Tom Lynagh was smashed by the Lions in Brisbane. A Wallabies great wanted an immediate response
Slipper pointed to a more ruthless attitude at the MCG by the Wallabies as key back-rower Rob Valetini confirmed his availability for the must-win clash.
The grunt work of Valetini was missed at Suncorp Stadium, where the Lions physically dominated the Wallabies. Valetini said he felt on track to play after a calf injury but revealed coach Joe Schmidt had made the call not to risk the big back-rower for the first Test.
'I thought I would have been a shoo-in for the first Test but [it was] sort of a smart idea just to have a week off and get through some more training, a bit more loading through the calf,' Valetini said. 'It feels good to go.'
The return of Valetini and Will Skelton will go a long way toward helping the Wallabies improve their physicality in the contact zone, and a more street-smart approach to the breakdown as well could help, in the eyes of Slipper.
Slipper, 36, is the only survivor in the Wallabies from the 2013 series, when Australia rallied from a first Test loss in Brisbane to win in Melbourne.
Slipper said the advice he would pass to the team is to 'being composed and relying on your preparation'.
One area the Wallabies need to improve is matching the Lions in pushing the boundaries with the referee. Australian coaches throughout the whole Lions tour have been privately miffed about the sight of tourists repeatedly slowing down or impeding halfbacks by 'accidentally' being offside at the ruck, and Curry did it several times in Brisbane as well, without sanction.
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- News.com.au
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