The big, bustling Lions are on their way to Australia but aren’t believing their own press.
The UK rugby scribes are predicting the Wallabies pack will be cannon-fodder for the hardened British and Irish forwards who will dominate the scrums and the tough stuff.
But wild-haired Welsh scrum anchor Adam Jones is having none of it, and is braced for a furious battle up front.
Jones, who has played Australia for six Test losses in the past two years, insists the Wallabies forwards are no longer the marshmallow pack which dramatically capitulated against England in the 2007 World Cup and were demolished in 2005 at Twickenham.
“I think if you speak to these guys (the British press) they would say they have the worst pack ever,” he told AAP in Hong Kong.
“But they only remember a couple of scrums from six years ago which do them an injustice really.
“I think especially with guys like Benn Robinson, Ben Alexander and Stephen Moore, they have been around the block and are top Super 15 performers.
“They tend to get written off a bit but we know how good they are.
“Maybe some of the journos should chuck a kit on once or twice and try scrummaging against them.”
Jones has been an integral part of three Welsh Six Nations triumphs but has only enjoyed one win from eight Tests against Australia – way back in 2005.
He started for the Lions in the opening two Tests against South Africa four years ago, helping the tourists to a big lead in the second before dislocating his shoulder and watching the Springboks storm back for a series-clinching win.
The 32-year-old tighthead, who will wear the No.3 jersey again on Saturday night against the Barbarians in Hong Kong, admitted the pain of a missed opportunity remains.
“The series was there to win and unfortunately a few injuries went against us (in the second Test),” Jones said.
“To win this Test series as a British player is probably the biggest thing you can do.”
AAP jsm/