Rugby: Larkham proving major worry for Tri-Nations battles

MELBOURNE - Shut down Larkham and the Wallabies can struggle. That message has been getting louder since the fullback was converted to a test five-eighths.

But, inevitably, a player with Larkham's extraordinary gifts will sting. His variety of attacking ideas, speed, courage and balance challenges the best defences and often it seems to be a case of damage limitation for his opponents.

For the Springboks, however, Larkham is proving to be more than just trouble.

In the semifinals of the World Cup last year, the 26-year-old kicked a dropped goal on the run 13 minutes into extra time to send the Boks into a playoff with the All Blacks.

On Saturday night, in the first indoor test in rugby history, Larkham teased and taunted, probed and pestered but could not find a way through the Boks until 10 minutes from time. But how he struck.

Heading across field in an arcing run, Larkham encouraged the tacklers to drift wide enough for him to skirt some tiring tight forwards and lope home for the try.

No wonder the commentators labelled it "Ella-like" and called Larkham a "freak." It was a superb piece of deception and skill. It also gave the Wallabies the lead for the first time. They then ran in three more tries to win 44-23.

Flattering, perhaps, but the dangers are apparent for the All Blacks as the sides meet in Sydney for the Tri-Nations opener on Saturday.

The Wallabies have now won 10 successive tests to equal Australia's record from their 1991-92 run.

Are the 1999 world champions good enough to beat the All Blacks and take the mark from the previous Wallaby World Cup winners?

"Not at this stage," said coach Rod Macqueen in an anticipated reply. "We had some big lapses in defence and got caught out a lot of times with numbers."

In the first half the Wallabies conceded three tries when better defence and judgment would have been expected from a team of their pedigree and reputation. Getting the ball smartly past Rod Kafer in midfield was a problem as the Springboks' threequarters pushed right up on the offside line.

Jason Little replaced Kafer at the break and that selection may continue this weekend because it appeared to give more zip to the backline which has fullback Chris Latham, centre Daniel Herbert and Larkham in prowling form. It was an open test and Bok coach Nick Mallett promised he would maintain that expansive approach for the Tri-Nations, even though some of his squad seemed to struggle with the pace of the test in the final stages.

"For 70 minutes we were very good but not as good as the Crusaders who went a full game," Mallett said in reference to the Super 12 final.

On the evidence of that game and the three tests this year, the All Blacks' defence will not wilt as alarmingly. But if they have to defend as much as the teams did in the Super 12 final or in the second half of Saturday's test, then leaks may appear.

For much of the first half the Wallabies were pressured into errors by a torrid Bok defence, though they also failed to protect possession or they pushed marginal passes. They had enough ball, the lineout and scrum were effective but there was a rush and rustiness about their play.

But Macqueen wanted more pace. On came Jeremy Paul, Little and, later, Toutai Kefu to increase the mobility. The results came in the last 10 minutes.

After conceding two late tries in the first test against Scotland and a couple more in the second test, the All Blacks will have pinpointed clearly the Wallaby resurgence.

They shouldn't need reminding about Larkham and the Wallaby test record.