AUSTRALIA have promised to try and play a more attractive brand of rugby in today's opening Test against France in Sydney, in the hope of winning back disgruntled fans.
Just a few years ago, the Wallabies were arguably Australia's most popular sporting team, pulling in massive crowds in excess of 100,000.
However, less than 45,000 tickets have been sold for today's game at the 83,000-capacity Olympic stadium, j
ust six days after the national football team drew nearly 75,000 fans for a dead rubber World Cup qualifier against China.
Australian Rugby Union (ARU) officials are so concerned about the team's declining popularity they have resorted to the unprecedented step of giving away tickets at shopping malls.
"Ticket sales have not been quite as bullish as we might have hoped and we've still got plenty left," said ARU chief executive John O'Neill.
The Australian skipper Stirling Mortlock said the players had also been trying to help promote the game. "We're doing as much as we can to get back in touch with our fan base, our supporter base, grassroots rugby," Mortlock said.
The Wallabies have struggled since inspirational captain John Eales retired in 2001, failing to win either the World Cup or the Tri-Nations since.
They abandoned their traditional running game for a failed attempt to try and match England's superior forward play and paid a hefty price at last year's World Cup for a conservative selection policy of sticking with players past their prime. The Wallabies did however make an encouraging start in their first match under new coach Robbie Deans when they beat Ireland 18-12 two weeks ago.
Scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili, one of the few seasoned internationals in a weakened French side, said the tourists had been given permission by coach Marc Lievremont to chance their arm and throw the ball around. "(There are) no restrictions. (Our backs) are going to play as themselves and we don't have to put pressure on them," he said.
Australia: C Shepherd; P Hynes, S Mortlock (capt), B Barnes, L Tuqiri; M Giteau, L Burgess; B Robinson, S Moore, A Baxter, J Horwill, N Sharpe, R Elsom, W Palu, G Smith.
Subs: A Freier, B Alexander, D Mumm, P Waugh, S Cordingley, R Cross, A Ashley-Cooper.
France: P Elhorga; A Palisson, D Traille, F Trinh-Duc, B Thiery; B Boyet, D Yachvili; L Faure, S Bruno, B Lecouls, L Nallet (capt), S Chabal, F Ouedraogo, I Harinordoquy, L Picamoles.
Subs: B Kayser, R Boyoud, D Couzinet, M Lievremont, S Tillous-Borde, T Lacroix, D Janin.
Kick-off: 11am BST.
Referee: M Jonker (SA).
The full article contains 443 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
