Ireland aiming to step up power in scrums against Wallabies

Forget the poor reviews that follow the Australian pack whenever they play, Ireland will have to up their game at scrum-time when they lock horns with the Wallabies on Saturday, warns Irish forwards coach John Plumtree.

Ireland enjoyed a dominant set-piece last Saturday which provided a stable platform for the 40-9 victory over higher-ranked Samoa at the Aviva Stadium but despite the Australian scrum being exposed by the likes of the British & Irish Lions, South Africa and New Zealand over the summer, Plumtree is demanding improvements for this weekend’s clash.

“We would have liked to have applied a little bit more pressure,” Plumtree said of his pack’s scrummaging performance against the Samoans.