England’s forwards may have humiliated the Australian scrum at their last meeting, but they have a healthy respect for the Wallabies’ revamped pack under new coach John Connolly ahead of their two rugby internationals this month.
England’s control at the scrum at Twickenham last November was so complete that Australia tighthead Al Baxter was sin-binned by French referee Joel Jutge for repeat offences, and fellow prop Matt Dunning was stretchered off the field in a neck brace after a scrum buckled.
But Eddie Jones has since been replaced as Wallabies’ coach by Connolly, who has a reputation for forward-driven rugby, and he has chosen several untried young forwards in a 33-man squad announced this week.
Australia will test their new strength against the renowned England pack at the Sydney Olympic stadium on June 11 and again in Melbourne on June 17.
England second-rower Ben Kay admitted on Thursday he knew nothing about potential new props Rodney Blake and Benn Robinson, but was sure the Wallabies would bounce back from Australian rugby’s ignominy at Twickenham.
”The Australian pack aren’t as bad as I think everyone makes out,” Kay told reporters on Thursday.
”They have a good set of forwards and they are well coached. Everyone can have a bad day. They can turn it around.”
England coach Andy Robinson, under pressure after a mediocre Six Nations campaign in which his team lost three matches to finish the tournament in fourth place, felt the Wallabies were unlucky to lose three of the four Tests on their 2005 spring European tour.
He said despite struggling in the front row, Australia played some ”really good rugby” on tour, and had come close to beating France and Wales and finished the campaign with three wins from four games.
”I think that there’s a lot been written about the Australians, the demise they’ve been through, but actually I think they’ve been playing pretty well; they’ve just been a little bit unlucky,” Robinson said.
Robinson admitted to knowing little about gigantic uncapped Wallaby prop Rodney Blake, but wasn’t surprised by the composition of the revamped Australian squad.
”It’s a little bit what we expected, knowing [assistant coach] Michael Foley and John [Connolly], that they were going to bulk up their forward pack and I think they’ve done that in the front row they’ve selected,” Robinson said.
At least seven players were ruled out of England’s tour through injury, while several others, including regular captain Martin Corry, were rested.
The under-strength squad has evoked comparisons here with the inexperienced 1998 England team that were thrashed 76-0 by Australia in Brisbane.
But Robinson dismissed the comparison as ”opinions” and said he was more focused on winning the Tests than team development.
”This is not a development squad, this is a squad that’s coming here to perform and I’ve got every confidence in our ability to do that,” Robinson said.
”I’m really pleased with our squad. I think that what you’ve got to look at is that players are in form at the end of the season. I think that was a key component for us,” Robinson said. — AFP
