Wallabies try to steal our props

Neemia Tialata. Jeff Brass / Getty Images

The Wallabies tried to plunder New Zealand's supplies of tighthead props before this year's Tri-Nations series, in a daring bid to rectify their scrummaging impotence.

They zeroed in on Neemia Tialata, Tim Fairbrother, John Afoa and Ben Castle after recommendations from Wallaby coach Eddie Jones.

Once Jones approved the raids, former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer made the initial contact before Waratahs and Australia A coach Ewen McKenzie took over some of the discussions.

Tialata, who was recovering from leg surgery, was the prime target and was fronted about his interest in swapping international allegiance. He told the Australians he was still on contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union.

Afoa and Castle's subsequent selection for the Junior All Blacks meant they became ineligible to play for another country.

But the chase for Wellington tighthead prop Fairbrother continued for a while. He fitted the physical requirements and did not need to fulfil any residential qualifications as his grandfather was born in Australia.

Sources said the NZRU became involved and Fairbrother signed an extended contract which put him out of the Wallabies' immediate reach. The bold approaches had failed but the attempts showed the level of anxiety about the dearth of quality Australian props.

The Herald uncovered details of the transtasman sorties this week as the fallout continued from the Wallabies' front row debacle against England last weekend at Twickenham.

Al Baxter was sinbinned for repeatedly collapsing the scrum and his tighthead replacement Matt Dunning was stretchered off after being badly injured at the next engagement.

After the match, Jones said he had asked the Australian Rugby Union to introduce a scrummaging academy two years ago, but the request had been denied.

McKenzie, who was a long-time tighthead test prop for the Wallabies, ran a scrum school in Australia in 2001 before it was disbanded.

He lamented that demise, and that the All Blacks used scrum coach Mike Cron while other nations also employed scrum specialists.

Former test prop Andrew Blades helped coach the Wallaby forwards before he left, and has not been replaced, after last season's fallout with Jones. Some calls have been made for former All Black coach John Mitchell, who is now with the Western Force, to be co-opted on to the Wallabies' coaching panel.

In all the public anguish though, there was no mention of the Wallabies' abortive attempt to sign up some of New Zealand's promising propping talent.

McKenzie defended Baxter and Dunning, who both play for the Waratahs, while former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick could not believe the Wallabies had been unable to find any better props.

"They are wrecking the game and full marks to the French referee Joel Jutge for not letting them get away with failing to engage properly," Fitzpatrick said.

McKenzie noted the concern but argued the problem was a lack of confidence rather than a lack of ability in the Wallabies.

"It wasn't great, there's no question. But it's easy to leap in there and start to apportion blame to the frontrowers," he said.

"Scrummaging has always been a collective thing with the tight five and the eight as a whole. And the easy thing is to say that the Super 14 isn't delivering us the right product."