RWC2015 Wallabies lose big men
England’s scrum tactics under fire
AUSTRALIA’S World Cup plans suffered a major blow when its two biggest ball carriers, Will Skelton and Wycliff Palu, were ruled out of the tournament with injuries.
Hooker James Hanson will replace backrower Palu and Sam Carter takes the place of lock Skelton. THE Wallabies are preparing to go to “war” with an English scrum they reckon is out to bully them.
But they are also banking on referee Roman Poite preparing for the match by analysing England’s scrummaging tactics in their last two games, which have attracted criticism from experts for their questionable legality.
England’s scrum dominated Wales early in their clash at Twickenham but aerial images showed loose
Only five days before playing England in a defining Pool A match, the Wallabies are reeling from the news they’ll be without two of their key gain-line runners.
The injury to Palu has effectively ended his 57-Test international career. The 33-yearold will play in Japan’s club competition from next year and will not qualify for the head prop Joe Marler clearly – and illegally – boring in at an angle on the Welsh tight-head prop. It was a tactic also seen a week earlier in England’s win over Fiji.
Former Test referee Jonathan Kaplan, who holds the record for most Tests officiated, was moved to tweet: “I’d like to see if the England pack is square on the loose head side … just the once.”
Australian scrum coach Mario Ledesma said last week that Poite, a noted scrum specialist, would “spot those angles” if England tried them because of the all-eight, Wallabies under the ARU’s 60-Test minimum rule.
Palu had indicated that the World Cup would be his last foray on the international scene anyway.
Instead of bringing in another backrower, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has opted to select Hanson, after being criticised for not selecting a third hooker in his original all-straight scrummaging style the Wallabies now employ.
Asked if he hoped Poite would do his homework on England’s scrummaging, head coach Michael Cheika said the referees prepared very well for every game.
“All we can do is stay as square as we possibly can and make the opposition make their play from there,” he said.
“That’s very much our strategy. I don’t think it is any secret. And also, put in massive amounts of weight. Really push hard. That’s the way our scrum is set up.
“I am sure they will have a 31-man squad. Hanson’s addition means there will be cover if skipper Stephen Moore or back-up hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau are injured in coming games, which are all effectively knockout clashes given the ramifications of their pool matches against England and Wales.
It’s understood Hanson will fly out to London from Australia tactic … they very much bullied us in the scrum before and I think they will try and do it again.”
Australia were annihilated in the scrum in their last visit to Twickenham, which led to a concerted push to improve the set-piece by Cheika, and the appointment of Ledesma.
It has worked well, with a lack of focus on Australia’s scrum at the World Cup evidence enough, but Cheika believes the English will still look to apply the blowtorch to the Wallabies’ scrum.
“That’s where they have dominated us before,” he said. today. Carter has been playing as a medical joker in France, which allowed him to be close should there be an injury to one of the secondrowers.
Skelton left the field against Uruguay clutching his arm, and fears were realised after medical tests.
Carter will make the quick dash from France to England in time for Sunday morning’s enormous match against the hosts at Twickenham.
Palu had lost his starting No.8 place to David Pocock and would have been fighting for a place on the bench, while Skelton has been rotated from starting position to the bench but has been a constant in the Wallabies’ match-day 23-man squads this year.