Tuesday, August 8 2006 15:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Sydney: He's the most-capped international in world rugby and he has led his country in more Tests than any other Wallaby, yet the knives are out for Australia skipper George Gregan.

The scrum-half general, in his 13th international season, is looking to lead his country at next year's World Cup in France, but his critics are persistent and growing louder in their condemnation.

The 33-year-old Zambian-born Gregan stoically shrugs off the calls from his media detractors, who are demanding he be dumped to revitalise the Wallabies.

The great rugby survivor's critics say he is too slow, too predictable and his service from rucks, mauls and set-pieces is not sharp enough to give the Wallaby backline full scope to display their talents.

Probably no other prominent sportsman in Australia is constantly under intense media scrutiny more than the 125-Test veteran, whose position in the national team is a hot debating point in the rugby press.

"I don't play to answer critics, I play to become a better player and enjoy it," Gregan says.

"I love getting out on the field and playing and as soon as that wanes I know it's time," he said.

Gregan, who owns a thriving coffee-making business, harbours ambitions of playing in his fourth World Cup, probably as his swansong, but he admits that it is out of his control.



"I'm committed to it. I'd love to play in it but there's a lot of football to be played and a lot of things that you can't control between now and then," he said.



But it's a continual battle for Gregan, whose limitations have been publicly aired by some opponents.

England's defensive coach Mike Ford last June ridiculed Gregan as a largely ineffective attacking player who ran across field too much.

"He's an east-to-west player rather than a north-to-south player. He goes across the pitch and doesn't cause you many problems," Ford said.

Gregan handled that barb with dignity, saying at the time, "If there is a hole to go north, I think I'm alright at taking that too, adding, everyone's a bit different".

Only last weekend Gregan received more salvos with one newspaper asking him whether he had played a role in the sacking of previous Wallaby coach Eddie Jones late last year.

Gregan played a straight bat, "I thought we had moved on from Eddie. I'm really not interested in talking about Eddie, and what went on six months ago."

Gregan's form in the much-criticised 20-18 win over the Springboks last Saturday was another talking point.

One critic wrote, "Gregan's form was again disappointing. His passing was flawed, he was involved in a scrumbase mix-up that led to the Boks' first try and he lacked the pace to cash in on the times he breached the defence. He is, it appears, on borrowed time."

Another scribe implored Wallaby selectors, "Do what Eddie Jones was going to do this year if he had hung around long enough get rid of the skipper."

Gregan had to cope with more unwanted headlines when new coach John Connolly reportedly said he was considering resting him from November's Wallaby European tour to freshen them up for next season.

The embattled captain again batted that one away, "It's an end-of-season tour. There's three Tri-Nations games to play so we'll focus on the here and now and we'll talk about the end-of-season tour once we finish the Tri-Nations."

Connolly was keen to remind Saturday's post-match press conference after the win over South Africa, that Gregan was now the most-capped Australian rugby skipper, passing John Eales' previous record of 55 Tests.

Important for Gregan's survival, at least until the World Cup, is the opinion of his national team coach Connolly, who is anything but convinced that Gregan's form warrants a change at No.9.

"I thought he played all right (against South Africa)," Connolly said.

"He was far from our worst player and his core game was pretty strong," he said.

Gregan was replaced by Connolly seven minutes from the end by Sam Cordingley, who helped spark Mat Rogers' match-winning try two minutes later.

No doubt, pressure will continue to build on Gregan as the Wallabies shape up to their next big obstacle New Zealand later this month in Auckland to decide their Tri-Nations' fate.