Share

Wallabies issue Lions warning

accreditation
Adam Ashley-Cooper (AFP)
Adam Ashley-Cooper (AFP)

Sydney - Centre Adam Ashley-Cooper says there is more improvement to come from the Wallabies in Saturday's deciding Test against the British and Irish Lions.

The 79-capped back scored the only try late in Saturday's gripping 16-15 second Test win over the Lions in Melbourne for the Wallabies to level the three-match series.

Ashley-Cooper gave short shrift to suggestions from the Lions camp that the Wallabies had played their grand final in Melbourne.

"I think we've got a lot more in us, I thought the game (on Saturday) wasn't of great standard," Ashley-Cooper told reporters on Monday.

"We made a lot of improvements from game one, but we certainly feel we've got a lot more improvements to make."

The Australians made 15 handling errors to the Lions' seven and conceded 14 penalties, 10 of them at the ruck.

Ashley-Cooper said wingers Joe Tomane and Israel Folau could be more dangerous if the Wallabies got more ball to them in the Sydney showdown.

"I think we didn't allow them through our defensive line once. I think they had zero line breaks," Ashley-Cooper said.

"That's a really good stat and a good reflection of how we work defensively. I think for us a lot of improvement can be made in the backs.

"Possession was a bit of a issue. We need to hold onto the ball more.

"We've got too many threats in the back-line to waste, so we're hoping to get the ball into the wider channels this week."

The Waratahs midfielder said he believed the Lions might be feeling the pinch mentally and physically at the end of a long northern hemisphere season but he was unsure whether that would be an advantage to Australia this weekend.

"They've had some physical encounters with all the Australian provincial teams, so no doubt they are feeling it mentally and physically," Ashley-Cooper said

"But we certainly don't see that as an advantage or a distraction. We've got two games under our belt and we're feeling really confident out of the win on Saturday night."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1846 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1812 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1102 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 471 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 262 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE