Wales’s defence coach Shaun Edwards is encouraging his players to tackle lower to ensure they are not caught by the clampdown on tackles above shoulder height and sent off.
Edwards, who will become Wigan’s head coach after next year’s World Cup when he will have spent nearly 12 years with Wales, says it is up to players to adjust but would not be drawn on the legitimacy of Owen Farrell’s challenge on André Esterhuizen at Twickenham.
“I have not seen the tackle but I have heard it was definitely learned on the fields of Wigan,” said Edwards, who is preparing for Wales’s match against Australia in Cardiff on Saturday. “When you were at school you were taught to tackle around the legs, but it went out of fashion for a while.
“In the 2011 World Cup we practised chop-tackling, which is pretty dangerous, but we managed not to get any injuries and other teams started doing it as well. We think our tackle height is pretty good at the moment, trying to get under the ball, round the waist or legs.
“When you go into a game there is a pretty good chance someone could get sent off. Whether that adds to the intrigue or the excitement, a red-hot favourite who might lose because they have someone dismissed in the first 10 minutes, I don’t know. It is pretty difficult for big tall guys against the little players: I feel for them, but they have to adjust. It’s as simple as that.”
Wales have lost their last 13 Tests against Australia, group opponents in next year’s World Cup, in a run stretching back to 2008. They go into the latest encounter with virtually a full squad and the benefit of a warm-up match, having beaten Scotland last Saturday.
“We usually play the Wallabies first-up and they have been together for four months,” said Edwards. “Every time the game comes around, you hope to break the losing run. In the past Australia have got us off the bench, winning games in the final five to 10 minutes when we made mental errors. We have had more numbers in training this week and I feel more prepared for a game we definitely want to win.
“This game is going to be a real battle of the breakdown. We try to contest the ball a lot with our defensive structure and obviously they do the same.”
David Pocock, who has been playing a No 8 with Michael Hooper on the open-side, said he would miss playing against Sam Warburton, who retired before the start of the season because of a persistent neck injury, but felt Wales would still be a threat at the breakdown.
“I loved playing against Sam,” said Pocock. “He was a great player and leader who contributed a huge amount to Welsh rugby. Justin Tipuric and Dan Lydiate are pretty handy, though, and it is always a great battle at the breakdown against Wales.
“Cardiff has been a happy hunting ground for us, but it has been a tough year for us results wise. Wales have won six matches in a row and we know it is going to be hard. This tour is a great opportunity for us: the effort has been there and we have to turn it into consistent performances.”
