Super sub Pete Samu is expecting more English niggle in Saturday night’s second Test but a better job from the Wallabies in smiling it off.
Samu was reticent about a detour into what England’s tactics might be at Suncorp Stadium after the baiting of Darcy Swain drew a potentially Test-turning red card in Perth.
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The versatile backrower largely shrugged off last Saturday’s heat as regulation Test match fire when enthusing that the Wallabies had stepped up to the physical challenge with 14 men.
“Everybody is pretty stoked with the performance. Everyone is upbeat and looking forward to this weekend,” the backrow utility said.
Samu paused to consider his answer when asked if he thought there was premeditated targeting of players by the English.
“Yeah probably, watching (on),” said Samu, who was on the bench when Swain’s head butt responded to Jonny Hill’s weak hair pulling and earlier hassling.
“They really, probably, got under our skins. We could have reacted better in Darcy’s red card situation but our focus is on our game and how to better that for this week.”
England coach Eddie Jones might consider that part of his team’s game plan to disrupt did actually work despite the parts that fizzled in the 30-28 loss.
Did Samu feel the Wallabies would amp up their own aggressive niggle as a counter for more of the same English tactics?
“I don’t think so. We don’t focus too much on that side of the game. We just try and do our jobs and hopefully we can correct those this weekend,” he said.
He said Wallabies coach Dave Rennie had given the team no specific warning about England’s niggling methods.
“Nah. We try to give them a smile back and get on with our jobs. There was just the usual chat on the field. Apart from Darcy’s situation, it was pretty general niggle,” he said by way of shrugging it off.
Samu was delighted to be part of a memorable victory for an influential final 13 minutes and the physical response of the second half.
“Especially after the first half, we started winning those collisions a bit more, slowing their ball down and we got into our game which was pleasing,” Samu said.
His first try in his 20th Test gave the Wallabies an unbeatable 30-14 lead with just minutes to play
“I was pretty stoked. I got winded as I landed so I was gutted I didn’t get to celebrate (as much as I wanted in the try celebration) with the boys,” he said.
“I just gave (replacement halfback) Jake Gordon a bit of eye contact. He got me the ball. I didn’t really plan to do that so it was good.”
The Wallabies bench really stepped up. All three tries were scored by fresh arrivals into the game through Folau Fainga’a, Jordie Petaia and Samu.
Prop James Slipper’s scrummaging at tighthead was a sure anchor, lock Matt Philip added grunt and the general lift from the subs came at exactly the right time.
The 103kg Samu has had to reprogram his thinking to embrace a rare bench role where he is coverage for all three backrow positions.
It’s a tall order but his neat stepping for his try on attack, his support play, his ability to scramble in defence, his jackalling, his general dynamism and his game sense all fit the bill.
“Yeah. My role is utility in the backrow. During the week I have to learn all three roles which is different,” he said.
“I always ask questions to try to get my head around the different roles.”
He needs a bit of overtime on the team room’s laptops to study vision of the opposition, positional demands, game clips and his own performance review.
“I’m probably on the laptops a bit more but I just go out there, back what I’ve learnt and just play footy,” he said.
As for the hairstyle, it’s a bit of a DIY job with a party at the back with longer hair, a top knot and a short shave on the sides.
“I honestly don’t know. I go with the flow on that. If I get desperate, there’s always (teammate) Tom Wright. He calls himself a barber. He’s cut my hair once and he’s got his own clippers to give some of the boys a cut,” Samu said.
