Wallabies address front-row problems

Ireland v Australia: Longer-term, the scrummaging crisis which has gripped the Wallabies will require major surgery, but in the short-term, Eddie Jones can only take remedial action with what is available to him. Accordingly, and as expected, he has changed both his props for tomorrow's Test against Ireland in the light of their scrum's obliteration at Twickenham last Saturday.

The 22-year-old Greg Holmes, who won his first cap as a replacement against France a fortnight ago, will start at loose-head in place of the incapacitated Matt Dunning, still hors de combat with the neck injury he sustained at Twickenham. The 28-year-old tight-head Dave Fitter will make his Test debut in place of the demoted Al Baxter, and it's a telling commentary on the injuries and turnover in personnel which has afflicted the Wallabies that Fitter will become their 14th newcomer at this level in 2005.

"It was a problem area against England," admitted Jones for the umpteenth time this week. "Matt Dunning is not available for selection and Greg Holmes is a good young player. He's started four or five Super 12 games so it's a big ask for him but we believe he's got the potential to go forward, and Dave Fitter is a very strong, scrummaging tight-head prop, and we feel that Fitts will scrummage pretty well against Horan."

Fitter expressed his delight at the completion of what he admitted was a long journey. He is thought, in some quarters, to be a superior scrummager to those who have hitherto been preferred to him and although he's a late developing product of Sydney University, he has five years Super 12 experience behind him at the ACT Brumbies, much of it on the fringes admittedly.

Citing the example of the All Blacks' front-row, Jones maintained that all leading props have to go "through the hoop at some stage of their career. It's all part of your education. When you've had days like we had the big thing is to get back on the horse. Our recovery started with a Monday scrum session and we're looking for some redemption in the scrum area on Saturday".

You'd venture Saturday is win or bust for Jones, but if he's under strain he's not showing it. "I'm not worried about my job. I don't say whether I continue or I don't continue, so I don't have to worry about it." And ditto what the Australian media say.

Also in the firing line has been George Gregan, their 32-year-old scrumhalf who extends his unequalled tally of Test caps to 117 on Saturday when leading the Wallabies for the 49th time. Although the criticism perhaps has as much to do with his stand-offish relationship with the Australian media as his own form, which has looked pretty good this year, not to mention his invaluable influence in a callow side averaging 23 caps per man.

In response to this, Jones was at his mischievous, and accurate, best. "The criticism of everything we've done has been justified, because we haven't been winning games. That goes with the performances of the coaches and the players, and the captain always gets singled out. But on Saturday he played pretty well. His passes were sharp. We've looked at a comparison between him and Dawson, and certainly his performance was much better than Dawson's on Saturday, so he'll lead the side and he'll lead 'em well on Saturday."

Jones also expects a stiffer challenge than the one Ireland put up against the All Blacks last week, and he would hardly be alone.

"Ireland will be much better prepared this week than they were last week. That was their first game of the season and they were probably caught on the hop. They played in a non-confrontational manner, which is distinctly different from their usual approach so they will be much tougher opposition than New Zealand faced last week."

Australia often find Lansdowne Road a tricky venue, their World Cup conquest of 1991 almost coming to grief at the venue and they were beaten on their last trek here three years ago. Gaffney was at a loss to explain this; Jones meanwhile remains wary of being kidded with kindness before tomorrow.

"Against Ireland at Lansdowne Road the first thing you've got to do is get stuck in physically. It's all very nice being in Dublin now. Everyone wants to offer you a Guinness and talk about what a good bloke Alan Gaffney is. It's all sweet as pie but we know on Saturday it's going to be the exact opposite. There's going to be elbows and knees and fists flying everywhere. We're looking forward to getting stuck in, and we will."