The front rowers who can turn the Wallabies scrum into a weapon in 2024

The Wallabies appear to be aiming for a higher ceiling than 2023 and Joe Schmidt hasn't even selected a practice squad yet, but one crucial cog in their machine remains an unknown quantity, the scrum.

It would appear that Schmidt's hiring of “Scrum Doctor” Mike Cron all but answers that question, but injuries and a lack of local depth cast doubt on a manageable scrum.

Only three of Australia's five teams have had most of their frontline stocks made up of Wallaby-eligible talent.

The ACT Brumbies, Melbourne Rebels and even the NSW Waratahs earlier in the season have been well served by experienced Australian talent.

Their scrum successes so far are 89.4, 91.7 and 93.0 percent respectively, meaning they are in 11th place.^th9^thand 6^th generally.

Quite damning considering the number of injuries the Waratahs have suffered this season, however, the key metric is the stats before and after playing the Crusaders who are 2 years old.^sd overall at 97.4 percent.

The Brumbies and Rebels were demolished against the Canterbury side.

Both sides were at 92.8 percent/8^thand 97 percent/3rd previously, losing three places and several percentage points each to Rob Penney's men.

It highlights the scrum needs to be looked at ahead of July 6, when the Wallabies face Wales in Sydney for the first game of the year and first game under Schmidt.

Starting with the Brumbies, Allan Alaalatoa and James Slipper are almost guaranteed to feature in Schmidt's plans, as the most experienced Wallaby props.

However, the Wallaby-heavy Brumbies scrum has been regularly hidden from view in recent weeks.

What is particularly worrying is that it is a match against the All Blacks stalwarts who the duo will face later in the year in the Rugby Championship.

A caveat to this concern is this: Front rows are not the be-all and end-all of a scrum and with heavier, more experienced locks, Slipper and AAA can get the job done.

Looking at other franchises, the scrimmages have been up and down.

The Waratahs have no continuity, having to pick undercooked props in the club due to an unprecedented injury to their props.

In contrast, the Rebels' actions are sound and are the only all-Australian frontline to have been able to intimidate teams consistently in scrums.

Sam Talakai, Taniela Tupou, Jordan Uelese, Alex Mafi, Isaac Kailiea and Matt Gibbon regularly turned the scrum into a weapon and gave their team a foothold in matches where the team would have previously been excluded from the competition.

The other two franchises, Western Force and Queensland Reds, rely heavily on international talent.

Aside from Reds duo Sef Fa'agase and Zane Nonggorr, both teams do not appear to have Wallaby Test-eligible props on hand.

This highlights how limited stocks of land shoring are.

After free props, hooker is the other frontline position where domestic talent is in short supply.

Matt Faessler launches one of the competition's most effective line-ups at the Reds, where his work rate and rugby sense will not have gone unnoticed by Schmidt.

Uelese is having one of his best and most consistent years for the Rebels, and that could be enough to earn him a spot on the team.

Last year, Eddie Jones liked Uelese because of his height and he uses him to generate an excellent attacking ball for the Melbourne-based side.

His work with Rebels lineout coach Geoff Parling, who was recently appointed to the same role for the Wallabies, could also see him favored for a place.

Wallaby starter Dave Porecki has not played a single minute in Super Rugby Pacific 2024 and therefore cannot be considered a viable option ahead of a Test series where cohesion will be key.

Behind these two whores, the test-ready stocks are thin: Billy Pollard, Tom Horton and Josh Nasser are all vying for the spot, with Pollard the only capped member of the group and likely the next cab out of line.

While there are a few overseas candidates who could strengthen the scrum, particularly at looseheads and hookers, the immediate concern must be: who will take the field against Wales and Georgia in July?

In place of the injured Angus Bell and Blake Schoupp, Gibbon is the most logical choice to be Slipper's deputy at the loosehead position, having the most experience and playing time under his belt in 2024.

Although Talakai is generally a Tighthead, switching him to Loosehead could solve some immediate depth issues, given that Tighthead stocks are relatively stable.

The veteran all-rounder can and has played on both sides of the scrum all over the world and has even filled in at hooker for club and country.

This is the type of versatility that bodes well for a pool of beaten players.

The left field option is to select 28-year-old Alex Hodgman, eligible for Australia.

Hodgman is both a great player in his own right and has a wealth of experience, as well as previous experience under Cron as scrum coach.

His work ethic and ability to control the ball are also great assets to have at Test level.

Despite the injury toll, the Wallabies, from a frontline perspective, will be able to rely on their scrum against Wales and Georgia.

A loose trio of Slipper, Gibbon and Talakai/Hodgman plus hookers Faessler, Uelese, Pollard partnered with tightheads Alalaatoa, Tupou and Talakai/Nonggorr should ease the concerns of Wallaby fans.

As previously mentioned, who features at lock will also have a major role to play in the performance of the Wallaby scrum, however, looking only at the props, the Wallabies and the Scrum Doctor will be able to weaponize their scrum in 2024.