It wasn’t so long ago that the Australian front row was seen as the Achilles heel of the side, but these days Robbie Deans has a powerful cast of front row options to pick from.
And heading the list is Waratahs loose head specialist Benn Robinson, who picked up a major pre-Grand Slam tour boost when he was chosen as Australia’s Choice – 2009 Wallaby of the Year at the John Eales Medal ceremony.
Now 25, who hasn’t missed a Tri Nations game in the past two seasons, believes all the hard work the Wallabies have put into their scrum has given them the edge over some of their rivals of late.
With 26 caps already under his belt, including three against Wales, he is likely to pack down against Ryan Jones’s men on 28 November when the Wallabies bring down the curtain on the Invesco Perpetual Series ’09.
“The award goes to all the front rowers. We have taken some good steps forward in the last few seasons,” said Robinson.
“We’ve had a good year in the scrum and been able to step up and do some damage to other teams. Now we’re just looking forward to facing some new challenges on the Grand Slam tour.
“We know the English pack is going to be as big as ever and we can’t wait to get into action.”
