Australia hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau has declared that the Wallabies will "dominate" England's scrum in Saturday's clash at Twickenham.
The Wallabies were second best in all departments against France in Paris last weekend, struggling up front against a French pack that included two news caps in Yannick Forestier and Jocelino Suta.
England were unsurprisingly dominant against Fiji at Twickenham but also impressed with their scrummaging during the Six Nations earlier this year. Polota-Nau though is confident that Australia can replicate previous victories against England and will come out on top this Saturday.
"We are confident we can dominate the English scrum. We have got it right in previous games, we just have to revisit where we were strong and concentrate on that," said Polota-Nau.
"We like to keep our game consistent but Saturday night was our fault. We just have to stick to what we know.
"The collision is one area that we want to dominate because the team that does gets the benefit of go forward ball.
"We are feeling good. The French game is gone and there is a new challenge ahead and everyone is keen to get back out on the pitch.
"My opinion is that if the forwards are good, that is the only way you are going to win a Test.
"It is more about mental preparation for us. We know we have got it, but we just have to make sure that mentally we are right so we can do the physical stuff."
Comments
heart_of_oak says...
OzinLondon, I'm not crowing. I expect a very determined Australia and a very hard fought game. I think our scrum is better than yours but on the day, who knows what might happen. Before the France Australia game, did any of us expect France to win by such a margin ? How many pundits expected Argentina to beat Wales and how many expected the Irish, deprived of so many good players, to run the boks close ?
The only certainty is NZ winning just about everything. It's getting boring isn't it ? But it's up to other teams to up their game rather than the ABs to have pity on us all and deliberately lose.
Posted 15:15 14th November 2012
OzinLondon says...
kybone - tha_mai
My bad. I was getting ahead of myself and thinking of the end of the Autumn series rather than the end of the weekend.
My understanding (which may of course be wrong) is that England can beat Aus and SA but so long as both win their other remaining games (and France do as well), the only way England can end up in the top 4 is to beat NZ.
I'm still expecting a Wallaby response this weekend but even if they lose... the likely outcome is that in 2 weeks time the English are going to be praying that Wales can beat Australia.... because I honestly don't think they have a chance against NZ (again, I may be wrong).
Anyway... I am enjoying the English crowing this week. As I said on another thread, the one thing that is similar about the Aus and Eng teams... they believe their own press too much and when their fans expect they often fail to perform (and vice versa). Hopefully the Aussies will exceed expectations as they so often do when nobody gives them a chance.
Posted 10:37 14th November 2012
Trinats2 says...
heart_of_oak:
poms only open their mouth to change their feet !!
Ramage:
Thanks for the support mate, I agree and with inutile Deans gone, things might pick up !
Posted 10:18 14th November 2012
heart_of_oak says...
Trinats2 - you're right. The guy didn't say they will dominate the English scrum. Only that he thinks they can. This is journalism for you.
I trust we can expect you to show outrage if and when an English player is similarly misquoted.
Posted 08:47 14th November 2012
jamesliveinhope says...
right here's a piece of England Australia history.
England, World Number 1 and RWC Champions face Australia at home in an autumn international November 2004. England completely dominate the game outscoring the visitors 3 tries to 2.
Charlie Hodgson is given the kicking duties. Remember now??
Could my English peers pleaaase stop rising to this one.
Posted 08:36 14th November 2012
Trinats2 says...
Excuse me Sir, where does TPN "declared that the Wallabies will "dominate" England's scrum" ?? WILL ??? he says "we can" and states how they can.
"We are confident we can dominate the English scrum"
But love how you work your (sub) headlines, might sell newspapers in pommy or Saffa land but not to the educated !!!
I personally don't think they can turn it around in a week. The ref will play a big part, and if Aus get the first scrum to go their way, they could be back to where they were in the RC with the Saffa and Kiwi scrums in reverse.
Posted 06:10 14th November 2012
Hobbithunter says...
I can't wait to see the mess that Timani is going to make of England. The cocky English posters are in for a rude shock.
Posted 04:43 14th November 2012
mattlalor says...
The only way we are going to dominate the scrum is if TPN's ass is polishing pine.
Posted 02:12 14th November 2012
tha_mai says...
ozinlondon
I care little re seedings, actually thing that strategically a team can do well being the second-seed in a pool.
This is from Oz sports write Paul Cully in today's Oz media:
If the Wallabies lose to England at Twickenham, by any score, they could finish the weekend as the world¿s fifth-ranked side. An English victory would leave Australia praying that the French lose to Argentina later that day. Otherwise the Wallabies would be out of the top four ¿ out of the elite ¿ and bound for a second-tier seeding at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, when those are confirmed on December 3.
Posted 01:59 14th November 2012
Trader2 says...
OzinLondon
Sorry sport but if all the games go to plan (thats my plan of course) the Wannabies will br ranked 5th come Monday morning.
so
SA to beat Scotland
Wales to beat Samoa
France to beat Argentina
If all that happens England just have to win by one point to go 83.96 in the rankings viz-a-viz the Wannabies 83.95.
Of course I stand to be corrected because the ranking system was obviously designed by a rocket scientist.
Posted 22:18 13th November 2012
kybone says...
OzinLondon- P.S. Check it out on the IRB official site- if England and France both win this weekend they will both be in the top 4, regardless of other results, and Australia will be 5th.
Posted 21:33 13th November 2012
kybone says...
OzinLondon- Not sure whats so cocky about saying 'hopefully' England will be above Oz after this weekend. Yes Oz have beaten the Grand slam champs, but then so have Argentina-AWAY. What you seem to have forgotten about is that England have beaten Australia a couple of times recently, and Australia have lost to both Scotland and Samoa AT HOME in the past 14 months or so. They were beaten by over 30 points last weekend and if they're beaten again this weekend you still think they deserve to be in the top 4 of the world- I don't!
Posted 21:11 13th November 2012
DrDeath says...
England may have problems dominating in the scrum! Just noticed ref is Roman Poite!
Some call him a scrum specialist but he seems to give penalties on engagements rather than after the ball goes in. makes the scrum a lottery & I think favours Australia.
See what a mess he made of last Pro12 final with both Ospreys & Leinster fans failing to support his interpretations!
England beware!
Posted 19:06 13th November 2012
Isograford says...
LOL wow. Okay the Aussies have always been World Champions at hyping themselves up pre-game, but this might just take the cake.
Posted 18:03 13th November 2012
heart_of_oak says...
Yes Kybone, they recently 'swapped' ranking with the boks. I was a little out of date. However, they're still above us.
Don't get me wrong - I want a resounding England win. But I am not nearly as confident of it as alot of the posters here seem to be. I suspect the game against France was just a seriously bad day for Australia and that they're capable of much better. I would expect Australia to be more determined than ever to ensure they don't get beaten by us.
Having said all this, I think we have the players, in form, with good players on the bench, if not to get a win, then to make a damn good go of it.
Posted 16:53 13th November 2012
jamesliveinhope says...
@1132159 not delusional - just English with a history of arrogance (perceived or otherwise) being flung in our face or biting us very hard in the bum.
I would much rather be suggesting that the Aussie scrum "was" humped than "is going to be" humped.
I'll leave match predictions to the professionals like Polota-Nau
Posted 16:22 13th November 2012
APV1 says...
"The collision is one area that we want to dominate because the team that does gets the benefit of go forward ball."
He's absolutely right and everyone knows we're too slow at the breakdown.
But we should be able to dominate the set piece, regardless of that.
Posted 16:02 13th November 2012
Ramage says...
Lol lol lol I do enjoy these Ozzie comedians. The sub header is the usual PR taking the mickey. Once again some journalistic hack playing with words and printing something that wasnt said. Geez journalism has deteriorated over the last number of years.
@ Trinuts not yet but soon and then the problems will start. Just in case you missed it John O'Neill has gone after getting his cards from the ARU. So maybe just maybe with him out of it the ARU might actually get some momentum going.
Posted 15:14 13th November 2012
OzinLondon says...
kybone
I don't think it's possible for the Wallas to drop out of the top 4 this weekend. Nor should they.
They have beaten the Grand Slam champions 3 times this year as well as SA and the Pumas away from home, and topped it off by drawing with a team that nobody else has beaten in 12 months.
They are up against it but one poor game does not an Autumn series make (and England are hardly NZ) ... but hopefully the England boys are as cocky as you.
Posted 15:09 13th November 2012
OzinLondon says...
1132159 - I hate to burst your bubble but the Wallaby scrum held its own for the majority of the 4Ns. Most recently they got the better of the Pumas pack in front of their own crowd. It had nothing to do with collapsing.
They lack consistency and England should be confident against them. But I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of the scrum holding its own on Saturday.... but of course that will just be because they cheated (getting excuses in early just in case?)
Posted 15:04 13th November 2012