KEY POINTS:
Hooker Anton Oliver says the rugby smarts of Wallabies George Gregan and Stephen Larkham are enough to trump any scrum advantage the All Blacks can gain in Saturday night's battle for the Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations crown.
Oliver said the Wallabies differed from other leading nations as they
were good enough to survive a forward onslaught and win tests through other means.
A fine example was their 20-15 upset of New Zealand in Melbourne, where the All Blacks gradually overcame questionable Australian tactics and took command at scrum time.
However, they couldn't translate that into victory.
"A lot's been said about the scrum and who was good, but at the end they still won," said Oliver, who believed the two-time world champions don't have the same staunch attitude to forward dominance as South Africa, France or England.
"If you get into them physically and take away that physical component of the game, it doesn't actually perturb them all that much.
"The other teams hang so much of the mental aspect of their game on their physical dominance. If you take it away from them, other parts of their game collapse.
"The Australians say, 'okay, where else are we going to win it'. They're far more intelligent, it doesn't take their whole game away."
Oliver noted the Wallabies launch much more play off a top quality lineout and he expected more of the same at Eden Park.
At the heart of their attacking structure were evergreen Wallabies halves Gregan and Larkham, the test centurions having the ability to control any match.
"If the Australians get quick ball, we're going to be in trouble because those two can run a game of rugby like almost no one else when they're on song."
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen called on Welsh referee Nigel Owens -- who has never refereed a New Zealand test -- to manage the scrums with more diligence than did South African Marius Jonker at Melbourne.
Hansen was dismissive of the Wallabies' front row desire for an arm wrestle at the coal face.
"They won't want to scrum because they didn't want to scrum last time."
Oliver wasn't as scornful although laughed and nodded when a journalist suggested Gregan was their best scrummager, on the basis of his delaying tactics at the put-in.
"He's not going to put it in when the team's going back. He's a smart guy, he's played more test matches than anyone else, he knows what he's doing."
The former All Blacks skipper said Australia had created a unique technique where the No 8 anticipated the referee's call to engage, giving the scrum momentum from the back in an attempt to win the initial "hit".
"If you get it right, it really works. But to get it right is difficult," he said.
"On their day, they're pretty good.
"Over the last few years, our scrum has grown into something that's been fairly dependable and pretty good on most days."
Oliver is one of three changes from the team who beat South Africa 33-6 last weekend, along with flanker Jerry Collins and halfback Byron Kelleher.
It is the "best team" available in the words of coach Graham Henry and of the injured players, arguably only lock Ali Williams and winger Sitiveni Sivivatu would force their way in for big games at the World Cup. Fullback Leon MacDonald could also find a place at fullback if the selectors decide veteran No 15 Mils Muliaina, rather than Isaia Toeava, is the final solution at centre.
Henry confirmed the premier team wouldn't be seen together again for a while as selection rotation would prevail through the pool stage of the World Cup.
"I think that would be ridiculous," Henry said.
"We've got to keep everybody happy as much as we can, keep everybody on board and involved.
"If you get a key guy injured and the other guy hasn't played for three months, we'd be shot. By you (the media) and everybody else."
- NZPA
