Wales 28-33 Australia
Wallabies must love scrums - Cheika
November 8, 2014
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Wales 28-33 Australia (Australia only)
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Australia must learn to love the scrum, Michael Cheika said after old wounds were re-opened by Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

The Wallabies' set-piece has stood up well in recent times, and the pack matched Wales for much of the match in Cardiff as the tourists won 33-28, but the late penalty try that gave Wales a sniff of victory rekindled memories of Australia's struggles against northern hemisphere opposition.

Cheika felt his pack was unlucky to concede the penalty try having held its ground gamely in the lead-up, but he said he would focus on the scrum leading into the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

"We've got to learn to love scrums," Cheika said. "Get into it and enjoy it and ride the wave. Sometimes they go good, sometimes they don't. That's for all teams. You've just got to do your best, enjoy it and get stuck into it."

Cheika felt his forwards performed well against a Wales side packed with British & Irish Lions.

"I didn't think we were dominated," Cheika said. "I think we had one poor scrum in the middle of the field where we gave away a penalty, and we can't afford to do that. We can't afford to have one scrum off."

© AAP

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