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Sydney - Star prop Benn Robinson has declared the Wallabies' scrummaging woes over as Robbie Deans prepares to name his 40-man squad before the Test season.
The Wallabies were hammered by critics for inefficiency at the scrum during last year's spring tour, but after a series of scrum camps during the week, Robinson is adamant the scrum will have more impact than at any other time under Deans.
''The thing about the camp is a lot of blokes are on the same page now whereas in years gone past, guys scrummaging all had different ways,'' Robinson told the Sun-Herald.
''The scrum camp was really good. I think everyone has a clean understanding of the way we want a scrummage and it showed in two days. We didn't have any collapses and normally when you're going against your team-mates, you're going pretty hard - sometimes even harder than in a game, I reckon.
''So that was a good sign that scrums were toughening up and we were nice and solid. It was good to have the locks there as well because they play a big part of it - it's not just the front rowers doing it all.''
He said players from Deans' 2009 touring squad took note of his expectations this Super Rugby season, and as a result scrummaging across all franchises improved significantly. But most importantly, teams were consistent.
''Scrums play a big part in the outcome of a game so you definitely want them firing on all cylinders,'' Robinson said.
''I think the Waratahs this year had a very consistent scrum and showed that they were able to weave their magic with it. But it's about the consistency, and I think most of the Australian sides have had very consistent clean ball and as I said you definitely pay dividends off a clean ball off the back of the scrum.''
Still just 26, Robinson is a relative youngster in the world of rugby but he said Deans's approach of blooding youngsters such as Quade Cooper, James O'Connor, David Pocock and Will Genia in the past season was set to pay dividends just in time for the World Cup.
''I think the good thing about blooding young players is that you've got a lot of enthusiasm there and a different approach to footy,'' he said.
''The thing about rugby is year by year it changes all the time, game by game it changes all the time. You know that even scrummaging, the new techniques come out and there's new ways of scrummaging all the time, and to get some fresh faces and some new ideas in makes the game a lot more exciting. And as a player you want to be learning all the time.
''It's welcome information and knowledge you learn off older players, but younger players come in and give you a spark every now and then.
''To have players being around the squad a couple of years with experience means so much, I think. I think Cooper's first test against the All Blacks was last year and you can see how far he's come - leaps and bounds I suppose. Players like David Pocock, who comes straight into the fold, is filling the shoes of one of our best players a couple of years ago.''
He said the finals experience of the Reds, and even the makeshift Waratahs, would do the Wallabies' morale no end of good. ''Those with the experience of a full Super season behind them, it's definitely going to pay big dividends for the Wallabies,'' Robinson said.
''They're still in the rhythm and still have the motion of playing footy. It's good to have the impact on your body and you kind of get used to the pace of the game quicker and you know you can put yourself in and really push yourself throughout the game. So those blokes are already a couple of weeks ahead of the other players in the squad.
''There are blokes at the moment who are in some of the best shape of their lives. I trained with Wycliff Palu on Saturday and he's in amazing shape and training really hard.
''I'm really expecting the guys who missed out on finals footy to come in and give it 110 percent to catch up.''
The Wallabies were hammered by critics for inefficiency at the scrum during last year's spring tour, but after a series of scrum camps during the week, Robinson is adamant the scrum will have more impact than at any other time under Deans.
''The thing about the camp is a lot of blokes are on the same page now whereas in years gone past, guys scrummaging all had different ways,'' Robinson told the Sun-Herald.
''The scrum camp was really good. I think everyone has a clean understanding of the way we want a scrummage and it showed in two days. We didn't have any collapses and normally when you're going against your team-mates, you're going pretty hard - sometimes even harder than in a game, I reckon.
''So that was a good sign that scrums were toughening up and we were nice and solid. It was good to have the locks there as well because they play a big part of it - it's not just the front rowers doing it all.''
He said players from Deans' 2009 touring squad took note of his expectations this Super Rugby season, and as a result scrummaging across all franchises improved significantly. But most importantly, teams were consistent.
''Scrums play a big part in the outcome of a game so you definitely want them firing on all cylinders,'' Robinson said.
''I think the Waratahs this year had a very consistent scrum and showed that they were able to weave their magic with it. But it's about the consistency, and I think most of the Australian sides have had very consistent clean ball and as I said you definitely pay dividends off a clean ball off the back of the scrum.''
Still just 26, Robinson is a relative youngster in the world of rugby but he said Deans's approach of blooding youngsters such as Quade Cooper, James O'Connor, David Pocock and Will Genia in the past season was set to pay dividends just in time for the World Cup.
''I think the good thing about blooding young players is that you've got a lot of enthusiasm there and a different approach to footy,'' he said.
''The thing about rugby is year by year it changes all the time, game by game it changes all the time. You know that even scrummaging, the new techniques come out and there's new ways of scrummaging all the time, and to get some fresh faces and some new ideas in makes the game a lot more exciting. And as a player you want to be learning all the time.
''It's welcome information and knowledge you learn off older players, but younger players come in and give you a spark every now and then.
''To have players being around the squad a couple of years with experience means so much, I think. I think Cooper's first test against the All Blacks was last year and you can see how far he's come - leaps and bounds I suppose. Players like David Pocock, who comes straight into the fold, is filling the shoes of one of our best players a couple of years ago.''
He said the finals experience of the Reds, and even the makeshift Waratahs, would do the Wallabies' morale no end of good. ''Those with the experience of a full Super season behind them, it's definitely going to pay big dividends for the Wallabies,'' Robinson said.
''They're still in the rhythm and still have the motion of playing footy. It's good to have the impact on your body and you kind of get used to the pace of the game quicker and you know you can put yourself in and really push yourself throughout the game. So those blokes are already a couple of weeks ahead of the other players in the squad.
''There are blokes at the moment who are in some of the best shape of their lives. I trained with Wycliff Palu on Saturday and he's in amazing shape and training really hard.
''I'm really expecting the guys who missed out on finals footy to come in and give it 110 percent to catch up.''
