Speaking to the Australian Associated Press (AAP) Foley said Wallaby forwards still have a massive distance to go in their improvement, but he was heartened by statistics showing they have already lifted their line-out play.

Foley, who was the starting hooker in Australia's 1999 World Cup winning team, joined John Connolly's new look back room staff last year. The pair were in the forefront of trying to restore Australia's reputation in the scrums after the Wallabies were demolished in that area in 2005.

The selectors blooded several new forwards last year and some critics felt there was some improvement in the Australia scrum.

"There's a massive distance to go," Foley told AAP. "What we weren't going to do in 12 months was improve enormously in terms of technique and physically.

"I think the most pleasing thing was on the back of wonderful leadership from Dan Vickerman, Nathan Sharpe, Rocky Elsom, Phil Waugh and George Smith, guys like that, there was a real confidence that, 'yeah, it might not always be perfect, but we're going to have a go'.

"I think first and foremost before you get any sort of improvement or any huge improvement the environment has got to be conducive to that and mentally our forwards are very keen to do well.

"They understand that they haven't done well, that's clear, no one is kidding about that.

"But there have been certain improvements, some of them not as noticeable statistically.

"All those stats can tell lies, we have improved across the board in out line-out play and we've improved in terms of how well we do on opposition ball.

"Where we need to improve dramatically is on our own ball on the scrum, that's straight forward, and the players are very determined to do that."

Foley said all four Australian Super 14 teams had been very supportive of the Wallabies initiative to try and "upskill" their forward game and noted each of them had placed more emphasis on set piece work.