Stubborn Scottish defence leaves Robbie Deans and Will Genia perplexed

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans admitted that Scotland’s defence had been the difference in yesterday’s dramatic 9-6 win over his side, though he felt the Wallabies did not test the away side’s rearguard as well as they should have.

“We had enough possession to put the game out of reach but credit to Scotland, they got one opportunity in the second half and took it,” Deans said. “We started the second half pretty well and thought that we had a momentum but then, as tends to happen in conditions like that, when you don’t turn the scoreboard over, it gets messier and the opposition grows a leg if you give them that encouragement. Anxiety then kicks in and the conditions contributed to that. We lacked the co-ordination to work our way out of it.”

Australia, who blooded six new caps, also lost their opening Test last season, at home to Samoa, and are certain to field a very different side when they begin their three-test series against Six Nations champions Wales in Brisbane on Saturday. “We weren’t on the same page in terms of banking games like that, it’s not in our DNA but it’s an art that we’ve got to develop,” added Deans.

Deans’ assessment of the shock defeat to Scotland was backed by his scrum-half Will Genia who felt missed scoring chances in the second half cost them dearly as Laidlaw punished the Wallabies at the end.

Michael Harris failed to make the distance with a pair of long-range penalties, while Berrick Barnes sliced a late drop goals wide. “We had plenty of possession in the second half and plenty of momentum, it was just one of those games where we had to get the scoreboard ticking over and we didn’t,” he said. “Whether it was through missed penalty goals or drop goals or just holding onto the ball for that little bit longer so that we could turn it into a five-pointer.”