Forward-thinking English ahead

Forward-thinking English ahead

Greg Growden in Montpellier | September 18, 2007

THE preparations have begun. Slowly but surely, the Wallabies coaching team are getting ready for a brutal quarter-final showdown with England in Marseilles next month.

They are anticipating an England side inept in attack will persevere with a forward-orientated, bully boy approach in a bid to upset an occasionally unsteady Wallabies pack.

Wallabies forwards coach Michael Foley said there were enough clues offered during their loss to South Africa last Friday to indicate England believe their best way of success is to be dogmatic up front.

"Looking at England, they appear to be a side who will kick a lot of ball, and they'll make it a forward battle. So you can expect scrums and lineouts," Foley said on Monday.

Foley warned that such an approach would cause problems to several teams including the Wallabies. "Against South Africa, England took two tightheads off the Springboks. But you didn't hear much said about that, because elsewhere the Springboks were so dominant," Foley said.

"The England side against the Springboks really looked like they were going out there to have a bit of trench warfare. We know very well that is where England will definitely try and play us. If we do the right thing over the next two pool games, get ourselves there and England becomes our quarter-final opponents, that's the challenge for us. By that stage we will be ready for that."

Foley, who has a strong relationship with England coach Brian Ashton admitted he had not anticipated such an approach from the defending champions. "I'm surprised they haven't thrown the ball a bit more, because I know Brian is an incredibly open coach," Foley said.

"I coached with Brian the last three or four months I was at Bath, and he really introduced some key concepts that opened up our game. I am familiar with his philosophy of the game.

"The fact that England are not playing that type of game is maybe because they haven't quite grasped exactly what they are trying to do in that area. Maybe they haven't built the momentum. But seeing England playing a real forward-orientated game does surprise me."

As surprising for Foley has been England's disintegration into a muddle of mistakes. "England are a side that if they can get themselves feeling good about themselves and move the ball around a bit, as well as get a few players back on the field, they are going to be a danger," he said. "We are also aware that if some players come back, they will vary it a bit more than they did against South Africa."

Foley said Australia had the ideal lead-up to the quarter-final as both upcoming opponents, Fiji and Canada, have packs he rates highly.