Wallabies face uphill battle without Genia in test series decider

MELBOURNE: The Wallabies face a huge task to reestablish the discipline and composure needed to beat Ireland in their test series decider without the controlling influence of backline general Will Genia.

Halfback Genia was undergoing surgery on a broken arm yesterday as the Wallabies flew to Sydney for Saturday’s soldout third test, keenly aware of the size of their task following the 2621 second test loss in Melbourne.

Ireland showed why it is ranked world No 2 as it upped the ante with a fullstrength team, having rested or benched several key players for the first test in Brisbane.

The scoreline flattered the Wallabies, who played with just 35% possession and succumbed to ill discipline — giving up 15 penalties and a costly yellow card to winger Marika Koribete — as they struggled to cope with the accuracy of the Irish.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika claimed postmatch that Genia had been ‘‘king hit’’ off the ball by Cian Healy’s shoulder, although the Irish prop has not been cited.

Britain’s unforgiving rugby media have launched into England coach Eddie Jones after his side suffered a fifth successive test defeat, with a 2312 serieslosing loss to South Africa in Bloemfontein yesterday.

Jones’ side raced to a 120 lead before the Springboks overran it for the second successive week following a similar comefrombehind 4239 victory in Johannesburg.

The defeat was the sixth overall for England, which also lost to the Barbarians before it left for South Africa, and before this season had been looking like a favourite for next year’s World Cup in Japan.

‘‘England . . . find themselves in a state of freefall, with questions mounting about how can they arrest it,’’ Gavin Mairs wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

‘‘The series defeat, on the back of their fifthplace finish in the Six Nations, has stripped Eddie Jones’ side of the status of

genuine contenders for next year’s World Cup.’’

Mairs also suggested Jones’ job security was now in question.

Wales completed its first test series victory in Argentina since 1999 yesterday when it overran the Pumas 3012 in a onesided match in Santa Fe.

The result means Argentina, which faces Scotland next week, has won only two of its last 17 internationals.

Scotland left Houston embarrassed as it became the first Tier One nation to lose a test to the United States.

The final score was US 30, Scotland 29, after the visitor conceded two tries to Worcester hooker Joe Taufete’e and a gift score to flanker Hanco Germishuys to throw away a dominant first half with an errorridden second.

Two late penalties by first fiveeighth Tomasso Allan were enough for Italy to hold off a resurgent Japan and tie their twomatch series with a 2522 victory in the second test in Kobe on Saturday. — AAP/Reuters