Australia keep faith with Mortlock
June 19, 2000

Wallaby winger Stirling Mortlock will remain the goal kicker for Saturday's second test despite missing all of his five kicks on his shaky Test debut last weekend.

Mortlock, who was also astray with four kicks from nine attempts as the ACT Brumbies lost the Super 12 final to Canterbury Crusaders by a point here last month, was replaced as kicker in Saturday's international by Joe Roff.

Roff landed four second half conversions in the 53-6 rout of the Argentine Pumas in Brisbane.

But coach Rod Macqueen Monday said the Wallabies would stick with Mortlock for kicking duties for Saturday's second match with the Pumas at Canberra's Bruce Stadium.

"I think you can have off days and we want to give Stirlo every opportunity and we'll be going with him again to start off with anyway," he said.

Mortlock's teammates Rod Kafer and flyhalf Steve Larkham said the Wallaby novice just needed some confidence to get over a bout of first-up international nerves.

"We've spoken to him about it, tried to help him along and I guess everyone has a bad day here and there," Larkham said.

"All he needs is for the first couple to go over and he'll be right."

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