No need to panic, says Mortlock - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

No need to panic, says Mortlock

By Adrian Warren 07/08/2008 06:52:20 PM Comments (0)

Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock believes Australia's game has no need of a drastic change after last week's thumping Tri-Nations rugby loss to New Zealand, and has tipped his team to be "back up" for their two looming clashes with the world champion Springboks in South Africa.

The Australians are currently in a rare rest period prior to reassembling next Wednesday in Sydney to prepare for their Tri-Nations clashes with South Africa in Durban on August 23 and Johannesburg seven days later.

The Springboks are scheduled to play the next four weekends against Argentina, New Zealand and then twice against Australia.

Mortlock was hoping that the daunting schedule might work in Australia's favour.

"They would have played a bit of footy coming up with those two matches (against Argentina and New Zealand)," Mortlock said.

"They are world champions and they will have their backs up, they've gone quite well so far this year.

"It's a good opportunity for us and one that I dare say we will be up for."

Australia have lost their last eight matches in South Africa, but Mortlock was the hero the last time they triumphed in that country eight years ago.

His last minute penalty from the sideline secured Australia's first Tri-Nations title.

The bustling centre acknowledged Australia needed to improve on a number of areas from last weekend's game, but described the heavy loss as "a unique situation".

"With the All Blacks it seemed that everything they did turned into points and they profited from it, whereas whenever we tried to be positive it didn't quite come off and then they profited again from the turnover or the ensuing phase.

"There was some glaringly obvious things that we can improve, the breakdown, some of our set piece and probably our kicking accuracy.

"They are the things we work on all the time, so drastic changes don't need to be made so that we can turn around."

Mortlock posed aboard a Harley Davidson as part of a promotion to boost awareness of prostate cancer.

He is one of several high profile sporting personalities involved in the campaign, including Sydney Roosters rugby league stars Craig Wing and Willie Mason, Sydney Swans AFL stars Jude Bolton, Peter Everitt and Amon Buchanan and Olympians Ky Hurst (swimming), David Barlow (basketball) and Nikki Hudson (hockey).

The sports stars will all be pictured on - or around - a Harley Davidson with the photographs auctioned to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

"Awareness of male health in general, anything to do with that is a good thing because too often men tend to just bottle everything up and don't come out and investigate and make sure that everything is going as well as it should be," Mortlock said.

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