Tri-Nations: Deans keeps stars guessing

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-30  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE winning margin seemed impressive - 34-13 over France - but the hot-and-cold performance against Les Bleus in Sydney on Saturday left Australia wondering who might make the grade for the upcoming Tri-Nations series.

New Wallabies coach Robbie Deans forecast changes if there was no improvement on the 18-12 escape against Ireland two weeks ago, and might keep a similar lineup for the second test against France in Brisbane on Saturday.

Star flyhalf Matt Giteau typified the mood in the Wallabies camp yesterday when, despite scoring one try, setting up another and slotting five goals in a personal 19-point effort, acknowledged to feeling anything but safe under Deans.

The Wallabies needed a 15-minute flurry, which yielded three tries, to turn a slender four-point halftime advantage into the Wallabies' biggest winning margin over France in Australia.

Giteau and halfback Luke Burgess both felt the Wallabies tried too hard to make things happen in the opening half and were now sweating on Deans overlooking those shortcomings when he and assistant coaches Jim Williams and Michael Foley have their next selection meeting tomorrow.

Performances in these tests will be key to deciding initial lineups for the approaching Tri-Nations series against fellow southern hemisphere powers New Zealand and South Africa.

"As far as the combinations go, I'm enjoying playing with Luke, I'm enjoying playing with Berrick (Barnes at inside center), but whoever Robbie or the selectors pick, that's out of my hands," Giteau said.

"I mean, I don't even know if I'm playing. So, from that point of view, you don't worry about things you can't control. You just go out there and play and train and do the best you can."

The Wallabies pack has less reason for selection concern after dominating the aggressive French forwards and generally adapting better to reverting to rugby's old laws - rather the experimental rules used in Super 14 - than they were against Ireland.