Wallabies hit back at claims they have ‘losing mentality’ after Lions defeat
The Wallabies have defended their actions at the end of their first Test defeat to the Lions, and taken umbrage at scathing criticism from legendary England coach Sir Clive Woodward.
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The Wallabies have fired back at suggestions they have a “losing mentality” after criticism of captain Harry Wilson kicking the ball out at full-time in their 27-19 loss to the British & Irish Lions last weekend.
Among several brutal reviews of Australia following the opening Test defeat was that of former England coach Clive Woodward, who said Wilson’s decision to kick the ball out from his own in-goal showed the Wallabies are in a rut.
“What summed up the game for me was with the clock in the red and with the Lions winning 27-19, the Australian captain Harry Wilson kicked the ball out to end the game,” Woodward wrote in the Daily Mail.
“Talk about a losing mentality. For me, it is the last play of the game so why not have a mentality to try and score as this could be the situation in seven days’ time, only closer? Why not rehearse this scenario?
“Why would any player, especially the captain, want to end the game? That in so many ways reflects the current state of Australian rugby which is clearly not in a great position.”
But Wallabies prop James Slipper hit back on Monday: “From memory, the game was over, we were eight points behind. It’s a long way to go to potentially turn over the ball and consider another try.
“I wouldn’t say it was a losing mentality. I just thought we’ll probably put a full stop on that game and crack on with game two.”
Woodward also wrote: “A Lions Test series should be close and full of jeopardy. I’ve got my concerns whether that is going to be the case this time ... it does raise questions over Australian rugby as a whole.”
But Slipper said the Australian team was blocking out all external criticism as they face a do-or-die second Test at the MCG on Saturday.
“We’re trying to be very internal and making sure our preparation’s the best it can be,” Slipper said.
“We know there’s going to be noise. It’s a big event, so for us, we just want to make sure we do our job and perform.”
There are fears the 100,000-capacity MCG will be overwhelmed by Lions fans after the Wallabies failed to conjure victory in Brisbane, and with Melbourne being an AFL-mad town that no longer has a professional rugby team after the Melbourne Rebels were axed from Super Rugby last year.
“The potential of having a one-sided stadium because it’s an AFL stadium, they’re still Australian, so they’ll be there,” Slipper said. “I know they’ll be there.
“It’s one thing about this country, regardless of the sport, they’ll get behind the national colours.
“The landscape in Australia is quite clouded. There’s a lot of sports, a lot of opportunities for kids to play different sports, and that’s great itself. But for us, we want to be a team that not just invites, but motivates kids to play rugby.
“That’s the key for us. We want to be a team that kids enjoy watching, fans enjoy watching, and then hopefully the game grows from there.”
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Originally published as Wallabies hit back at claims they have ‘losing mentality’ after Lions defeat
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