The performance of the Wallabies forwards in Sydney caught the eye of Northern Hemisphere World Cup rivals. Photo / Getty Images
The performance of the Wallabies forwards in Sydney caught the eye of Northern Hemisphere World Cup rivals. Photo / Getty Images
England forwards coach Graham Rowntree admitted that Australia are looming large in English rugby eyes, as they did for the cricketers only a few weeks ago.
The immediate adversaries were France at Twickenham overnight (NZT) but such has been the renaissance of the Wallabies, topped by their first victory infour years against New Zealand last weekend, that England's management are already plotting how to deal with the threat they pose in their World Cup pool with Wales and Fiji.
There is no margin for error in what is the toughest gathering ever drawn together at the group stage and Rowntree acknowledged Australia will present a formidable challenge, all the more now they have sealed over the scrummaging fault line that has caused them to wilt against the powerful England pack.
"Australia are receiving a lot of attention from us at the moment," he said. "We have certainly got to keep an eye on them. They have had three very impressive wins, beating South Africa, going to Argentina, which is never an easy place to visit and defeating the Pumas, before they put in that performance against the All Blacks.
"We are watching them constantly as a group, because they deserve that attention, as do all our rivals. But that country [Australia] in particular are going places."
Rowntree has been involved in many battles with the Wallabies, as a player and coach.
He would be well aware that Australia's Achilles' heel has often been in the scrum.
That deficiency has been repaired under the new coaching regime of Michael Cheika, who moved immediately to secure the services of former Pumas hooker Mario Ledesma as forwards coach.
Australia have come out well against three of the best scrummaging sides in world rugby.
Australia's pack have impressed England's Graham Rowntree.
"There has been an impressive work rate from the whole team on view," said Rowntree.
"Their front-rowers have made a difference with Greg Holmes and Scott Sio there, along with [hooker] Stephen Moore back in the mix. Sio has changed their game.
"And I watched the selection of [two openside flankers] David Pocock and Michael Hooper with interest and it paid off for them."
England were trying out their own different combinations in last night's warm-up match, giving Kieran Brookes a starting slot at tighthead prop in front of the more experienced David Wilson, while in the back-row, Ben Morgan returns for his first game in eight months after recovering from a fractured leg, with Calum Clark winning his first cap on the openside.
Morgan, the Gloucester No 8 in competition with a slimmed-down Billy Vunipola, who has lost 7kg in camp, revealed he had spent months in rehab in the gym itching for this moment.
"My goal isn't to be an Olympic lifter or body builder, I just want to be out on the rugby field," he said.
