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EWEN McKenzie has challenged veteran prop Benn Robinson to win back a starting spot and help solidify the shaky Wallabies scrum enough to give dormant backs a sniff of the ball.
Robinson was contentiously dumped from the initial Rugby Championship squad last month but poor set-piece performances by the Wallabies saw the 59-Test loosehead re-called for the tour of South Africa and Argentina, at the expense of Scott Sio.
While McKenzie defended the Wallabies scrum on Tuesday, statistics highlight the extent of its dysfunction in the opening four games.
Of 16 wins from 29 scrum feeds, Australia has only had a paltry nine clean scrum wins where the ball has got to the backline - or just over two per game.
Backline stars like Israel Folau and Adam Ashley-Cooper are gathering more cobwebs than tries in 2013.
McKenzie said Robinson's experience in the hostile surrounds of Cape Town and Rosario would be valuable to not only survive the inevitable onslaught at scrum time, but help restore a basic platform for attack as well.
"Benn hasn't played under the new laws so he's got a steep learning curve but he's got some experience and it's a complicated environment when you're playing in Argentina and South Africa," McKenzie said.
"We want the scrum platform so we can play, it's the last bastion, we need to get it sorted so we can play."
The Wallaby scrum has been an unholy mess in 2013. After the diabocal third Lions Test, changes to the scrum sequence have only seen fortunes nosedive further.
FoxSports Stats show Australia has won nine clean scrums of its 16 wins, with another seven scrappy wins where possession was simply maintained. The Wallabies have won four forced penalties as well, but on the flipside given up three tightheads, three penalties and five freekicks.
"Everyone's struggling to get some consistency (in the scrums)," McKenzie said.
The Wallabies are struggling the most, however. Twenty of Boks' 21 wins have been clean and they've also forced 10 penalties. The All Blacks have 12/14 clean wins and nine penalties, and the Pumas have 10/14 clean wins and 11 penalties.
Asked about the Wallabies' potential with even a fraction more than 30% clean ball from scrums, McKenzie said: "You are going to go a lot better, because we have good guys who can break tackles. Guys like Izzy, give him a one-on-one and he'll beat people. But you have to get him the ball, so teams are going to try and not let that happen."
Robinson's recall is an admission that scrummaging prowess matters after all, given his original omission was down to Sio's higher workrate in the loose.
"He's an aggressive scrummager, and cagey and experienced," McKenzie said. "The guys who've been around for a fair while can work it out, they sum it up and look for advantage.
"He is going to get an opportunity, so it is what he does with. He has to make hay while he can. He has to find a point of difference where he can contribute … no doubt he'll view the scrum as a platform, that's one of the strengths of his game."
With skipper James Horwill named in the squad and "on track" to play in Cape Town following a hamstring injury, McKenzie said he would also contemplate elevating another big unit Sitaleki Timani into the starting pack.
"He is pretty impressive, he did quite well off the bench, so he put his hand up and that's what you want," McKenzie said.
Joe Tomane and Chris Feauai-Sautia also joined the squad following the injury-forced withdrawals of Nick Cummins (broken hand) and Jesse Mogg (shoulder surgery). Hooker Albert Anae was also included at Liam Gill's expense. Australia depart on Monday next week.
Wallabies tour squad: Forwards - James Slipper, Benn Robinson, Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Saia Fainga'a, Albert Anae, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Sitaleki Timani, Ben McCalman, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, Ben Mowen, Dave Dennis. Backs - Nic White, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Matt Toomua, Bernard Foley, Christian Lealiifano, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Joe Tomane, Chris Feauai-Sautia, James O'Connor, Israel Folau.
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