LONDON: Scott Fardy's beard makes it hard for him to go incognito, but the forgotten man of the Wallabies' back row says he's "incredibly happy" to avoid the spotlight.
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The Wallabies' back row has been one of the biggest talking points of the World Cup, with coach Michael Cheika choosing a double-team openside flanker act of Michael Hooper and David Pocock in the starting side and they have formed a dynamic combination.
But while they get all the praise, workhorse Fardy is happy to stay in the background and cause havoc of his own at the breakdown.
And when teams think they've got Hooper and Pocock covered, it's 31-year-old Fardy who strikes with his own breakdown expertise to give the opposition another headache.
Hooper is set to return from suspension for the Wallabies' quarter-final clash with Scotland on Sunday (Monday morning AEDT) while Pocock is expected to recover from a calf injury.
"[I'm] incredibly happy, I enjoying being incognito," Fardy said.
"I'm happy to assist those guys in doing what they do, I'm able to help them out as best I can in doing what little things they can't do.
"And there's not many of those. I'm happy to be a part of the whole back-row unit. I'm really confident in every back-rower I play with … you put personal pressure on yourself but you don't feel any more pressure from anyone else."
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika joked earlier in the tournament that Fardy was growing his beard to get a bit of attention in his back-row combination with Pocock and Hooper.
"I've had it for a whole season so it hasn't been working. Maybe I'll shave it to draw attention to myself," Fardy laughed.
The Wallabies are preparing for another breakdown onslaught when they clash with Scotland.
Pocock is under an injury cloud, but will be given most of the week to prove he has recovered after scans showed no tear in his calf muscle.
Either way, Fardy is confident in the back-row depth with Sean McMahon and Ben McCalman waiting for their opportunities to shine.
McCalman made a crucial try-saving tackle against Wales last weekend while McMahon stepped up to replace the suspended Hooper.
The Wallabies were hammered in a brutal slog against Wales, forced to defend for almost the entire second half and being forced to play with just 13 men on the field.
But the intensity of pool games against England and Wales has ensured the Wallabies are battled hardened for the knockout stage of the World Cup.
"We've kind of had that mentality from the start, so I don't think that anything has really changed," Fardy said.
"Just because we played two harder games isn't going to benefit us any more than teams that haven't played top tier nations like we have.
"I'm not that experienced at World Cups, I've only played four games, but every game feels real tight. So it's going to be a really grinding game again and we're prepared for that.
"The Scots are a big, physical side. Physicality will grow throughout the tournament as teams have less and less games to go; guys are going to throw themselves into it, so we're expecting a really physical contest from Scotland."
