Alexander primed for head-to-head with Healy

BIRTHDAY-BOY Ben Alexander knows all about being thrown in at the deep end, and the Australian prop almost sounded jealous of the man he’ll literally be going head-to-head with on Sunday, Cian Healy.

Alexander’s rise has been even more meteoric than Healy’s. He made his test debut against France last year when he wasn’t even a regular starter for Super 14 side CA Brumbies and has made the tighthead berth in the gold jersey his own this year despite ostensibly being a loosehead.

A mobile player who can mix it in the scrum, Alexander is part of the new-look Wallaby front row that is no longer mocked for going backwards at scrum time.