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Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent | June 19, 2009
The Wallabies' new-look front-row is expecting the Italian pack to try to "smash them", but believe the strong bond that has built between them will help them counter the Azzurri forwards.
The Italian team look upon a raw opposition front row, where Ben Alexander will start for the first time as a tight-head prop while on the other side, Pek Cowan will be having his Test debut, as a potential frailty.
However, to the surprise of many, it was revealed yesterday that the Alexander-Cowan combination with hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau is not exactly a case of strangers having to acquaint themselves, but that they are actually accustomed to being a three-man team.
This trio played together at Australian under-21 level in 2005, and each knows the other is up to the task. Also in that 2005 representative group was Benn Robinson, who is on the bench as back-up to Alexander and Cowan.
Yet the pressure is definitely on Alexander, who has played most of his football on the loose-head side. But Alexander countered that he had played about 20 games on the more demanding tight-head side and felt relatively comfortable in the No.3 jersey.
"It's not new to me any more, but starting this Test is still a big step in my progression and development at tight-head," he said yesterday.
"It will be tough because the Italy pack bring intent to every scrum. They just fire up and try to smash you any way they can. So we also have to bring that intent this weekend."
Italy coach Nick Mallett yesterday wouldn't go so far as to say his team could expose the new Wallabies' scrum, but he certainly knows it will be an important pressure point.
"I was happy with our scrummaging in Canberra," Mallett said. "It was very even in the first half, and we actually got a little bit of an edge in the second half. Unfortunately, we were put in a lot of pressure in the lineouts on our throw and that's an area we've worked hard on this week."
Italy look upon their forward base as their prime asset, and their physicality certainly took a toll on the Wallabies last weekend. One only had to wander around the Wallabies team hotel in Canberra on Sunday morning and see the battered Australian forwards to know that it had been an extremely brutal Test.
Italy's Australian-born fullback, Luke McLean, was similarly adamant that the Azzurri would improve tomorrow night, citing elementary defensive lapses as the prime reason for their 31-8 first Test loss.
"We weren't too happy with how we went in Canberra," McLean said yesterday. "Their first try was just a bad read by our backs. Then with Stirling Mortlock's try, he ran through three people, which was just a simple switch ball. It was nothing you should have to worry about. Then with Matt Giteau's try, it came off a knee, while James O'Connor's last try was him brushing off our captain, Sergio Parisse, who usually would not miss a tackle like that. So they were just simple errors. That is what we have to cut out.
"We are not a team which will score a lot of tries. So it is a case of cutting out errors. And when we do get the ball to attack off, we try to go out wide … "
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...918139089.html
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Originally Posted by Working Class
(though he's got them about him throwning UN-straight)
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
