Spencer's genius can be halted: Wallabies

3.00pm - By CHRIS BARCLAY

All Blacks playmaker Carlos Spencer is admired and feared by the Wallabies -- but he is also seen as a potential chink in New Zealand's rugby World Cup armour.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is confident as long as his back row and inner defence do their jobs, the Spencer can be nullified as a major influence in Saturday's semifinal at Sydney's Telstra Stadium.

Jones is an unabashed Spencer fan, describing him as a "special player".

But a player that can also be rattled under pressure as he has shown in the Auckland and Blues teams.

"He's very good at picking up opportunities, he's got the ability to change a game but he's also the sort of player that if you stop their gain-line advantage, you can put him under a bit of pressure," Jones said.

"When you put him under a bit of pressure, like any player -- he's liable to make mistakes.

"If you stop that gain-line advantage, any five-eighth, no matter how good he is, is under pressure and may start to make mistakes."

That could be wishful thinking on the Wallabies' part but they are clinging to it.

Former Wallabies No 8 Sam Scott-Young boosted Jones' psychological battle by advocating controlled niggle and hammering defence as a means of stopping Spencer.

A one-time pack enforcer, who once infamously winked and blew a kiss when facing the haka, Scott-Young told the Daily Telegraph: "I'd tell the Wallabies forwards not to let him go if they get hold of that snooty little guy with the tattoos.

"He's got fantastic skills but niggle him, smash him in defence mess up his hair and he'll get cranky and start looking for who's coming at him next. Watch his game deteriorate under that sort of pressure."

However, another former Wallabies star, Mark Ella, feared Australia would be the next team to be sent packing by the "spontaneous genius".

"He's a genius. He's not stereotyped like so many flyhalves of today who are so stuck on playing to patterns that they've lost the ability to think on their feet."

Ella agreed the Wallabies had to find a way to close down the Aucklander.

"They'll be sending out two fast guys in the back row (Phil Waugh and George Smith, fitness permitting) to hassle him but that might not even be enough."

Smith will figure subject to a shoulder injury healing. He was rated a 70 per cent chance of playing by coach Eddie Jones yesterday.

If Smith failed to make the cut, Scott-Young said Matt Cockbain was the obvious candidate to shadow Spencer.

"He should keep on Spencer's tail all night."

Meanwhile, Jones said he was taking heart from the performance of Wales in their tournament swansong against New Zealand and England.

He said the Welsh resurgence was what the Wallabies aspired to after they muddled through the pool stage.

"You look at Wales, they struggled to beat Italy. Then they come out and take New Zealand and England right to the wire.

"If you watched their pool games you'd have never thought that they could have extended New Zealand and England.

"It all comes down to performance on the night, and the team you're playing against."

Jones admitted his team were far from performing at optimum level but, like Wales, they could change on the night.

"We only need it to be there on Saturday night, and we believe we've got the game to beat New Zealand."

- NZPA