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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
Yeah, it was all Eddie's fault, nothing to do with the quality of the players he had to chose from.
Give me a break.
sour grapes from Young thats all it is, if your good enough you will get in. Also Props called up to international level on most counts know there trade or at the least the fundementals of there game. The rest is to keep up your fitness and body strength. The game plane does not require a prop coach to instill this any coach can deliver the game plane.Props should have more input into the game as no one knows the inner workings of a scrum more then the tight five. And who else to take ownership of the scrums but the tight five come on give them some credit?
I don't about sour grapes... Bill Young has plenty of international experience in the front-rowers club... A bit of a rant but he clearly feels the position is not being respected by the selectors... last thing we want to see is player injuries because of lack of experience as a tight-head...
Flexibility in team selection is going to drive future selections for thebefore the next world cup. I like the idea of being able to select several props who can play both sides of the scrum.
at then end of the day, scrummaging should be a basic skill which is taught at state level and the wallabies should only be a refinement of those skills.
I agree with what has been said, a synergy of minds bringing techniques and tips from the various provinces should mean the players are able to help each other improve.
Mudskipper yes Oyoung as plenty of experience but only as loose head in is own words he would never play or have the ability to play Tight Head, as for inexperience the selectors did it with Baxter now look the most cap prop in Australia?
I dont see a problem with the players taking responsibility for their scrum,thats what the force had done this season.Front rows need to comunicate and all be on the same wavelength and agree on how they want it to work.These guys are professionals and know their individual positions better than one coach would.
Matt Tink is a pretty bloody good Scrum Coach.....I'd suggest better than Young, given that Matt has tuned around a pretty cream puff scrum into a competitive unit without wholesale personnel changes.
There is also a severe shortage of quality tightheads in Australia ATM, what was Deans going to do? continue to pick underperforming, incapable players, or try something a little unusual and risky, like converting some likely looking Looseheads.
C'mon the![]()
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its a pity the unions dont work better together so this could have been experimented with at super level rather than international.
Isn't Fairbrother signed up from June 1st so he can play a single local game and then play for the Wallabies? There's your second tight-head there.
WHAT?????? Despite the well voiced and reasonable objections of the venerable Bill Young.......surely the Wallabies don't have a blind clue what to do with the forward pack. Surely there's no forward planning taking place and no looking at ways of improving the pack. Especially since Guy 'sucked last time' Shepherdson and Salesi 'who' Mafu haven't been picked.
*Extracts tongue from cheek
I wonder if this means Pekko will get development until they can legalise Fairbrothers' selection....he would be the obvious one to go of the front rowers.![]()
C'mon the![]()
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