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Sydney - Bernard Foley is back at flyhalf and back in form says Wallabies attack coach Stephen Larkham.
Larkham said Foley looked comfortable being in the main
playmaking role, playing two Tests in his preferred post after five Tests at
inside centre.
"I think he's had two good games in a row now, I think
the New Zealand game was a bit of a standout for him as well," Larkham
told the Australian Rugby website.
"He certainly feels comfortable there, he understands
the way we play really well, moves the team around the paddock and finds the
space now."
Foley has thrived so far in his return to 10, playing with
rookie Reece Hodge at 12, a combination that looked more settled in Cardiff.
Larkham said that his stint at 12 hadn’t necessarily changed
Foley’s game drastically, rather that the 27-year-old had simply found himself
in a good place.
"It always changes your game when you play in a
different position, you see the game from a different perspective," he
said.
"I think the combinations around him have worked really
well for him so I don't know whether the move to 12 has made him a better player
but I think he's just in good form at the moment."
"I think just looking at the way he's played over the
last couple of games, he's prepared really well, he's been confident when he's
been out on the field and I think the combinations around him have worked
really well for him so I don't know whether the move to 12 has made him a
better player but I think he's just in good form at the moment."
The Wallabies backline has remained steady in the past two
Tests, though the return of Will Genia to camp could change that, and Larkham
said the consistency of the lineup had shown against Wales.
"We certainly had a number of opportunities (against
Wales) and I guess there's probably a couple of reasons for that - the way the
Welsh defended and the combination of the players that we had on the field
who've been now playing and training together for some period of time," he
said.
"I think that's the beauty of the squad at the moment is that we've got good depth but we've managed to keep the same, relatively the same, team on the field for a number of games in a row, which increases their confidence on the field and I think particularly in that first half, we were just allowed to play a number of passages and we certainly found some space."
