Australia coach John Connolly has stood up for his players saying they are under too much pressure to be role models for the country and a more relaxed approach to alcohol could actually enhance team discipline.

"Knuckles" shared his views in the lead-up to Saturday's Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations decider against the All Blacks minus two players ruled out after off-field incidents.

Fullback Julian Huxley was ruled out of the Trans-Tasman clash after suffering a thigh injury when he was crash tackled by Brumbies team-mate Gene Fairbanks at the team's Super 14 awards night in Canberra last weekend.

Connolly has accepted that Huxley was not intoxicated at the time and was "an innocent bystander to some extent".

However, winger Lote Tuqiri was suspended for two tests and fined a hefty $A207 000 (£8600) for missing a team medical and blowing over the Wallabies' accepted alcohol limit following a night out celebrating Australia's 20-15 win over New Zealand in Melbourne last month.

"They're young men who have a right to go out and they're under so much pressure to prepare for games and sleep and diet," Connolly told AAP.

"They're under so much pressure, I feel sorry for them.

"People will say they don't feel sorry for them, they're earning the big money, that goes with the territory, all this stuff.

"They're not great role models these guys, what they are is young men."

Asked whether he'd consider letting his players enjoy a social drink more regularly in an attempt to limit the weekend binge, Connolly said: "Yeah, there's no doubt that when they go out they really go out because they've got one night out and they've really got to make the best of it.

"The other side of the coin is you don't want them going out during the week drinking because sleep and diet and all that stuff's important."

Connolly will not be imposing a curfew during the Rugby World Cup later this year, even though he believes his players should be tucked in to bed by midnight.

"What we want is a team that governs itself," he said.

"You want players that do the right thing for the right reasons out of respect for the team and their own performance and their team-mates.

"That's what you try to embed into a team all the way through and if you don't have that you have a problem.

"That's the philosophy that I basically try and live by and the consequences of not doing that can be severe.

"They just have to be very careful where they go, who they talk to and, whether they like it or not, the hour they get home is the biggest factor.

"If they get home at a reasonable hour there's the chance they don't drink as much and there's less chance of trouble and I think that's probably what goes with the territory."

365