Australia are being let off the hook by sympathetic Southern Hemisphere refereeing.

Churlish in view of the way they were trampled by the British Lions in that memorable first Test in Brisbane?

Not at all. Just look at their angles of running and study the number of decoy players they employ.

At best they are guilty of offside, at worst they are committing obstruction and taking opposition players out of the game.

They use players running off the man who has the ball and at least one of them invariably runs in front of the ball carrier.

It's a clear penalty for it has the effect of stopping the opposition getting to the man with the ball, yet it is going unpunished.

It was absurd the way Scott Quinnell was warned in the Test. He tackled the wrong man because a decoy runner got in the way.

Derek Bevan, Wales' most capped referee who is leading a tour group out here, thought little of South African Andre Watson's performance on Saturday.

Meanwhile, golf, driving along the beautiful Gold Coast or a trip into the mountains all had its appeal for Welsh fans the morning after.

Inevitably the focus remains on the Lions, and, as in South Africa in 1997, the unity is what impresses most.

Welshmen are as one in their massive admiration for England and Lions captain Martin Johnson, for example, a real tower block.

And they lock it when Irish hooker Keith Wood is in possession in that unique tearaway style of his. The sound of 'Woody' echoes around the ground.

And Scottish prop Tom Smith has his supporters in the Welsh camp, too.

But the real hero is Irish centre Brian O'Driscoll man-of-the-match in the first Test. Irishmen are walking tall out here.

Just imagine the crowd 0'Driscoll's province Leinster will draw to Rodney Parade at the end of October when they face Newport in the Heineken Cup.

The Australian media, meanwhile, are being uncommonly generous to the Lions. They also herald coach Graham Henry for the psychological victory he scored over opposite number Rod Macqueen.

They believe he lulled Macqueen into a false sense of security making him think the Lions were going to attack up front through a driving front five but then spread the ball with tries scored wide out.

They also criticise the Wallabies for complacency, believing all they had to do to win was turn up.

But the Australian squad has been strengthened by the call-up of players who have impressed against the Lions in previous matches like Harrison and Waugh.

Yet all is far from calm as one plea by a noted columnist is for the recall out of international retirement of Tim Horan, capped over 90 times.

And there is a lot of mischief making going on over the ill-conceived diary comments of England scrum half Matt Dawson.

He has rightly been reprimanded and forced to apologise for critical comments he has made from within the Lions camp.

Claims of boredom and being treated like children will become a player of Dawson's stature.

Maybe he's bitter at being overlooked for the Test team in favour of Rob Howley Dawson is lucky he's still in Australia at all, and not on the plane home.

For he has broken the golden rule about any rugby tour never mind one by the Lions - what happens on tour stays on tour. You are certainly never disloyal.