Australia refutes unlawful breakdown claims ahead of England clash
The Wallabies have rebuffed allegations of employing unlawful techniques at the breakdown before tomorrow’s encounter with England at Twickenham, reports BritPanorama.
Australian skipper Harry Wilson found the accusations “amusing” and claimed the hosts had selectively chosen incidents from their campaign. The 25-year-old flanker dismissed suggestions that his side’s approach was either illicit or hazardous.
“Firstly, I’d like to question how many are illegal and to say that they are dangerous… they are definitely not,” Wilson stated on Friday morning. He expressed enthusiasm for a clean contest at the Allianz Stadium, saying, “We are pretty excited for the opportunity to go out there and have a fair game.”
England’s head coach Steve Borthwick had presented numerous video clips during his pre-match conference with referee Nika Amashukeli on Thursday, allegedly demonstrating what he considered to be unlawful breakdown actions by the visitors. These allegations emerged just hours before the nations clash for the first time since Australia’s 42-37 triumph last year.
When questioned about whether England were playing psychological games ahead of the match, Wilson acknowledged the possibility but stressed his team’s focus. “Yeah, well… it wouldn’t surprise me if there is a bit there but we are very focused on ourselves,” he responded.
The Australian captain emphasised that his team wouldn’t be distracted by what he perceived as gamesmanship, indicating that despite England’s attempts to highlight alleged infractions, the Wallabies would maintain their concentration on their preparations and performance for Saturday’s Test.
Wilson did acknowledge that side-entry infractions occur across international rugby, stating, “When a team is playing 10 or 11 Tests, any team would have some from the side.” He defended his team’s breakdown work while showing sympathy for match officials, asserting that they strive to make it easy for referees to officiate the game fairly.
The upcoming match is poised to showcase not only the rivalry between the two teams but also the underlying tensions surrounding the accusations, heightening anticipation among fans and commentators alike.
