Wallabies skill and speed the key to Tri Nations glory | Thebigtip

Wee Wallabies have big problems on their hands by Greg Growden from smh.com.au

The Wallabies midfielders are praying that speed and brains, rather than size and brawn, will keep the Springboks and All Blacks at bay during the Tri Nations.

As the Australians attempt to climb off the bottom of the Tri Nations ladder, they know their midfield will hardly scare their opponents in the height and weight category, as they are one of the smaller Wallabies attacking combinations of recent times.

And due to injuries and lack of options, there are no glaringly obvious alternatives to help increase the size of the midfield and outside backs in the short term.

A lack of bulk and height out wide could easily work against the Wallabies when they confront the large and dominant Springboks. The Australians have the extra problem this season of having to play South Africa twice on the highveld, in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, where high kicks and physical intimidation are inevitable.

As the accompanying graphic shows, compared to the last Australian midfield to win the Tri Nations in 2001, the 2010 midfield is on average more than seven kilograms lighter and 6.5 centimetres smaller per man. They are also shadowed by the 2003 Wallabies World Cup final midfield, who were on average six kilograms heavier and five centimetres taller.

No longer do the Wallabies possess such back-line giants as Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri, Joe Roff, Chris Latham or Daniel Herbert, with the biggest man in the Australian midfield being Adam Ashley-Cooper at 98kg and 182cm, who usually moves from position to position every Test he plays.

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