An English journalist has labelled the Wallabies the “Dullabies”
following Sunday’s grinding 11-9 World Cup quarter-final victory over
defending champions South Africa.
Still possibly hurting from
England’s exit at the quarter-final stage against France, freelance
writer Mark Reason vented his frustration on Australia’s conservative
approach against the Springboks.
“Australia should be ashamed – they play like England” said the headline in The Daily Telegraph.
“But when it came to a match that really mattered, the Aussies played with the ambition and imagination of wombats,” he wrote.
“Is that all they have got?
“Whatever
happened to Quade Cooper? He is the bloke who does outrageous things.
He will kick across his own in-goal area or dance on a solitary blade of
grass. He will jink and sprint and flick passes out of the back of the
hand like magic.
“Against South Africa he was the most boring man
on the planet. You see, the Australians are afraid that he will turn
into Carlos Spencer and blow the World Cup with a daft mistake.”
He
said that Australia’s play was so boring that he “wondered if this was
England in disguise” and accused referee Bryce Lawrence of losing
control of the breakdown.
“The Aussies are cheats as well,” he said.
“David
Pocock is a terrific player but he got away with daylight robbery. Time
and again the Australians did not release the tackled player, or they
came in at the side or they played the ball off their feet. But (NZ
referee) Bryce Lawrence did absolutely nothing.”
