The lack of passion shown by Australia in their loss to Scotland was worse than the result itself when compared to heroic teams of eras past, writes Spiro Zavos in the Sydney Morning Herald.
"It is the complacency in defeat that the Wallabies showed once again at Murrayfield that is infuriating supporters and, no doubt, the coaching staff of the Wallabies. Where is the raging against the dying of the light? When the Wallabies were put out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Marseille by a poor England side, the incomparable Stephen Larkham, who could not play on the day, was photographed in tears. These Wallabies prattle on about "the journey" and "taking the positives" out of losses and then go back to their mobile phones.
"The point is that national rugby teams do not win all the time. The All Blacks have lost four Tests this season. One more loss, and they play a resurgent France in Marseilles on Saturday, and they will become only the second New Zealand side since 1903 to lose five Tests in a season (six Tests were lost in 1949). But they have never tolerated their defeats. Nor do the Springboks."
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