O'Connor will handle pressure: Giteau - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

O'Connor will handle pressure: Giteau

David Beniuk 03/11/2010 08:23:32 AM Comments (0)

Wallabies star Matt Giteau says new goalkicker James O'Connor will have no trouble handling the pressure at the intimidating Millennium Stadium in Saturday's (Sunday morning AEDT) Tests against Wales.

O'Connor is Australia's new fulltime kicker after Giteau decided to relinquish the duties while he works on a new technique.

"He showed on the weekend, obviously, he can handle big pressure situations, he's been kicking really consistently and really well," Giteau said.

"It's a pretty easy transition."

Giteau's form with the boot has been patchy, and costly too in narrow Test losses to England and New Zealand.

He kicked one from four in last week's win over the All Blacks in Hong Kong before being replaced.

The 28-year-old says the decision was his alone and he approached coach Robbie Deans with the suggestion.

"It was 100 per cent my decision," Giteau said. "I just thought that while I was trialling a new goal-kicking technique, it wasn't best to trial it in Test matches."

Giteau says he is only a few weeks into a new technique implemented by South African kicking coach Braam van Straaten and doesn't want to hold the improving Wallabies back.

"I still want to stick with it because I feel there's times when I hit the ball quite well but it's just inconsistent at the moment," he said.

"I feel (while) we're making as much progress as we are, to be held back by goalkicking is not the right thing."

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