A contrast in styles in the micro, is how David Sole describes the prospect of the Keven Mealamu and Brendon Cannon match up in the Rugby World Cup semi final between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on Sunday.
Mealamu, 24, is something of the find of the Tournament, converting his 106kg, 181cm frame into an irresistible force in attack. Cannon, 30, by contrast is considered old school and at 188cm and 109kg is one of the better scrummagers among the hookers at Rugby World Cup 2003.
Sole, the former Scotland loose head prop and captain says New Zealand have developed a less structured approach for RWC 2003, relying on the individual athletic talents of players like Mealamu against a Wallaby outfit which brings a more programmed quality to the contest.
Sole prefers Cannon
Sole rates Cannon the best scrummager of the four hookers left in the Tournament, and as an old school scrummaging prop himself, prefers the Wallaby hooker’s strength in the set piece, over the ball carrying capacities of All Black hooker Keven Mealamu.
But he does not discount the contribution Mealamu makes with ball in hand, conceding the antipodean semi final might have as few as eight to 10 scrums, negating the significance of that set piece.
“I wouldn’t say the game hinges on it,” Sole said. “But when you have players who like to get the ball in hand like Keven Mealamu it makes for exciting Rugby.
“Mealamu looks like a good footballer, he knows what he is doing and is very powerful with the ball in hand.
"Cannon is also impressive, he is a very tight player. He brings the Australian props together.”
Pressure at scrum time
It comes down to the amount of pressure the respective tight fives are able to exert on each other at scrum time.
By illustration Sole offers the French prop Jean Jacques Crenca’s game against the Irish in the comprehensive 43-21 quarter final win in Melbourne on Sunday.
Crenca scored a try in the corner, backing up on the inside on a French breakout, taking a basketball like lob pass from Imanol Harinordoquy to score.
“Look at Crenca (Jean-Jacques Crenca French prop) he was able to range around the park and enjoy a nice easy afternoon," Sole said.
"He had plenty of running in his legs because the French had much the better of Ireland in the scrum.”
Mealamu has it all
Mealamu showed all his wares against the Springboks in the 29-9 quarter final win in Melbourne.
He roamed the park with the ease of a back row forward. He is a hard man to bring down on the run, mainly because of his low centre of gravity, Sole says.
“He wins valuable yardage for his side,” he said. “I expected South Africa to put a lot more pressure on New Zealand at scrum time and if they had done that Mealamu would have had to work harder to take the pressure off and maybe would not have had as much energy around the paddock."
Cannon said the pressure is now off the Wallabies since they made the semi finals. Australia always targeted the semi final against New Zealand as the most important game of the RWC 2003, he said.
"I think there's probably been a fair bit of anxiety in the group, possibly getting to this point," Cannon said.
“Now that we're finally here, it's always been pinpointed before the Tournament began that this was a possible game for us, to play New Zealand in a semi-final, we are a lot more relaxed as a squad."
Australia and New Zealand have playing Tests for 100 years, and know each other's players and game plans back to front. Respect is constant, Cannon says.
Cannon in best form of career
In the best form of his career this year, Cannon said his opposite number Mealamu had been crucial to the All Blacks scrum.
"He's a phenomenal player,” Cannon said. “I think throughout the World Cup we've really started to appreciate the quality of skills that he possesses.
"He's someone I think for a number of years has promised a lot but just hasn't been able to have a consistent opportunity.
"He's someone who's now become an integral part of the All Blacks side, not only is he good in the set pieces but around the field, he's quite phenomenal."
Sole saved some sage advice for Cannon, suggesting the Wallaby number two might try some old fashioned hard scrumming to break down the fitness of Mealamu.
“The scrum has not been the focal point of attack at this RWC as it might have been in the past,” Sole says with just a hint of regret.
“Under pressure front rows have tended to stand up at this Tournament as a tactic.
“So when you have players who like to run with the ball you have to find a way to sap their zip in attack and a bag full of scrums and an aggressive tight head are just the antidote for a mobile hooker.”