Wanda sand hills path to redemption

[Burgs]

Wanda sand hills path to redemption

December 30, 2007

WALLABY prop Matt Dunning shakes his head, flares his nostrils and maintains a cold stare.

Two months on, Dunning still hasn't watched a replay of Australia's World Cup quarter-final meltdown against England. (I'm a strong believer in watching your disasters and "sucking it up" to use it.)

An afternoon in the southern French city of Marseilles where the Australian front row bore the brunt of an experienced English pack intent on monstering the Wallaby scrum.

The post mortem report was ugly. Australia's engine room was once again fingered as a weak link in need of dire repair. Loosehead prop Dunning, all 124kg of him, disagrees.

"I haven't even watched the game yet; I'll probably start watching it in the New Year," he said.

"It's all well and good to say we're hopeless, but unless there's someone better then you might as well work with us.

"No one talked about the English scrum taking three or four tightheads against South Africa in the pool game and destroying them. The English scrum smashed the South African scrum more than they smashed us, but no one talks about that because the Springboks won both games.

"The game against England was tremendously disappointing for everyone involved: we all expected to perform better.

"But, unfortunately, it didn't come together for us on the day, and as shattered as we all were, we made a group commitment to move on and get better."

Hit fast forward and Dunning is pushing his colossal frame up the famed Wanda sand hills with the rest of the NSW Waratahs as part of the Super 14 pre-season.

He's not supposed to be. Off-season ankle surgery means he's restricted to boxing on this particular morning.

But light training duties disagree with Dunning's drive to stay NSW's No1 loosehead prop ahead of Benn Robinson, along with remaining a Wallaby under new coach Robbie Deans.

The former Test star who guided Australia's forwards at the World Cup, Michael Foley, says Dunning can help anchor the scrum back to credibility. (And there goes Foley's credibility...)

Foley reasons that Dunning has the key ingredients of strength and power, two components the rest of the world adopted following the 2003 World Cup, while the Wallabies looked for the easy way out. (Well, weren't you the Forwards Coach???)

Teams began to target the Australian scrum, and referees were alerted to its perceived flaws, meaning the Wallabies have felt an ever-present microscope for the past four years. (Well, weren't you the Forwards Coach???)

[AndyS]

"It's all well and good to say we're hopeless, but unless there's someone better then you might as well work with us.

Sorry Matt, can't agree. What we established is that, with two years clear warning of the improvement required, you and Trestle still weren't up to the job. I think we are all entitled to ask whether the advantages and opportunities afforded by Wallaby selection could have been better spent on someone else, especially as there is no other competition in which aspiring replacements can get similar development. Also have to wonder what would have happened if you had been playing for the Brumbies...

[shasta]

(I'm a strong believer in watching your disasters and "sucking it up" to use it.)

Yeah, but that would entail endless hours of viewing in the case of Billy and Trestle.

Foley reasons that Dunning has the key ingredients of strength and power

Unfortunately for Mr Bunter and his mate there's a third key ingredient required - bit of ticker!

[frontrow]

And knowledge of how to grip when binding...

[GIGS20]

Binding?

Trestle and Piggy don't bind! that's for those 'lesser' props.

Don't forget,they are the preeminent props in the world, everyone else has to bind to them!

They're currently lobbying the IRB to change the four part engagement call to Crouch, touch, pause, collapse.

[frontrow]

If they are successful they will rule the world...(insert Dr Evil laugh here)