11:12am Wednesday 25th November 2009
By Chris Kirwan
JAMES Hook is preparing for a busy Saturday night when Australian wizard Matt Giteau attempts to take his frustration out on Wales.
The Wallabies fly-half had a game to forget at Murrayfield last Saturday when he had a nightmare with the boot that ended with him slicing the conversion at the death that would have seen his side pip Scotland 10-9 instead of tasting defeat.
But, as his pay packet shows, Giteau is one of the sport’s superstars and Wales coach Warren Gatland was quick to point out yesterday they rarely have two bad displays on the spin.
And that means that makeshift fullback Hook will have to be on his game to prevent Australia’s talisman from getting the visitors on the front foot.
“Giteau is similar to Dan Carter in that he can run, kick and just about do it all,” said the Ospreys star, whose first home international was the 29-29 draw in 2006 when the 27-year-old Aussie sparkled from scrum-half.
“As full-back I will have to be aware of what he is up to and make sure I am on my toes.
“He is a quality player and doesn’t have too many bad games so will be kicking himself about last weekend and will want to finish his campaign with a positive performance.”
The media reaction Down Under to the loss in Edinburgh has been savage with one columnist writing “the Wallabies are not just the laughing stock of Australian sport, they are the laughing stock of international rugby”.
But Hook remains cautious, aware there is very little in sport that is more dangerous than a wounded Wallaby.
“I expect a big backlash,” he said. “They are a quality side and they probably realise that they under-performed and they will be determined to come here and get the win.
“But we are not going to worry too much about what they are going to bring, we are going to concentrate on our own game. We have got improvements to make ourselves and we want to be one of the best sides in the world so want to put a performance in.
“I think we are always putting pressure on ourselves and if we want to be compared to the top teams in the world then we have to beat them, especially on our own patch.
“It might not be the best team Australia have ever brought over but they are still a quality outfit. It is going to be tough.
“They are a quality side – exactly like New Zealand and South Africa. We are not writing them off in any way.”
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk