Oh, how the times have changed.

A quick glance at last year's match report between England and Australia tells of a Wallabies scrum that yet again "disintegrated" at Twickenham, a set-piece that would be of "grave concern" ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Here we are 10 months later, after Australia and England have both faced Fiji, and it's the tournament hosts who seem to be answering questions about a worrying set-piece.

For the Australians this week, it must feel like the sky is falling in for never have they experienced such a set-piece love affair from the local journalistic constituency. How have you improved the scrum? What have you done to turn things around?

The common answer, from both player and coach: Mario Ledesma.  

Australia assistant coach Mario Ledesma © Getty Images

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"He spends a lot of time, I guess, there's always a focus on the front-rowers being the most important position in the scrum," Wallabies back-rower Ben McCalman said. "There's also, he's bought the collective as a whole eight mentality, for our nine and our backs, to release our backs. So he's a very passionate guy, and it's certainly rubbing off on a lot of the players.

"I think it's also a whole eight focus, not just a front-rowers' job, there to win the ball for our backs. So hopefully we can do that."

The sight of Ben Morgan thundering over from close range at Twickenham last year was enough for some to write the Australians off then and there. The finger had always been pointed squarely at the front-row; memories of Twickenham from years' past making the fat men up front the easiest of targets.

Ben Morgan beats Adam Ashley-Cooper to score a try © Getty Images

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Enter Ledesma.

The Argentine's "whole-eight" mentality has given the entire pack ownership of the scrum while his passion for the game has also clearly made a lasting impression.

"I feel like we've been building on that since the start of the year, through the Super Rugby sides and having stronger scrums, and also in the few games we've played over here already, and also the Rugby Championship as well," McCalman said.

"He [Ledesma] speaks very well. [He's] a very passionate guy and, like I said before, it does rub off on the players as well. And as a back-rower, when you're on the side, you always feel like you're part of that scrum, you feel like you're adding to it, which is a big advantage for us."

The Argentine, too, has achieved this in little more than three months. Head coach Michael Cheika held a series of mini-camps throughout the Super Rugby season but Ledesma won't have had any extended time with the Wallabies forwards until the squad gathered on the Sunshine Coast two weeks out from the Rugby Championship.

The suggestion has also been made that a change had been made to the Wallabies' preparations, specifically what they were doing in the gym. But again the plaudits came for Ledesma.

"Well realistically, it's a combination of things," Wallabies strength and conditioning coach Haydn Masters said. "He [Cheika] brought Mario Ledesma in specifically for the scrummaging, and I think the work that he's does with them is paramount to that. You know like our guys were strong anyway, like it comes down to scrummaging.

"You asked me the question before, 'do you want to be known as the fittest team?'. Well, do you want to be known as the strongest forward pack but you can't scrummage? They go hand in hand.

"And I think it's very much a combination of that work in the gym; what are you doing? Are you doing the right stuff? And then, secondly, what are you doing when it comes to scrum training time? Is the coach doing the right stuff and are we getting those systems in place where players are going to scrummage better, recover, and still play rugby. So that's obviously been a focus of the combination of the two."

The Wallabies have, so far, got things right at this World Cup; and, with Ledesma setting the scrum tone, the term "disintegration" may well be all England's on Saturday.