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.

But even though the man who turns 25 today is no veteran, it sounds like he wouldn’t mind switching positions with the 22 year-old Healy on Sunday.

“Healy’s going to come at 100 miles an hour in his first test,” he said.

“He’ll want nothing more than to rip in and rip us to bits. So what’s gone in the last two weeks means nothing now.

“His excitement levels and energy levels will be through the roof. He’ll be sitting there counting down the seconds to Sunday, he just won’t be able to wait for it.

“I know I was like that on my first test; I just couldn’t wait to rip into that first scrum. He’s going to be coming at 100 miles an hour for the whole game and we’ve got to be ready for it.”

Alexander is dismissing any suggestion that a combination of Healy’s inexperience and a lack of match practice – with Jerry Flannery returning from injury and John Hayes from suspension – will leave Ireland exposed in the front row.

“I don’t think Ireland will be undercooked. John Hayes has got that experience so I don’t think it matters. He’s been around the block, he’s played for the Lions and for Ireland for many, many years, and he’ll just slot back in seamlessly and they’ll build around him.

“Cian will come in with enthusiasm and Flannery, he’s a good player, so I don’t think it will make too much difference.”

The Australian scrum became almost a constant figure of ridicule over the last decade and it proved their Achilles heel on more than one occasion.

And Alexander says the prospect of rubbing the critics’ noses in it is motivation enough for the newest generation of Wallaby props.

“I think it’s on its way but it just takes one poor performance and all the good work that’s been done gets undone.

“I watched those years – like the World Cups – as a fan and it’s not nice to see people rubbishing your team. Especially the forward pack, you try not to use it as pressure – more as motivation, make some people eat their words.

“Great scrummaging sides are consistent week-in, week-out. They never, ever take a step back against anyone and that’s what great packs are.

“We haven’t taken a backward step lately but the moment we start reading our own press and start thinking we’re the best and not putting in the work that’s when we’ll start taking backward steps and all the hard work that we’ve done in the last couple of years will be undone.”