The Wallabies have rallied around captain John Eales after former Australian skipper Michael Lynagh claimed he had passed his sell-by date. Coach Rod Macqueen lashed claims by Lynagh's that Eales was now thinking only of retirement following their 29-13 defeat to the Lions on Saturday.
He insisted: "As a captain he rallied the team last week and since the loss he's been very proactive toward having a positive attitude toward this game so I haven't seen any of that. He's obviously got a slight lack of match practice because he's had a couple of injuries, but he's doing everything that all the other players do. He's been involved in every training session and he's certainly not one to shirk it, he leads from the front."
Eales, 31, who won his 80th cap in Brisbane last week, was not available for comment but a Wallabies' spokesman said he had nothing to say on the comments from his 1991 World Cup winning team-mate. However, veteran hooker Michael Foley added to Macqueen's words by stressing Eales' leadership was vital. He added: "I think his motivation is second to none, he's highly professional."
Filed by Shane Murray
