Wallabies: Joe Schmidt could appoint FIFTH captain of the year for November internationals
Wallabies number eight Harry Wilson and head coach Joe Schmidt.
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has left the door open for another captaincy change to his squad ahead of next month’s end-of-year tour to Europe.
This, after he recalled the experienced duo of Will Skelton (lock), who captained Australia at last year’s Rugby World Cup in France, and former Reds skipper Samu Kerevi (centre) to his 34-man Wallabies squad.
The Wallabies have already had four skippers in 2024 with Harry Wilson (number eight) leading the team for the bulk of their Rugby Championship campaign, after Liam Wright (flanker), James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa (props) also had the leadership role earlier in the year.
Schmidt revealed that Wilson would remain as a key member of Australia’s leadership group but would not guarantee him the captaincy for the tour which will see them take on England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in November as former captains Skelton, Slipper, Alaalatoa and Tate McDermott are also in contention to skipper the side.
“Liam (Wright) is still suffering with that shoulder – we’re not quite sure where it is at the moment but we know he’s not ready to tour and hopefully that is a temporary setback,” Schmidt told reporters.
“It’s massively disappointing for Liam.
‘It’s not something we’ve actually talked about yet’
“We’ve got a few in the leadership group of which Harry is one now. It’s not something we’ve actually talked about yet but I think Harry would be one of the standout characters likely to be involved in leadership.”
Kerevi and Skelton will be available for the Tests against England, Wales and Scotland but are set to miss the Ireland Test in Dublin on November 30 as it falls outside World Rugby’s recognised Test window.
Schmidt said he has been talking to both players “for a while” about their desire to return to Test action.
“He’s keen as mustard,” Schmidt said of Skelton.
“He doesn’t take any convincing to play for the Wallabies. That’s been my impression from the very first time I spoke to him and the very first time he made contact.
“He’s a really positive character, he has a gravitas in the group. Obviously he was captain last year and got injured. I watched his game on Monday morning – La Rochelle versus Bordeaux – and sent him a few clips.”
‘He’s pretty fit and ready to go’
Schmidt added: “I’ve had a number of discussions with Samu – he’s pretty fit and ready to go.
“He didn’t feel like he was earlier in the year when Marika came in but I spoke to (Urayasa D-Rocks coach) Greig Laidlaw and he said he’s probably fitter than he was all last year.”
Schmidt was asked whether Skelton and Kerevi were in consideration for next year’s British & Irish Lions series and admitted it would be “difficult” for the duo to earn selection without featuring in the upcoming November internationals.
“If we didn’t get Samu and Will involved in this window, I think it would be very difficult to have them involved for the Lions,” he said.
“So this is part of an investment for that but it’s part of an investment right now in the squad we’ve got and the growth we think those two guys think we can bring to the other guys.”
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