- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
There is no doubt whatsoever that Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has a huge dilemma in trying to sort out the Wallabies’ scrum woes.
The Northern Hemisphere tour exposed this worrying problem, which had teams such as England and Wales licking their lips in delight.
Regardless of the extensive preparations which the Wallabies undergo, as English powerhouse tighthead Dan Cole claimed in a YouTube video, the scrum is as much psychological as it is physical.
This is realised in the fact that no tier-one nation fears the Wallaby scrum. Getting around this predicament may not be fixable before the World Cup as Cheika claims, but it can be fixed.
I contend that what is needed is some new stock. Obviously they will not provide an immediate solution, but some of the old oxen who have played in the gold jersey may have played their last games on the end of year tour.
Scott Sio and Greg Holmes are players who will come into calculations when they come back from injury, but we must look with interest to what the Wallabies are yet to tap into. Across the five Super Rugby teams, there is some promising talent that the Wallabies may need to blood in who have the ability to become front row enforcers in their own right.
I have to admit, there is not much in terms of tighthead props, but I have singled out some of the following prodigious talents who could have the physique and power in their game to play tighthead.
Toby Smith (Melbourne Rebels) – loosehead prop
The former New Zealand Under-20 representative has come through the Chiefs system and is renowned for his scrummaging ability and his work in the tight. He has made his intentions clear that he wants to represent Australia, his country of birth, so Cheika will need to take advantage of a young and budding prop who has gone through the New Zealand system.
Allan Alaalatoa (ACT Brumbies) – loosehead prop
Son of former Samoan prop Vili Alaalatoa (a member of the 1991 Samoan team that dismantled the Welsh scrum at the World Cup), Allan is the younger brother of Waratahs prop Michael.
Scrummaging is therefore a big part of the Alaalatoa family, and having come through the Australian Under-20 system three years consecutively (a rare feat at Under-20 level), he is therefore a promising talent. At the ripe age of 20 he already has Super Rugby experience and has punched well above his weight. Along with his scrummaging ability, he is also very mobile around the park.
Cruze Ah-Nau (Melbourne Rebels) – loosehead prop
At 117 kilograms, Ah-Nau is one of the heavier props going around, but uses this weight well in the scrums but also in general play. He is renowned for his ability to hit hard in defence.
Another prop who has come through the Australian Under-20 system, his scrummaging powers are on the rise as he is only 24.
Michael Alaalatoa (NSW Waratahs) – tighthead prop
The older brother of Allan, Michael does not have the decorated background of his younger brother, but he has played international Under-20 level for Samoa.
Nevertheless, like his brother Allan, Michael has the scrummaging pedigree of his father Vili, and is a huge presence on the rugby field physically. He also has the ability to play both sides of the scrum which would prove to be a huge asset for the Wallabies should they use him in the future.
Francoi van Wyk (Western Force) – loosehead prop
Provided the young hulking frontrower does not move back to his native South Africa, Van Wyk would prove to be a valuable addition to the Wallabies scrum. He has come through the Western Force and while he is a loosehead prop, he has the size and power to play tighthead. The three-year residential rule may apply here.
The Wallabies need to focus on tighthead because this is a worrying area in the scrum. In my extremely amateur rugby career I converted from loosehead to tighthead and I found the conversion not only a challenge, but it was also far more enjoyable and rewarding for a prop.
So the move is possible, even more so for a prop at the professional level. These young props have been exposed to Super Rugby and in my opinion, with the exception of Michael Alaalatoa, they could make the move from loosehead to tighthead.
Not only would it create their own legacies as representative props, but it would also increase the stock of hardened tighthead props for the Wallabies.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.