June 5, 2009

Less than a month ago, Brumbies coach Andy Friend was questioning how much more Stirling Mortlock had to give, but now he has no doubt the warrior centre is still the man to lead the Wallabies.

Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock admits a few people have approached him in recent days, asking him to show up Sonny Bill Williams in tonight's match against the Barbarians at the Sydney Football Stadium.

It seems some ill feeling remains over Williams's dramatic walkout from the Bulldogs last year and, for some, Mortlock is regarded as the best man to expose the convert in his new domain. Even Williams, in his first major rugby appearance - which will lure All Blacks coach Graham Henry to the game - has conceded to being nervous about the possibility that outside the boxing ring, Mortlock may be the combatant to put him in his place.

"Yes, I've had a few people come up to me, and say, 'Put a shot in for me', but it's all a bit tongue in cheek," Mortlock said yesterday. "Sonny Bill is a world-class athlete. He has proven his worth in league and is going very well overseas in union. Last week he was in the [boxing] ring, doing a bit of damage there as well. I've got no doubt he will be looking forward to playing on a bigger rugby stage and he will be up for it."

Mortlock was in his typically jolly pre-match mood and laughed when asked if he would remind his No.13 opponent that shoulder charges, which are usually overlooked in league, are regarded as a serious no-no in rugby union. "I think he has learnt pretty quickly in union that shoulder charges are illegal," Mortlock said. "Just as upper cuts are pretty illegal as well."

The Wallabies skipper conceded that confronting Williams head on would be "something quite different" but it would be ridiculous if he focused all his attention on the controversial Barbarians outside-centre.

"We've had some footage of Sonny Bill playing at Toulon. But with so many different players around him in the Barbarians line-up, you can't be too sure what to expect," Mortlock said. "That's probably a good thing for us. That will make us focus on ourselves and being as cohesive as possible.

"Also I'm not really focused on going at one player. You're more focused on the role you have to play in the group. I have to make sure that I link in well with the other guys in the back line. Certainly the back line have a few things we are looking at doing but we aren't sure how the opposition will defend as a unit. We're also not sure where the opportunities are going to be."

That's the dilemma of confronting a high-quality Barbarians line-up, who proudly state they are here for fun and frolic but are also certain to be ultra-serious as soon as the whistle blows. The Barbarians include many players who aren't used to performing together, so there is uncertainty about what style they will play.

It means the Wallabies, in their first appearance of the season, have to be prepared for anything. As so many Australian players are using this game to re-establish themselves in the Wallabies line-up before the Test calendar starts next weekend against Italy in Canberra, the match will become an important physical and mental challenge. Slip-ups won't be allowed, especially with Wallabies coach Robbie Deans indicating he is likely to try other players in starting roles over the next month. The way to stop that is for those with the first chance in the green and gold to convince the coach tonight they are irreplaceable.

Mortlock said it won't be like the traditional, throw-it-here- there-and-everywhere Barbarians encounter. "Our fixture against the Baabaas last year was a physical and brutal affair," Mortlock said. "Also the talk this week from the Barbarians team is that they are here to win and that they are ready for a very physical battle. So we're ready for that. We're preparing as if it is a Test match.

"No doubt they have enough quality in that team to put up a Test match standard performance and we are anticipating that. It's our first match of the year and it is great to be up against a Barbarians outfit which seems ready to take us on. For us, we couldn't ask for a better first-up hit-out."