Wallabies not reading much into Lions loss to Argentina
SYDNEY, June 23 (Reuters) - Australia fullback Tom Wright said the Wallabies were not reading a great deal into the British & Irish Lions' loss to Argentina in their tour opener last week.
The Lions party arrived in Perth on Sunday to prepare for their first tour match in Australia against Western Force next weekend, when they will be looking to get back to winning ways after going down 28-24 to the Pumas in Dublin.
"I wouldn't read a whole lot into it, it was a pretty thrilling game ... there was plenty of running rugby," Wright told reporters in Sydney on Monday at the Wallabies training camp for their warm-up match against Fiji.
"Is that the side they might roll out? Maybe or maybe not, there were a lot of big names that obviously didn't play.
"The Argentinians were really good (and) I wouldn't (say) that the Lions played really poorly. There's also that it's a bunch of guys trying to come together for the first time.
"I wouldn't read heaps into it. I thought both sides played pretty exciting footy."
Wright said he would be expecting plenty of high balls to come his way from the Lions during the three tests in July and August but hoped that might also bring opportunities.
"We saw a lot of contested kicking in the Argentina game," he added.
"(I'll) just (do) that work in the air, trying to win the space. Definitely something that I'll add more of in comparison to Super Rugby, sort of extras after training in our positional groups.
"But part of the game is overkicked ball brings exciting stuff into the game too, opportunities to counter attack."
Wright was left out of the 2023 World Cup squad by Eddie Jones and therefore missed the loss to Fiji that did much to condemn the Wallabies to a pool stage exit for the first time.
The 27-year-old said the Wallabies were under no illusions about the strength of the opposition they would be facing in Newcastle on July 6.
"Always a strong side the Fijians, obviously, we get a taste of them with the Drua throughout the season so we know how lethal they'll be, with and without the ball," he said.
"We've got our eyes sort of set on Newcastle, and that being a really important fixture to leapfrog us into what is obviously a strong Lions side in July too."
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