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Wallabies hurting from loss: Elsom

By Darren Walton 23/11/2009 03:11:19 PM Comments (0)

Captain Rocky Elsom has assured disillusioned Australian rugby fans that no-one is hurting more after Saturday's exasperating loss to Scotland than the Wallabies themselves.

Still dumbfounded by how his side lost a match it dominated so heavily against the world No.9 team, Elsom on Sunday said he'd never seen a more depressed bunch of teammates than in the Australian dressing room at Murrayfield.

"It wasn't great in there," said Elsom after the Wallabies arrived in Cardiff to prepare for Saturday's tour finale against Wales.

"It was extreme disappointment. So if anyone was disappointed with that performance, then I'd think we're that too, but on a largely magnified scale."

Coach Robbie Deans insisted his players were acutely aware of what it meant to suffer Australia's first loss to Scotland since 1982, an almost unimaginable result being likened to the Wallabies' infamous loss to Tonga at Ballymore 36 years ago.

"To give an insight into what the shed was like, it was probably the most shattered I've experienced in terms of a team that just knew that they contributed to their own demise in every way possible," he said.

Deans has demanded everyone in the touring group, from players to the coaching staff, accept responsibility for the sobering defeat - just as he did personally on Sunday with a defiant message to disillusioned Wallabies fans in Australia.

"The message is it's not for me to tell them what to do. They'll do as they see fit and that's their right," he said.

"All I can assure them is that we're not going to back off any of the challenges and we're going to do our best to address them and hopefully represent them in a better fashion next time out."

Desperate to atone against Wales, the Wallabies departed Edinburgh still trying to get their heads around how Scotland managed to beat them despite spending just five per cent of the match inside the Australian 22 - and 37 per cent of the Test camped in their own quarter.

"I can't put a finger on it," Elsom said.

"It would be very easy for us to say we took them too lightly or that our preparation during the week was poor or that we just didn't front up.

"But I just don't feel like that was the case. Our preparation was good, better than previous weeks."

Deans is sorely missing the class and leadership of his first-choice centre pairing of Stirling Mortlock and Berrick Barnes but, rarely one to offer excuses, said there was no point blaming injuries for his side's stunning decline from grand slam hunters to spring tour flops.

"The best players are here," he said.

"We have another opportunity against Wales and we're lucky to be able to have this opportunity, to be honest.

"It would have been pretty tough to chew on if we had to finish on that last effort.

"And there's really not much involved in turning it around. We were over the line three times (against Scotland), didn't convert too many penalties ... close one of those games out and we get on a roll.

"But we've got to take the first step. That's the step we're waiting on."

Deans also has a lengthy injury list to worry about, with six players in doubt for Saturday's Test.

Prop Benn Robinson (shoulder) is causing most concern, but centre Digby Ioane (shoulder), halfback Will Genia (knee), No.8 Wycliff Palu (neck), flanker and captain Rocky Elsom (quad) and prop Sekope Kepu (ankle) are also all in a race against the clock.

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