BY: BRET HARRIS From: The Australian November 23, 2011 12:00AM


WALLABIES prop Salesi Ma'afu has emerged from the pack as the frontrunner to play tighthead against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday as coach Robbie Deans searches for an anchor to stabilise the scrum.

Ma'afu started ahead of regular tighthead Ben Alexander in the Wallabies' 21-18 win against Wales in the World Cup bronze-medal game in Auckland last month and he is expected to retain the gold No 3 jersey.

The Wallabies need to develop more consistency on their own scrum feed to provide a platform for their brilliant attacking backs.

Deans converted Alexander into a tighthead when he took over as coach in 2008, but his progress has been slowed by playing loosehead with the Brumbies in Super Rugby.

Coincidentally, Ma'afu's move from the Brumbies to the Western Force next year could see Alexander getting more game time at tighthead in Super Rugby, which would improve his chances of Test selection.


But right now Ma'afu has an opportunity to stake his claim. A good performance against the Barbarians would put Ma'afu in line to start in back-to-back Tests against Wales when the Wallabies take on the Red Dragons in Cardiff the following week.

"Coming into this campaign it's a clean slate," Ma'afu said. "I want to put in a good performance and we'll see where we go from there."

Ma'afu, who made his Test debut against Fiji last year, only appeared in two games at the World Cup.

Asked whether the World Cup was a frustrating experience, Ma'afu said: "Yes and no. You want to be in the team. They pick guys they think will do the job. You just have to help those guys get ready."

Even though he did not play much, Ma'afu impressed scrum coach Patricio Noriega with his strong scrummaging at training during the World Cup.

"I've come along pretty steady, making small improvements," Ma'afu said.

"In Super Rugby, a lot of teams scrummage differently. We have to get all eight guys rolling together in the same direction."

Meanwhile, Deans has warned of the difficulties of switching from rugby league to rugby union before Sam Tomkins's history-making appearance for the Barbarians.

Tomkins, who plays fullback for English club Wigan, will become the first contracted league player to turn out for the Barbarians and he will have the unique distinction of playing against the Kangaroos and the Wallabies in successive weeks.

"It's a tough transition," Deans said. "Not many people have made that transition, to be fair, successfully."

Tomkins struggled under the high ball in England's 30-8 loss to the Kangaroos in the Four Nations final in Leeds on Sunday (AEDT) and Wallabies playmakers James O'Connor and Berrick Barnes are certain to launch an aerial assault against him at Twickenham.

Deans said Melbourne Rebels' English five-eighth Danny Cipriani loomed as a major threat, playing Barbarian-style rugby.

"He will enjoy the nature of the game," Deans said. "He is a very good player and he will be given licence to do that."

Possible Wallabies team: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Lachie Turner, Rob Horne, Berrick Barnes, Digby Ioane, James O'Connor, Nick Phipps, Ben McCalman, David Pocock, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill (c), Nathan Sharpe or Rob Simmons, Salesi Ma'afu, Stephen Moore or Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226202972418