'Beasts of Eden' give Wallabies more road woe
NZPA
August 3, 2008

A week after hailing their stunning Sydney victory over the All Blacks, Australia's rugby media were slamming the Wallabies' "pathetic" away record today.

The All Blacks' 39-10 win in Auckland last night to level the Bledisloe Cup ledger 1-1 only highlighted the Wallabies' inadequacies on the road, reports said.

"The Wallabies' pathetic recent away record against major countries continued to haunt them last night when they were bulldozed by the All Blacks in an embarrassingly one-sided test," the Sun-Herald newspaper's Greg Growden wrote.

"It was the 15th test in a row that Australia had succumbed to a top-shelf team on foreign soil, and the 22-year drought at Eden Park continues to bite deep into the Wallabies' psyche.

"It wasn't a dreadful performance -- there were occasional glimpses of good, flashy play -- but they were out of sorts at the lineout as the All Blacks produced a more structured game.

"And unlike in Sydney, where they were on song in a 15-point triumph, the Wallabies were unable to have much of an impact at the breakdown.

"The return of All Blacks breakaway Richie McCaw last night was a significant factor in the All Blacks quickly and comfortably taking charge."

The Sun-Herald's back page headline summed it up: "Beasts of Eden -- Auckland curse strikes as All Blacks savage Wallabies."

The Sunday Telegraph also focused on the away record, saying it provided coach Robbie Deans with his first big test as the Wallabies travel to South Africa for their next two Tri-Nations tests.

"Wallabies cop stinging Blacklash -- road woes next hurdle for Deans," its main headline said.

The Telegraph's rugby scribe Iain Payten wrote: "Robbie Deans' high-flying Wallabies were brought back to earth with a painful thud last night as their horror run of losses on the road continued in Auckland.

"Unbeaten under Deans after five home tests, Australia were handed a harsh lesson by the pumped-up All Blacks in a 29-point thrashing.

"The four-tries-to-one victory by a Richie McCaw-inspired Kiwi outfit was the 15th straight loss for the Wallabies on the road in Tri-Nations rugby and far from encouraging with a tough two-game tour to South Africa this month."

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