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Wayne Smith | May 23, 2009
Article from: The Australian
THE Wallabies will have to largely coach themselves in the scrum this season even if their designated scrum coach, World Cup-winning prop Trevor Woodman turns down an offer to return to England as Wasps forwards coach.
A Wallabies spokesman yesterday confirmed the senior players in the front row and specifically Al Baxter, the most capped Australian prop, have been given the opportunity to "have an input" -- meaning they will conduct their own scrummaging sessions in training. Forwards coach Jim Williams, a former Test backrower with no scrummaging expertise, will act as "facilitator". Hooker Steve Moore and prop Matt Dunning -- assuming he makes his way back into the Wallabies after snapping his Achilles tendon on last year's spring tour -- also will be expected to take leadership roles in organising the scrum.
Woodman confirmed yesterday he was considering an approach from Wasps to coach their forwards under New Zealand head coach Tony Hanks. Indeed, UK press reports indicate he already has accepted the job.
Yet even if Woodman, the Australian Rugby Union's high performance coach and scrum adviser to Sydney University, decides to remain in Australia, his involvement with the Wallabies will be limited. "His job description is that he's not full-time," the Wallabies spokesman said.
Michael Foley is the man credited with having turned around the Wallabies scrum over the past three years, but when his position as assistant coach was not reaffirmed by the ARU at the end of last year, he accepted a position as Waratahs forwards coach.
Brumbies scrum coach Bill Young, the former Test loosehead, was aghast yesterday at the apparent downgrading of the set pieces, especially coming on top of the selection on Thursday of three specialist looseheads in the squad of 29 for the June internationals, with Baxter the only regular tighthead chosen.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans on Thursday nominated Waratahs prop Benn Robinson as Australia's starting loosehead, saying the Brumbies' Ben Alexander and Pek Cowan of the Western Force, both excellent ball-carriers in general play, would be expected to provide cover on the tighthead side.
Alexander was the only front-rower on the bench for the Wallabies' two domestic Tests against France last year but on both occasions he came on to relieve Robinson at loosehead.
Indeed, the only time Alexander has played tighthead for Australia was in the Wembley match against the Barbarians at the end of last year's spring tour.
But after Australia lost both its starting props, Matt Dunning and Sekope Kepu, to injuries when the Wembley surface buckled beneath a set piece, the match finished with uncontested scrums and Alexander was never put to the test on the far more demanding right-hand side of the scrum.
"It's not a calculated risk using Alexander and Cowan as back-up tightheads, it's madness," said Young, who telephoned Williams -- one of the three selectors -- for a please-explain after the Brumbies' two tighthead specialists Guy Shepherdson and Salesi Ma'afu were passed over for the June Tests, along with Kepu.
"They believe Alexander can play tighthead but I have never seen him play there. In fact, I've yet to see him even perform to his potential at loosehead. If they want to turn him into a tighthead, they've got to send him back to play there in club football.
"I refused any time I was asked to make the switch to tighthead. I was not physically up to playing on that side of the scrum. I could never have done it and I'll be very surprised if Alexander can do it, inside two years at least. Obviously scrummaging is not a priority any more.
"We've just turned the corner as far as our scrum is concerned and finally got some guys who can compete on the world stage, and now I've been told the players have to 'take ownership' of the scrum themselves."
The Wallabies spokesman said Deans had never used a full-time scrum coach at the Crusaders, though he used Dave Hewitt on occasions to work on the set piece.
"But when he had front-rowers like Greg Somerville and Corey Flynn who knew their trade, he was happy to let them take charge of the scrum themselves," the spokesman said.
"Everyone should at least give this a chance and see how it goes before criticising the idea."
In any other country, the lack of a scrum coach would not be a major concern. But the Wallabies' 2007 World Cup campaign was cut short in the quarter-final by England because of deficiencies up front, the result of neglect under former coach Eddie Jones.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
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before the next world cup. I like the idea of being able to select several props who can play both sides of the scrum.
Originally Posted by oxleymoron
