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Page last updated at 18:58 GMT, Thursday, 26 November 2009

Giteau will bounce back - Jenkins

Autumn internationals - Wales v Australia
Venue: Millennium Stadium Date: Saturday, 28 November Kick-off: 1715 GMT
Coverage: Exclusively live on BBC TWO Wales [commentary options not available on Freeview] and online, full commentary on BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and online, live text commentary online and score updates on BBC Radio 5 live


Matt Giteau
Giteau's miss at Murrayfield consigned Australia to defeat

Wales goal-kicking legend Neil Jenkins expects Australia's Matt Giteau to bounce back from his Murrayfield nightmare in Cardiff on Saturday.

Giteau's failed conversion consigned the Wallabies to a 9-8 loss, their first against Scotland in 27 years.

Wales kicking coach Jenkins warned: "Everyone has them days and Murrayfield is a tricky place to kick.

"I'm sure he'll play well on Saturday, I've do doubt in that, and we'll expect him to kick his goals also."

Jenkins amassed a then-world-record 1,090 points during his career - 1,049 for Wales and 41 for the British and Irish Lions - and memorably ended England's 1999 Grand Slam hopes with a late conversion in a 32-31 win at Wembley.

606: DEBATE

His final kick was from a similar angle and distance to the one Giteau missed on against Scotland.

But Jenkins says the circumstances and conditions were vastly different.

He added: "From a Wembley perspective things had gone pretty well for me that day. Matt had missed one or two on Saturday leading up to the final kick. But I think everyone will have expected him to kick that.

"Matt would have certainly expected himself to kick it and I thought even though he missed one or two, his confidence would still have been "yep, I want the ball. I want to make the kick and I can make the kick".

"So I wouldn't have thought there would be any negative thoughts there whatsoever. But it happens sometimes.

"We've all been there - we've all missed those kicks when it does matter - but it's the first time I've seen him miss a kick like that to win the game and more often than not he puts them over.

"Probably he'll kick everything on Saturday, it'll be just our luck. He's a great goal-kicker."

Pocock's come in and I think he's on rotation with George Smith, a fantastic player - very good in the tackle area

Neil Jenkins

Australia have made three changes to their line-up, bringing Digby Ioane into midfield for Ryan Cross, replacing George Smith at flanker with David Pocock and second-row Dean Mumm, who captained the team that beat Cardiff Blues 31-3 on Tuesday, comes in, for Mark Chisholm.

Jenkins said: "[They are] three great players… we know about Ioane.

"He's played the first two games for them on this tour, against England and Ireland and missed the game against Scotland, but played against us last year.

"He's a threat, a very talented player and a strong runner so we know all about him from previous experiences and obviously the two forwards are going to be two good players as well.

"Pocock's come in and I think he's on rotation with George Smith, a fantastic player - very good in the tackle area."


Wales: James Hook (Ospreys); Leigh Halfpenny; Jamie Roberts (both Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets); Shane Williams (Ospreys); Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Dwayne Peel (Sale); Gethin Jenkins (Blues), Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Paul James, Alun-Wyn Jones (both Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Andy Powell, Martyn Williams (both Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys, capt).
Replacements: Huw Bennett, Duncan Jones, Jonathan Thomas (all Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Martin Roberts (Scarlets), Andrew Bishop (Ospreys), Tom James (Blues).

Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper; Peter Hynes, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Drew Mitchell; Matt Giteau, Will Genia; Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Dean Mumm, Rocky Elsom (capt), David Pocock, Wycliff Palu.
Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Matt Dunning, Mark Chisholm, George Smith, Luke Burgess, James O'Connor, Kurtley Beale.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU).



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Ireland 20-20 Australia
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Wallaby wonders: Aussie rugby
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Wales v Australia: Full record
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Wales' rugby fixtures
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Wales rugby results archive
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BBC Sport Wales coverage
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