McIsaac brings NZ connection to Wallaby squad

Tai McIsaac

Tai McIsaac's great grandfather invented a surname and lied about his age to enlist for the New Zealand army in World War 1.

Ninety years on, the journeyman Western Force hooker thought he'd almost have to go to such lengths to realise his Wallabies dream at age 31.

Having fallen out of favour in the hooking ranks at the Queensland Reds in 2005 behind Sean Hardman and Stephen Moore, McIsaac shifted to coach John Mitchell's new Western Force franchise. They earned the dubious honour of inaugural Super 14 wooden spooners in 2006.

Hence the call from new coach John Connolly, bravely sweeping a broom over the carcass that was the Wallabies' pack in 2005, was far from expected.

"Definitely not. It's been quite a whirlwind five or six weeks," McIsaac told NZPA from "Camp Wallaby" in Coffs Harbour this week.

"I didn't expect it, you're always hoping for it but for me it was a bit of wishful thinking."

Waterpolo and World War 1 figure highly in the McIsaac story.

Brisbane-born, Gold Coast-raised, water sports were predictably No 1 for young McIsaac. He played waterpolo for Australia under-21s and then Brisbane in the national league before committing to rugby at 24 -- coincidentally the year of Wallabies' World Cup glory in 1999.

"I got sick of being kicked, punched and drowned -- I thought I'd settle for just getting kicked and punched," he said.

He was signed by the Reds three years later, as the powerful 1.78m 112kg prop/hooker impressed for his Gold Coast club in the Brisbane premier competition.

Then his New Zealand connection was revealed when McIsaac's Maori father Paul, who married a Brisbane woman, sat him down to tell the story of his great grandfather from Te Puke.

"All I know is that my great grandfather back in 1915 was going to war, couldn't get in so he had to make up a dodgy ID, basically.

"I don't know where he picked the name from, he must have seen it somewhere, picked out McIsaac and it's stuck ever since."

The family's real surname is Paul, and some of McIsaac's uncles and aunts in New Zealand -- he has family in Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Upper Hutt -- have reverted to it.

It also means McIsaac may be related to his fellow Wallabies hooker Jeremy Paul who was born in Ngaruawahia.

"I haven't found out for sure but I suppose it's not too far between Hamilton and Bay of Plenty so I wouldn't be surprised," McIsaac said.

It's the family atmosphere in the Wallabies which has struck McIsaac the most as they swept past England twice, then Ireland, ahead of next weekend's Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup opener.

The fallout from last year's disastrous European tour which saw coach Eddie Jones sacked seems a distant memory.

"The main thing that's surprised me is that everyone in the team's like a big family and that makes it a hell of a lot easier.

"Everyone gets on really well, there's a really good feeling and a lot less pressure on the team this year.

"All four of us (hookers in the squad) get on really well and I've never really had that environment before where all of us going for the same position get on like that."

The razzle dazzle, width-of-the-field style with genius first five-eighth Stephen Larkham pulling the strings has reflected the fresh approach of Connolly and new attack coach Scott Johnson, previously with Wales. Simply, the fun seems to be back for those who experienced the woe last year.

But it was the front row who were most under the microscope after the scrum problems of 2005.

Size mattered for coach Connolly, who named a Wallabies record 354kg front row for the first test against England, with McIsaac and Rodney Blake making their debuts alongside one-test prop Greg Holmes. While they didn't set the world alight, it was a promising start as they eye one of the All Blacks' strengths.

"We've worked hard on our set pieces and we're still looking to make improvements on the last few weeks," said McIsaac, whose scrummaging and lineout throwing were seen as big strengths.

"The scrum's been a work in progress but there's a definite improvement on last year."

And what of his thoughts on his Bledisloe Cup test next weekend?

He rates it a "huge" step up from the England/Ireland tests. The chopping and changing from All Blacks coach Graham Henry also has McIsaac confused about who he will clunk heads with.

"I saw the two Ireland matches and it's just like any All Blacks team, very very strong and a very good scrum.

"We're not quite sure who we're going to come up against and that makes it even harder to plan from our perspective."

- NZPA