Secret moves, spies and suspicion

Australia v New Zealand: New Zealand believe Australia have kept their best moves under wraps during the World Cup so far and that they are concocting a completely different tactical approach for Saturday's semi-final here.

The Wallabies yesterday stepped up their security measures after claiming that spies had invaded their training base at a hotel resort in Coffs Harbour, north of Sydney.

"Australia are cooking something up," said New Zealand's assistant coach Robbie Deans. "We will not know what it is until the day of the match.

"The impression being given out in the media here is that we only have to turn up to win, but there is no way we will be falling for that. This is not just a semi-final but the All Blacks against the Wallabies, and no one will get anything for free."

One theory is that Australia, in light of their failure to play an effective wide game, will deploy their former rugby league back three of Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers and Lote Tuqiri through the middle on Saturday, giving Australia the option of going left or right and fragmenting the defence.

Whatever he is planning, Australia's coach Eddie Jones wants it kept under wraps. Never one to miss an opportunity to wind up his opponents, he said that security guards and the police had been patrolling their training ground this week after prying cameras had been spotted.

"There have been people here with lenses trying to take photos through the training centre," said Jones.

"There is some espionage going on, but I do not know how much. Someone is trying to find out something but we will not let them."

Access to the training ground is via a dirt track and through a tunnel under the Pacific Highway. Netting encloses the area and not even hotel staff are allowed anywhere near.

"I would like to be able to hold open sessions, but rugby is now such a tactical contest for the ball that you cannot afford to do so," said Jones. "You need privacy in training to be able to go through drills like the lineout and you have to take measures to stop anyone watching."

One outsider who has been welcome to training this week has been the Wales assistant coach Scott Johnson, a former New South Wales outhalf who worked with Australia A and is a close friend of Jones.

Wales admitted after their quarter-final defeat by England last Sunday that they had not shown much of their hand in their opening three pool games so that they could then surprise the All Blacks and the English.

New Zealand are convinced that the Wallabies, who have had laboured victories over Argentina, Ireland and Scotland, will have a far sharper attacking game on Saturday. Jones did nothing to dissuade them from that view.

"At the end of the day, when the minutes count, we'll play the best rugby," he said. "This World Cup is going to be won by the smartest side and we certainly have the game to beat the All Blacks."

Jones has persisted with Sailor, Rogers and Tuqiri even though the trio, the first two especially, have attracted mounting public opprobrium in recent weeks for their tendency to make gaffes. Playing them through the middle may make them more effective but it is a contingency their opponents have planned for.

"It is a rugby league ploy," said an All Black insider yesterday. "Australia have struggled to break the better teams down in the World Cup which, when you consider the attacking options they have at their disposal, is strange.

"They have been keeping their powder dry as they count down to the semi-final and they will be a totally different proposition on Saturday. We have to be ready for them."