Australian lineout dominance history, says Vickerman

Daniel Vickerman has his lineout ball disrupted by All Black Ali Williams. Picture / Paul Estcourt

The Wallabies' lineout dominance over the All Blacks in the previous meeting between the two sides is history, Australian rugby lock Dan Vickerman says.

It would be a new page in Auckland tonight, as the visitors seek a win that will keep alive their hopes of lifting the Tri-Nations crown.

Three weeks ago in Brisbane, the Wallabies caused havoc with the All Blacks' lineout, pinching a number of their opponents' throw-ins in the second half.

It took a superb defensive effort, backed by a solid scrum, to carry the New Zealanders to a 13-9 victory in an absorbing battle at Suncorp Stadium.

The result that night also meant the Bledisloe Cup stayed out of Australian hands for another year at least.

"I'm not reading too much in Brisbane," Vickerman said of the Australians' lineout superiority.

"That's been and gone. There's a new challenge we've got lying ahead."

What was fresher in the Wallabies' memory was the lacklustre contest in Sydney a week later when they pipped the Springboks 20-18.

A match that featured plenty of aimless kicking was rated one of the worst Tri-Nations tests in memory.

Vickerman said they were "not too pleased" about many aspects of their performance at Telstra Stadium and knew they were heading to Eden Park as the outsiders.

"We're certainly the underdogs," he said.

"We've got a lot of pressure on us and it's a game we have to win to stay in the hunt for the Tri-Nations."

Capped 38 times, Vickerman, 27, saw nothing wrong with the extra work the All Blacks had put into their lineout, including calling in former test lock Robin Brooke to lend a hand.

Any suggestion to him that the extra focus on that area of the game would make the New Zealanders too wound up was directed at the wrong person.

"I like lineouts, I could do lineouts all day," he said.

"I don't think you can ever focus too much on the lineout."

The Wallabies haven't won at Eden Park in two decades. Their last success was back in September 1986, when a side containing the likes of David Campese and Michael Lynagh came out on top 22-9.

For present skipper George Gregan, the lack of Australian success at the venue since then wasn't a millstone, simply a fact.

"It's history and you can't change that," he said.

"All you can change is what happens [tonight] and we're focused on getting the job done."

- NZPA