Wallabies bolter Tai McIsaac boldly declared Australia planned to use its new-look scrum as an attacking weapon against England in Sunday's Test and wouldn't take a backward step against the vastly more experienced pack.

The former national under-21 water polo representative completed a remarkable ascent into the upper echelons of Australian rugby, going from third-string Queensland hooker to first-choice Wallabies rake in the space of 12 months.

The Western Force forward was named in a revamped front row for John Connolly's first match as Wallabies coach.

Lock Nathan Sharpe and flanker George Smith were the only starting forwards from the scrum demolished by England at Twickenham last November.

While England's front row trio boast a combined Test tally of 90 appearances, the former Queensland A combination of McIsaac and props Rodney Blake and Greg Holmes have just three Test caps between them.

"We know that they've got a very experienced strong pack there, but we're not going to the game just to make up the numbers," McIsaac said.

"We really want to use the scrummaging and the set pieces as an attacking option, moreso than just the restart."

After failing to make the Australian water polo team for the 1996 Olympics, McIsaac switched his sporting focus to rugby just seven years ago.

"He's obviously a big strong boy and that helps having the physical assets," Wallabies restarts coach and 1999 World Cup-winning hooker Michael Foley said.

"Coming from a game like water polo and having ball control like that, long range with your hand, it can help your throwing, and Tai has got a lovely release out of hand."

After playing off the Reds bench in 2004 and being overlooked in 2005, McIsaac signed for the Force in 2006 and made his first starts for the fledgling franchise at loose head prop before replacing injured hooker Brendan Cannon.

While Wallabies scrum doctor Alex Evans always felt McIsaac had the potential to play for Australia, the man himself said he only believed that to be the case last week.

McIsaac cheerfully admits to knowing little about rugby history.

"Some of the guys walk around telling me about all these old guys who used to play this and play that. I've got no idea what they are talking about," he said.

Incredibly, the Wallabies's new-look front row all played in last year's Queensland club rugby grand final when McIsaac put one over his now-national colleagues when Gold Coast club scored a pushover try against a Sunnybank scrum featuring Holmes and Blake.

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