Scotland and England can never be written off Aussies wrong to dismiss touring sides

Either Australian rugby has suddenly improved beyond recognition or there is simply a fool- hardiness in the way Scotland and England are being written off here.

Admittedly, both have sent drastically weakened squads Down Under.

Furthermore, Scotland did nothing to dissuade the Australians of the impression that they were sending lambs to the slaughter when, having agreed to a Test match before they had time to blend a team, they were soundly beaten in Fiji, but to be as dismissive of touring sides as the locals are going into today's Australia v England and New South Wales v Scotland matches is a remarkable approach.

Especially so at a time when they are also investigating their own decline.

A statistical analysis in yesterday's ''Australian'' newspaper showed that while between 1991 and 1995, when they were world champions, the Wallabies won 88% of the matches they played, losing just four of 34 Tests, since then that winning ratio has dropped to 55% as they have won 16, lost 12, and drawn one of 29 Tests.

While captain John Eales, a member of the side throughout the period in question, notes that they are now playing the best teams with greater frequency, following the introduction of the Tri-Nations series, his former team-mate David Campese could be counted on to provide commentary upon the situation.

''When they get beaten by 60, like they did in South Africa, they still get paid,'' he said, suggesting that a lack of hunger has been a root cause of the problem.

''They should all be on incentives. Millions would love their job, but these guys are picked because they're the best.

''They should react to that and play every Test as though it's their last. John Eales does it every time.

''Their should be more like him. I mean, to get beaten by 60 last year, they should have been ashamed.''

Those words evoke sentiments which seem all too familiar to Scots during the professional era.

However, should it not be all the more worrying that while Australian rugby is so dissecting itself, they still expect to take British sides apart?

New South Wales may have been one of three Australian sides who failed to reach the Super 12 semi-finals, yet they are extremely confident that, with a side that notably has Wallaby Michael Brial and Springbok Tiaan Strauss in their back row, despite the absence of all their current Australian internationalists, they can beat Scotland.

''After three months of getting splinters they are ready to go,'' coach Matt Williams said of those he has been able to call up from the bench following the Super 12 campaign. ''Also, this is a great chance to bring in some young guys we want to have a look at.''

So it is an experimental New South Wales line-up and still local bookmakers are giving Scotland an astonishing 25-point start in the betting for this match, perhaps influenced by former Wallaby Steve Merrick's prediction of a ''flogging'' for the tourists after they ''only'' beat his New South Wales Country XV 34-13 on Tuesday.

''They can make whatever comments they want, but on the pitch is where it counts,'' said Scotland forwards coach Hugh Campbell yesterday. ''All these sort of things motivate players. The more you are under- estimated the better you can respond to that.

''If they feel that way about us then that's a big bonus as far as we're concerned. If they want to take us lightly, then so be it.''

Campbell, obviously less vocal than head coach Jim Telfer, with whom he works closely, is aware that the forwards have a huge responsibility to go out and prove that they can physically match up with their opponents.

''This is another step up for us,'' he said. ''It's a big challenge and I think players will appreciate that. We have set out in the last two games to develop a style of play and, hopefully, we can expand from there.

''Although the matches we have played so far have been supposedly lesser games, the opponents we have met have been very able and, while we've won fairly easily, it's been quite hard to achieve these results.''

That so much attention has been paid by opponents to analysis of the Scottish scrummage, criticised both by Merrick on Tuesday, despite the fact that his pack had been pushed around at will, and by Victoria captain Stuart Brown three days earlier, is a reflection of the importance that has returned to that phase of the game.

Subsequently, Scotland have been working hard on that discipline which has been a major factor in the rapid promotion through the ranks of 20-stone South African raised prop Mattie Proudfoot just three months after having made his A international debut as a replacement against England.

It is hoped that a particularly intensive session on Wednesday has set them up properly for this match, although the substantially more experienced Dave Hilton, the other Scottish prop in the starting line-up, noted yesterday of New South Wales: ''They're going to have a very organised scrum.

''It's hard to play against a scrum that's played week in, week out. We've had about six scrummaging sessions. They've done that much together, but in games. It's going to be very hard.''

Which could never have been in any doubt and certainly not to coaches who know that when they lock horns with the most powerful of Australia's state sides, their pack must, at the very least, hold firm if there is to be any hope for the Test matches on the following two Saturdays.

''The scrummage is hugely important,'' said Campbell. ''It has been a focal point of our preparation and planning that we scrummage very well and, in terms of us not being good enough, then we'll let what we do on the pitch do our talking for us.''