New Zealand prop Wyatt Crockett is very keen for more chances to engage with the Wallabies scrum than he got in the Super Rugby final.

Tony Woodcock’s season-ending injury means Crockett has got the call for the All Blacks at loosehead prop for Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup Test.

It comes two weeks after the NSW Waratahs beat Crockett’s Crusaders with a last-minute penalty in a free-flowing game with just six scrums throughout.

“It would have been good to have a few more. I felt like our scrum was going pretty well in that game,” Crockett said.

“It’s just the way it goes, sometimes guys just don’t knock the ball on.”

The tight five has been an area of strength for the All Blacks against Australia in recent years but Crockett isn’t expecting an easy ride, even with the injuries to regular Australian hookers Tatafu Polota-Nau and Stephen Moore.

“It’s going to be a big challenge and it’s an opportunity for Nathan Charles, who’ll be bloody excited. He’ll be wanting to get out there and put a good performance in,” Crockett said.

Crockett has been on the fringes of the All Blacks team for some years now but he says he isn’t viewing Woodcock’s injury as a chance to establish himself.

“I’ve just got to make sure that I do my job this week and, if I do that, hopefully I’ll get selected next week.”

Crockett earned a reputation early in his career for conceding penalties at scrum time but he thinks it’s not a problem anymore.

“That’s when you go away, work hard on your game and make sure that you’re technically doing the right things.

“I feel like I’m scrummaging reasonably well.”