best part of an hour to wrench full control over the battling Canadians.

With nothing vital at stake it was never likely to be a match of high intensity, especially with a brass band creating a carnival atmosphere, Sacha Distel songs blaring out over the tannoy and supporters under cover of the stand throwing down rain capes to those in the seats open to the stair-rods.

Australia had the scoreboard ticking with the game barely a minute old, fly-half Julian Huxley kicking the penalty after Canada had infringed at a maul. It turned out to be Huxley’s only success with the boot on a dreadful kicking day and he was eventually replaced in the kicking role by Cameron Shepherd.

It took until the 24th minute for Canada’s defence to be breached and it came in the bizarre shape of the ball being moved swiftly from a ruck to the left wing where prop Baxter was on hand to bulldoze over.

The play for the main part was as dull as the Bordeaux weather, summed up by Australia’s second try with the pack grinding forward, gradually inching their way to the line before Freier dropped on the ball.

Canada did manage to get some points on the board in the second half when James Pritchard slotted two penalties.

But it was a signal for the Aussies to step up the pace and Hugh McMeniman and Tuqiri were outstanding as Smith, Mitchell twice and Latham ran in touchdowns, Shepherd adding two conversions.

The real action, however, comes next Saturday in Marseille.