Shush now Lote

[RugbyReg]

We can sweep tour: Tuqiri


October 23, 2008

AUSTRALIA winger Lote Tuqiri claimed the Wallabies were "world-beaters" but needed to work on their mental game ahead of their Spring Tour of Hong Kong and Europe.

Tuqiri says the Wallabies are definitely capable of sweeping their six-match tour against rugby's powerhouses, starting with a Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand in Hong Kong on November 1.

The Wallabies depart on Monday for their Asian stopover and will travel on to Europe for clashes against Italy, France, England, grand slam winners Wales and star-studded invitational side the Barbarians at Wembley on December 3.

Tuqiri is still hurting over Australia's loss in the Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane last month when the Wallabies went down 28-24 to the All Blacks after leading 17-7 during the second half.

?(We didn't achieve) what we should have. That was disappointing,? Tuqiri told AAP at the team's Manly hotel.

?The last game was there to be won and we didn't take it.

?That's one thing we've got to learn as a team that is building and maturing.

?At certain times in the game we've just got to stand up and make the play ...

?In the past month, there has been a lot of work done on our physical ability and our mental ability as well.

?A few things let us down in that last game. Mentally, we let teams back in when we are ahead. Dropping the ball, just being focused for 80 minutes of the game.?

Tuqiri, a dual international who switched codes in 2003, is driven to claim a World Cup title in 2011.

He says having Kiwi Robbie Deans in charge gives Australia's chances a huge boost.

?He knows and we know that we've got the ability to be world-beaters,? Tuqiri said.

?But we've just probably lacked focus at times.?

Asked if Australia could sweep the tour 6-0, Tuqiri said: ?Oh definitely.?

But the former Fiji rugby league captain added: ?It's a big start with the All Blacks in Hong Kong. They're going to be really tough.?

Tuqiri, 29, was a member of the Wallabies side which lost the 2003 World Cup final to England in Sydney and was also part of last year's failed campaign in France under John Connolly.

?One thing I haven't done in rugby is to win a big competition,? the 66-Test veteran said.

?I've been close on both occasions with the Super 14 with the Waratahs and playing in that final in 2003 against the English team.

?It's definitely a spur to get to New Zealand (in 2011).

?It's good that we've got a long-term prospect in Robbie as a coach.

?It's good there's not a lot of differing opinions on different things and issues.

?We had John Connolly come in quite late before the last World Cup. It's still no excuse for not doing well.

?But it's good that Robbie is in here now and he's in here for a long time so that's good for Australian rugby.?

Tuqiri is making solid progress in a bid to confirm his place on the plane for Monday's flight to Hong Kong.

The 103kg winger is recovering from minor knee surgery and has resumed running in the past week.

Tuqiri didn't train with the main group at Manly's Brookvale Oval but performed well and will need to prove his fitness again later this week.

?It would be nice (to play in Hong Kong) but I'm not going to push too hard,? he said.

I don't like such talk. Reminds me of a couple of years ago when we talked about going through the tour undefeated and lost the (first?) match v Ospreys (development?) with Mark Gerrard at 10.

 

[naza]

He truly is a clueless fucking moron who needs a bullet.

 

[whocares]

Anger........just anger

:angryfire:

 

[spectator]

Can't help himself can he, and he's not even a confirmed starter yet! Very annoying....

 

[Thomond78]

Nice of him to give the ABs a house-warming present for a new, far-from-home, dressing room with a perfect motivational wind-up like this, though, isn't it? :

 

[the gambler]

If Kimlin or Mumm or someone came out and said the same things you would be supportive and say it was refreshing to see young guys excited to be part of something big. Lote often says some stupid stuff but there is nothing in that that is outlandish or arrogent. I bloody hope that the team think they can win every match they play.

 

[fatprop]

Journo asks "are the Wallabies are capable of sweeping their six-match tour?"

Lote says "definately"

Paper quote

Lote says "Wallabies are definitely capable of sweeping their six-match tour"

What is he supposed to say "Nah with soft c*ck pigs and lazy backs like me - no chance"

 

[Scarfman]

He is supposed to say what Richie (captain of the favourites) would say: "It's going to be tough, the Wallabies will be looking to even up the series, we've lost a few players this year, but we're going to give it our best shot."

Is that so hard?

 

[RugbyReg]

He is supposed to say what Richie (captain of the favourites) would say: "It's going to be tough, the Wallabies will be looking to even up the series, we've lost a few players this year, but we're going to give it our best shot."

Is that so hard?

exactly! There's a reason you haven't won a major trophy Lote. The team is just not good enough. They need to start realising that.

 

[cyclopath]

I'm struggling to see the outrageous subtext in anything he said here? Talks about their deficiencies this year, says the team has worked to improve mental and physical approach, states belief the team can win all the matches, admits the ABs will be a very tough start.
You guys have gotta remember, journos generally approach the players for comments / interviews. Clearly they know he will say what he thinks, so they ask him. Then they edit it for a piece. Hardly makes him a clueless fucking moron deserving of being shot! Get a grip.

 

[RugbyReg]

I'm struggling to see the outrageous subtext in anything he said here? Talks about their deficiencies this year, says the team has worked to improve mental and physical approach, states belief the team can win all the matches, admits the ABs will be a very tough start.
You guys have gotta remember, journos generally approach the players for comments / interviews. Clearly they know he will say what he thinks, so they ask him. Then they edit it for a piece. Hardly makes him a clueless fucking moron deserving of being shot! Get a grip.

settle petal. Only one poster suggested as such and he's prone to such outlandishness.

My concern (if you read my post) is that I don't like such talk of undefeated tours as well. Particularly when we haven't won in France since 2000 and having only one win over England (a 2 pointer) since 1998? A more conservative comment by Lote, perhaps playing down the undefeated nature of the tour, I think would have been wiser.

Under promise, over deliver. Rather than the opposite I reckon. He says they can definitely win all games, the lose the first one to the ABs with an injury-riddled team and, BAMN, the tours a failure already.

 

[Scarfman]

I reckon this kind of interview falls into the "old habits" (old hebbuts) that Deans was referring to.

What Noddy said.

 

[disco]

The aussies are the kings of under performing away from home we would need to win at least 4 games for this to be a success.

 

[Sully]

I'd be happy with a couple. Which 4 are you targeting?

 

[disco]

Well the Baa Baas & Italy you would hope are in the bank regardless of how many superstars turn out for the Baa Baas.

We have to beat England no excuses no need to explain why.

Then I'd like to think we can turn over at least one of New Zealand, France or Wales.

I think the Kiwis might actually be more in reach than the other two.

 

[RugbyReg]

Gee I'd love to beat the French at home (theirs). When was the last time we beat a full strength team? They never tour down here full strength, so it must have been that 2000 test (Smith's debut). The MacQueen era!

 

[disco]

Definitely been a long time between drinks in France, have had a couple of close calls since but no cigar.

In 2004 we had a chance to knock them over but the touch judge ruled that lote had stepped out when the replayed showed he was about two inches inside the line.

If anything we have to beat England.

 

[whocares]

Here's Morlocks statment

Wallabies talk down chances

Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock shunned bold predictions of an unbeaten tour in favour of less tangible goals as the national rugby squad flew out for the northern hemisphere today.

Given the Wallabies' away record in recent years, the strength of their opposition and the injuries which have cost them key forwards, it was a circumspect Mortlock who emphasised continuing growth and development of coach Robbie Deans' new-look squad.

The party of 34 includes four new caps and nine other players with five or fewer Test appearances.

Additionally, there are players like backs Peter Hynes and Ryan Cross who can still be classed as Test rookies.

The Wallabies face five of the world's top-10 nations plus a star-studded Barbarians side, without established forwards Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman and the fast-improving James Horwill.

The six-match campaign starts with the dead rubber Bledisloe Cup Test against world No.1 New Zealand in Hong Kong on Saturday.

The itinerary continues with Tests against Italy and the three highest-ranked northern hemisphere sides, England (fifth), Wales (sixth) and France (seventh), and concludes at Wembley Stadium against the Barbarians.

While centre Mortlock said an unbeaten campaign wasn't impossible, he emphasised the tour's challenges and "significant opportunities".

"Every week there will be a significant mountain to climb and a new challenge," Mortlock said.

In Italy a couple of years ago we found it very difficult to play there and all the matches, looking ahead on this tour, will be quite difficult.

"Obviously, at the end of the day, you want to have a successful tour by your win-and-loss ratio.

"I think in this team there's a huge amount of guys who haven't been on many spring tours, a lot of guys that are in their first and second season at Test match level and some uncapped guys, as well.

"It's a great opportunity to blood some of our younger guys and for them to get greater awareness of what they can achieve as a group.

"I think growth is really important on this tour. We've come off a Tri-Nations campaign where we went all right, but we weren't successful, so we know exactly where we want to improve our game.

"If we do that again, that would be good enough in itself and hopefully the by-product of that would be good results."

New Zealand and Australia have had different lead ups to Saturday's game with the majority of Wallabies not playing since the climax of the Tri-Nations close to two months ago.

The Australians went into four weekly camps in Sydney, while the majority of New Zealand's stars stayed match fit over the closing rounds of their domestic competition.

"They will be match-hardened and ready to go, whereas we've had an opportunity to regroup as a team and think upon where we want to take our game," Mortlake said.

"We definitely needed a solid block of work together because realistically it's pretty hard in the season, you always have a match to focus on."

Mortlock didn't expect Australia and New Zealand would change their traditional high-tempo style this weekend, even if the conditions were very humid as expected.

 

[RugbyReg]

Pathetic Morty. Where's the fire and brimstone? He should be drawing a line in the sand and declaring that the Wallabies will win it all. Surely they don't actually enter tests thinking they won't win?

 

[disco]

Surely they don't actually enter tests thinking they won't win?

You would hope not but I suppose he's being realistic. But maybe that's the differrence between the Aussies & the All Blacks.

They go in expecting to win every game no matter what we don't.

Another thing is most NH teams expect to beat us now where as they talk a big game against the Kiwis but usually go to shit on the paddock.