The Wallaby coach Eddie Jones insists Ashes cricket analogies are irrelevant in the build-up to tomorrow's Test against England at Twickenham. He may be right in a strict sporting sense but, when it comes to probing for English mental fragility, these Australians are every bit as expert as Shane Warne or Glenn McGrath.
They demonstrated it again yesterday, fuelling this week's heated debate over decoy runners with a cunning team selection designed specifically for England. Even if four of their five changes from last weekend's defeat to Ireland are in the pack, it is the reshuffled back division which will cause Clive Woodward most anxiety.
George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Daniel Herbert and Matt Burke are world-class but the intriguing choice is Queensland's fly-half Elton Flatley at inside centre. As Flatley admitted yesterday, he has been picked to help Australia weave the same mesmerising back-line patterns as New Zealand last week, exactly what Woodward wishes to avoid.
Just as significantly, the big, strong Stirling Mortlock has been shifted to the wing to put pressure on James Simpson-Daniel, and the even bigger, stronger Wendell Sailor is on the other flank, itching to make the same impact as Jonah Lomu last Saturday. The unspoken threat is that Australia believe England are vulnerable to well-engineered pace and muscle out wide.
To underline his feelings on the vexed issue of obstruction, Jones brought along a copy of the laws and again waspishly queried the motives behind Woodward's decision to raise the subject. "There's been a lot of hoo-hah this week but it's all about trying to influence the referee. We haven't seen him yet ... apparently he's still looking at Clive's videos."
The Wallaby players are determined not to lose at Twickenham for a third year in a row. They have to win sufficient ball first, which explains why the fit-again Jeremy Paul resumes at hooker, Bill Young is back at loose-head prop and the tall, beefy pair of Dan Vickerman and Justin Harrison, Austin Healey's old friend, have been reunited in the second row.
Given some possession, though, Flatley hopes to cause England as many midfield problems as New Zealand did. "They want me to be a ball-player and add a new dimension to our attack, rather than just relying on Stephen Larkham," he said. "The idea is to make the English defence think a bit more. I'm definitely not the big crash-bash centre, I'll just try to play to my strengths. My job is to distribute ball to the big, fast guys in space and put them into holes. We'll run our lines and do our plays the way we do in training and it's up to the referee to interpret what's right and wrong."
In other words, the 25-year-old Flatley, who made his debut against England in 1997, will be invited to emulate his namesake Michael Flatley and dance a merry jig through the home defence. "We were impressed with the way he came on against Ireland last weekend and we think he'll give us a little bit of sparkle," confirmed Jones. It is the coach's belief that every Test side needs to work harder at breaking down stubborn defences and, like Woodward, his priority is to unearth players capable of flitting between different positions.
If fit, the fleet-footed league convert Mat Rogers would cer tainly have fitted into that category. "Rugby's a conservative game, we're all conservative people involved in it and it's easier to improve defence rather than attack," said Jones. "What we've got to be looking for in rugby is inventiveness in our attack." By legal means, of course.
Weather permitting, it will be fascinating to see if Larkham and Flatley can make their coach's wish come true, as well as satisfying the referee Paul Honiss. Jones is confident his entire side will perform better than against Ireland. "Sometimes a kick up the backside can be the best thing for you," he said.
Australia: Burke; Sailor, Herbert, Flatley, Mortlock; Larkham, Gregan (capt); Young, Paul, Noriega, Vickerman, Harrison, Cockbain, Smith, Kefu. Replacements: Freier, Darwin, Giffin, Whitaker, Giteau, Staniforth.
