KEY POINTS:
The Wallabies have identified All Black loosehead prop Tony Woodcock as the danger man for the opening Bledisloe Cup skirmish on Saturday.
Usually warning signs flash around the glitzy sidestepping talents of some back but for the start of the four-test campaign against the All Blacks in Sydney,
the Wallabies have set their sights on countering Woodcock.
Certainly that is the aim of the Wallaby pack where hooker Stephen Moore will lead the scrummaging line in what looms as a vital part of this contest.
Woodcock is an unlikely hero or more accurately an unassuming champion. He will play his 40th test on Saturday after taking a break in the early part of the international programme because of a toe injury. That sorted, Woodcock returned to cause anguish for the Springboks in the start of the Tri-Nations.
The Wallabies were satisfied with their scrummaging in their 16-9 victory against the Boks in Perth but Moore admitted that encouraging start was just a small beginning.
"I'm sure the All Black scrum will be stronger, more dangerous and more of a threat," he said.
"Woodcock is a very destructive loosehead prop. His technique is the main thing. When you watch him scrum, he and his hooker are so very good together."
Moore has faced the All Blacks twice in Bledisloe Cup contests for a win and a loss last year, where he encountered Woodcock, Anton Oliver and Carl Hayman.
That was some education, he recalled. Moore and his props Ben Robinson and Al Baxter showed more cohesion against South Africa at the weekend after earlier concerns against Ireland and France.
"We have to stay tight, keep a good technique and keep that area of our game stable. We put a huge emphasis on it and take a lot of pride in our work."
Moore agreed two years ago he was struggling at test level because he lacked consistent topline experience. But he had worked hard to rectify that and the effort had started to produce results.
Moore said he and most of his Wallaby colleagues were intrigued by new coach Robbie Deans' arrival. They were curious about his magic, what set him apart during his Super rugby career and what his secret methods were.
After a short time together they have learned some of Deans' ethos - that there are no short-cuts, that planning, training and practice are some of the best sporting weapons.
