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Slipper: Wallabies 'biggest positive' working in their favour against Ireland

By AAP
Tate McDermott disappointed following the Wallabies' loss to Italy. Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images

Skipper James Slipper says the Wallabies’ inconsistency is a huge issue but he’s confident they will bounce back from their shock loss to Italy against Ireland.

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Skipper James Slipper is adamant the Wallabies will rise to challenge world No.1 Ireland, with his claims supported by their rollercoaster form line this year.

The teams clash in Dublin on Sunday morning (AEDT) with the mighty Irish gunning for a 12th successive home victory while Australia look to avoid a ninth defeat from 13 Tests in 2022.

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The only constant about the Wallabies this year has been their inconsistency, unable to string together back to back victories since winning five straight last year.

Although forced to settle for a tight defeat, they had their most impressive showing of the year against France but followed up with a first-ever loss to Italy.

Slipper believes they will again be at their best against Ireland.

“It’s kind of been the tale of the year hasn’t it,” the veteran prop told reporters in Dublin.

“Performing off the back of a disappointment has probably been our biggest positive but in saying that I’d much prefer a consistent performance throughout the year.

“It’s something that we’ve been chasing all year – it’s a massive area we need to improve in because at this stage it hasn’t been good enough.

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“We will definitely rise to the occasion … we will respond just like we have throughout the year after adversity.

“I’m confident in the group we have and the coaches we have that we’ve got the game plan to put Ireland under pressure.

“We want to implement the game plan from the first whistle to the 80th minute – to close out a game would be nice.”

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has recalled big guns including Slipper, Michael Hooper and first-choice halves pairing Bernard Foley and Nic White among nine changes to the starting side that suffered the humiliating 28-27 defeat to Italy.

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Slipper said the performance made for “uncomfortable” viewing from the stands in Florence, but the squad as a whole accepted responsibility.

“They weren’t out there alone …  there were plenty of other players who were with me who were uncomfortable watching, but it was a squad effort and the result is now in the history books,” the Test centurion said.

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Slipper stood by his coach’s call to rest players through the five-game spring tour, coming at the end of a gruelling year of almost 30 games including Super Rugby Pacific.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell has also stacked his side with captain Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony, Dan Sheehan and Garry Ringrose all returning after missing their last-up Fiji victory.

Australia-born Mack Hansen will face the Wallabies for the first time.

As former teammates at the ACT Brumbies, Slipper knows the 24-year-old winger well.

“I’d prefer to see him in the green and gold but Mack’s a great bloke,” Slipper said.

“He’s a real larrikin of rugby so on a personal note it’s great to see him out playing international rugby.

“Not only is he playing for Ireland, he’s playing really well and he should be very proud of what he’s been able to achieve.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t have too good a game.”

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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