Sachs leads Australians by example

Australia expects in Sydney's Super Dome. Wheelchair basketball, the Paralympics blue riband event off the track, is big business and the chairman of the boards is one Troy Sachs. And there is huge pressure on the Australian co-captain to lead his team to gold next week to make it two-in-row for the host nation.

The world record holder for the amount of points scored in one match - his 42-point tally in the Atlanta gold medal match surpassed anything the able bodied Dream Team have managed in Olympic competition - is not one to shirk this and acts as a talisman for the gold medal holders. When Sachs is on form, Australia tend to play.

The Dallas Mavericks star sits tall in his chair and, in a sport not short of rough and tumble, is not afraid to use his size. Aggression is a key part of his game and make no mistake, wheelchair basketball can be tough. Despite its non-contact rule, collisions occur and spills are commonplace.

Players often end up eating dust, face down on the court. Wheels are buckled and tyres burst with changes necessary and frequent, the teams working with Formula Onelike efficiency.

Sachs' partnership with Sandy Blythe is gaining legendary status within the sport. Think Jordan and Pippen on wheels. "Sandy is the sort of guy I would want in the trenches with me," says Sachs, displaying the sort of determination he brings onto the court. "There is no other guy I would rather go to battle with."

Last night's tangle with France was one such war, with the Australians blasting away at their opponents right from the start. Typically Sachs was in the thick of the action, scoring eight of the first 10 points on one hand, upending and bullying anyone who crossed his path on the other.

But the French proved they were made of sterner stuff and, due mainly to the wastefulness in front of the basket from Sachs' team-mates after the big number five produced some incisive passing and clever counter attack play, Australia went down 63-54. Indeed, Sachs was once again the top scorer.

It proved, despite what the home crowd believe, the Aussies won't have it all there own way in their quest for a second successive gold. The United States and Britain will also push them every inch of the way. But with Sachs at the helm, it will take more than last night's hiccup to scupper the Australian ship.