Holmes seeks revenge Down Under

Wallaby prop targets England front row

Wallabies prop Greg Holmes is looking to redress the balance when Australia face World Cup holders England in the first of two test in Sydney on Sunday.

The 2003 World Cup runners-up are still bristling from their scrummaging ordeal at the hands of England destroyer Andrew Sheridan last November.

Sheridan's wrecking job on hapless Australian prop Al Baxter underpinned England's Twickenham victory, raising serious questions about the Wallaby set-piece.

Holmes was on the bench that autumn afternoon, but he is now set for a starting role alongside rookie colleagues Tai McIsaac and Rodney Blake when head coach John Connolly confirms his starting line-up Thursday.

Although Sheridan is among several leading England players, either injured or rested, who have not travelled Down Under, the tourists will still send out an imposing front-row of Graham Rowntree, Lee Mears and Julian White - a unit that boasts 90 caps.

But Australia are determined to do themselves justice, setting an imposing attacking platform for their star-studded back division in the process.

"After all that hype from last year, if we can finally clear it away then that would be really good," said Queensland loosehead Holmes.

"To be dominant over their scrum would be very special.

"Obviously, we have spoken about it, but if this (Australian) front-row plays on Sunday, it will be different to the one from last year.

"The England front row will be different, too. We also know if your scrum gets bashed, then it impacts on everyone else, but we are big enough and strong enough.

"There is no reason we cannot put it back on them. I wouldn't say it was a sense of revenge - it is more about pride - and we don't want the same thing happening again."

Connolly has brought in former Wallabies hooker and Bath assistant coach Michael Foley to mould the forwards, and there is considerable motivation felt by the Australian pack to flex its collective muscle.

"The mindset over the last couple of years was probably about getting parity with other scrums," Holmes told Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"But the idea is to do more than that. It is also about scrummaging better as a whole pack, because if you are not getting the weight from behind and they (opponents) are, they are going to push you around."

Apart from a largely untried front row, starts are expected for flankers Daniel Heenan and Rocky Elsom, with Nathan Sharpe and Dan Vickerman teaming up together at lock.

But it is behind the scrum where Australia could cause real damage, given the appearances of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Lote Tuqiri, Mat Rogers, Stirling Mortlock, Mark Gerrard and Chris Latham.

By Andrew Baldock