LONDON: Wallabies lineout general Rob Simmons is preparing for the unexpected from tactician Warren Gatland, including staying on the lookout for a 13-man lineout at Twickenham.
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Gatland is set to roll out his bag of tricks when Wales play the Wallabies on Saturday night (Sunday morning AEDT) in a battle for top spot in pool A.
Most of the talk has been about the Wallabies' scrum resurgence, but Gatland will see an opportunity at lineout time as Australia employs its double openside flanker act.
One of Gatland's tricks of the past has been to get 13 players in a lineout close to the line and then have all 15 players get involved in the maul in an attempt to push over for a try. Wales has used the tactic successfully against the All Blacks.
But the Wallabies are aware of his history and won't be shocked to see the unusual.
"[Wales] have pretty good defence with a low chop and blokes over the ball … they've got a pretty good defensive lineout as well," Simmons said.
"I saw [the 13-man lineout] a couple of years ago. Especially close to the line, their backs will come running in once they've caught the ball and little things like that.
"I suppose it's paid off for them. I guess you expect the unexpected, being a Kiwi coach, they've always got something up their sleeve."
The Wallabies have beaten Wales the past 10 times they have met. Gatland has never beaten the Wallabies in his tenure as Wales coach.
Simmons played in seven of those wins, but insists history will be thrown out the window.
"History is pretty irrelevant, especially in a World Cup tournament. It's not going to serve us much on Saturday," he said.
Wales has been dogged by injuries throughout their World Cup campaign, but are expected to have a full squad to pick from against the Wallabies.
The winner of the match will finish at the top of the pool of death, which has already claimed hosts England.
It will also present a smoother path through the finals with the loser to play against South Africa in the quarter-finals.
"It's all about momentum, and we've still got the momentum, a little bit in our sails," said Wales assistant coach Robin McBryde.
"But we are going into the weekend against Australia having been given a little bit more time to work on things.
"It wasn't so much a sigh of relief that we have qualified for the quarter-finals, it was more a quickening of the heartbeat thinking of what could be ahead.
"On the basis of that, and the momentum going into this game, we have just got to keep it going … it's no respite, just keeping going as hard as we can."
