Wallabies must maintain their discipline in face of British and Irish Lions foul play

THUGGISH foul play from the British & Irish Lions will only leave them exposed on the field, Wallabies centre Adam Ashley-Cooper has warned.

THUGGISH foul play from the British & Irish Lions during the Test series will only leave them exposed on the field, Wallabies centre Adam Ashley-Cooper has warned.

Lions prop Cian Healy will front a hearing this morning for allegedly biting Western Force halfback Brett Sheehan in Wednesday's match, while a fight broke out in the Lions' first match against the Barbarians after frustrations over excessive shirt-holding by the tourists.

Ashley-Cooper said the Wallabies must stay composed if targeted by dirty play in the Test series, and it may be the Lions' undoing.

"That's part of Test football, it's a matter of staying disciplined and getting on with the game plan,'' Ashley-Cooper said. "If they want to do that, then surely they're losing concentration and focus elsewhere, so you can see there's a bit of an opportunity.

"For us it's about staying tight and getting on with the job.''

Healy's hearing was postponed from last night to this morning, where he will answer a charge under Law 10.4.m of the rule book: Acts contrary to good sportsmanship, a player may not bite an opponent.

Sheehan said during a halftime interview during the Force's 69-17 loss to the Lions in Perth that he had been bitten in a 17th minute incident, but could not be sure if Healy had done it deliberately.

Adam Ashley-Cooper

World-class centre, and a guaranteed starter in Australia's No.13 position, Ashley-Cooper said Australia could not afford to engage in niggly play in their own end.

"Discipline is a massive focus for us defensively,'' he said. "They're going to apply a lot of pressure on us in our half, any penalty we gave away, they've got the ability with (Leigh) Halfpenny to put it through the posts as you saw, he kicks it well.''

Ashley-Cooper predicted the opening exchanges of the first Test in Brisbane, on June 22, would be the toughest of the entire team's careers and fears Suncorp Stadium will be overtaken by travelling Lions supporters, as was the case 12 years ago.

"We've got to match that start, we can't afford to be shocked by the first five minutes,'' Ashley-Cooper said. "We've got to be prepared that we're going to run out on our home turf and there's going to be more Lions fans than Australian fans.

"The first five minutes will be the hardest five minutes of anyone's Test career. It's going to be a matter of who's going to work the hardest over the 80 minutes, that's what Test football is all about, it's pure intensity and pure work.''