For months Wallabies observers scratched their heads over why loosehead prop Benn Robinson had missed out on selection, until his recall to the squad for the two-Test tour to South Africa and Argentina.
However, as the Wallabies trained in Sydney over the weekend in preparation for Saturday's Test against the Springboks in Cape Town, head coach Ewen McKenzie - who all along maintained that Robinson was not out of the selection frame - was able to reveal specifics behind what many saw as a perplexing selection snub.
McKenzie said the main reason for Robinson being omitted from the domestic three-Test series against France and the Wallabies' Rugby Championship campaign was because he did not grasp the new scrum laws fast enough. "In the scrum area with the transition of laws over the last 12 months, some people have reacted in different ways. He has taken a bit long to adjust," McKenzie said.
McKenzie then credited the Western Force front row from which hooker Nathan Charles and prop Pek Cowan were early selections for the French series and the Rugby Championship. "Consistency of the Force front row … they have benefited from that in terms of selection."
But then, in reference to Robinson, he added: "That was in June. Since that time he has made adjustments."
McKenzie said selection of his forward packs are not just based on the strength of an individual, but how they will gel as combinations and as a unit, especially for the scrum. "After tug-of-war and rowing an eight, [the scrum] … when you are applying human force it is No 3 in terms of what goes on," McKenzie said. "You can change individuals around and you get different outcomes straight away. One person makes a difference. The scrum changes and the opposition scrum changes as well. [Argentina's scrum] got a better finish than we did [on the Gold Coast last Saturday week]. The week before, we had a strong finish scrum wise [against the Springboks in Perth.]"
McKenzie also believes the best time to use his reserve forwards is crucial but often varies. "You have to consider the tempo of the game. We play an up-tempo game," he said.
"You are not going out there saying we are going to spread the load. You are thinking everyone is valuable and can make a difference. How long they get depends on the tempo of the game and how the guys are going on the field."
