LONDON -- In this part of the world, Australian sportsmen are often perceived as boorish, never knowing when to shut up. Confronting England has a way of bringing out the arrogant side of the awful Aussies.

But the Wallabies are adamant they will not use that approach this week, instead opting for the charm offensive and a bit of bobbing and weaving as they prepare for the most critical of Rugby World Cup pool matches at Twickenham on Saturday night. It's a strategy they have used successfully twice before in winning the Rugby World Cup in Britain.

Australia's Michael Cheika speaks to the press © Getty Images

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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has made it blatantly clear that the squad is taking a "loose lips sinks ships" approach during this World Cup. They don't want headlines turning into distractions. Hence the Wallabies are delighted they have been under the radar - getting little publicity in the opening two weeks of the tournament; that happens when you perch yourself in Bath, a fine rugby town but fine rugby town with no World Cup fixtures.

The pace picked up a bit when the team were in Birmingham over the weekend, especially as they decided to wind down after their win over Uruguay close to the Walkabout bar where Australian cricketer Dave Warner had a late night stoush with Joe Root two years ago. The Wallabies saw plenty of silly wigs during their short Birmingham stay, but they didn't take the bait. Knowing that Cheika does not stand for too much nonsense, the players stayed out of trouble.

The British media has long enjoyed following the Wallabies, knowing there is always someone within their ranks who will give them a good line - usually a brash opinion of someone else. David Campese was the master of that. No wonder he still gets work in this part of the world.

Bob Dwyer was on the front foot during his days as Wallabies coach, while the banter between Eddie Jones and his England counterpart, Clive Woodward, was often hilarious and acidic - and always great newspaper copy.

Cheika doesn't mind a bit of a wrestle with the media either; understandable considering that for a short period he was a copy boy at a Sydney newspaper, the Daily Mirror. He knows how the press works, along with Wallabies team manager Pat Molihan, who for many years was a rugby league reporter at a Sydney television station. Not surprisingly they prepare themselves diligently for media conferences to ensure there are no slip ups. So Cheika will be amenable until you ask him an opinion of any other team, in particular England and Wales.

Cheika was probed several times by the press pack after the Uruguay win if he would wish to comment on the England-Wales encounter, and its ramifications. Cheika responded with the bland statement of: "I don't think I'm in a position to comment on any other team except my own."

He said it with such commitment, even gusto. It was as if he had practised the line 50 times in the dressing room mirror before heading to the media conference.

The "softly" approach also had a lot to do with them still being unsettled, and not entirely certain they have England's measure. The Wallabies are a team in transition, and haven't played often enough together to be able to start pounding their chests. Combinations are being worked out. Players are still getting used to each other.

The Wallabies rate England - which has a lot to do with recent end-of-year northern hemisphere tours, on which Australia have floundered at Twickenham - primarily because they have been unable to match the home team's physicality and understanding of positional play. Australia know that England, when they get it together, have a formidable set piece and breakdown work - areas that have not always been Australian strongpoints. That's why the Wallabies have spent so much time trying to get their scrum right, bringing in former Argentina hooker Mario Ledesma to fix a major part of their game that has often fallen apart in this part of the world. So far so good with reasonable up-front performances against Fiji and Uruguay, following several acceptable scrummaging efforts during the Rugby Championship.

They also understand the danger of the wounded beast. England are being castigated in every direction, in particular their captain Chris Robshaw's decision to ignore a late equalising penalty and opt for the corner in the hope of a driving maul try that would have won them the game.

Nonetheless, there are numerous Australians - including myself - who comprehend why England opted against the penalty shot late in the Wales game. Executed properly, the driving maul close to the opposition line is near impossible to stop. England just messed it up, and also appeared to be in two minds, allowing Wales to make the initial drive that fragmented them.

The feeling within the Wallabies camp is that England, even with all their injury problems, won't stuff up two weeks in a row. That's a good enough reason for the visitors to suddenly become mute.