Wallabies squad winners and losers including a returning ‘powerhouse’ wing and a forgotten former captain
Split with Wallabies Marika Koroibete and Will Skelton.
Joe Schmidt has announced his Wallabies squad for the first two Tests in the Rugby Championship, against the Springboks in Brisbane and Perth.
There is plenty to consider in the latest Australian group and we picked our winners and losers from Schmidt’s list of Wallabies.
Winners
Marika Koroibete
The biggest news of the squad announcement is the return of the powerhouse wing, who seemed like he was done with Test rugby after the Portugal Test at the Rugby World Cup last year. However, he is back in the mix and will be extremely valuable for Schmidt. The robust wing has been one of the best players in Wallaby gold since he came onto the Test scene and you can expect that to continue.
Few players on the planet have the combination of running power, pace, aerial ability, and rugby IQ that Koroibete has. He is an absolute game-changer and Schmidt will be hoping he lights it up against the Boks again.
Angus Bell
The prop forward returns to the set-up after some battles with injury. Bell’s talent has never been in question and he is undoubtedly the future of the front-row if he can keep himself fit. His mobility in open play coupled with his strength in the scrums make him an excellent choice for Schmidt going forward.
Bell needs to get a string of games under his belt at Test level this year.
Corey Toole
The Olympian returns from Paris having briefly returned to Sevens in pursuit of a medal but it was not to be. However, it is not all sad as he immediately gets his first call-up and it is well deserved.
Toole’s superpower is sheer pace and off the bat, he is in the mix for the title of the fastest player, not only in the Wallabies camp but in the whole competition. Don’t be fooled, that does not mean he is one dimensional because the Brumby is a natural-born finisher. The way he finds small space to beat defenders near the line can’t be coached, he just has that innate ability to get it done.
It will be interesting to see how he goes on in the Test scene as there is no question he deserves to be there.
Fresh faces
Seru Uru is one of the new faces on the block and it is no surprise to see his massive frame get the nod. He is comfortable both at lock and on the blindside which could prove useful for the Wallabies. He certainly adds that bruising running that the Australian would get from a Will Skelton.
While Luke Reimer benefits from a mini injury crisis in the back-row, the flanker could well come straight into the selection mix at openside. He has proven his quality for the Brumbies but whether he can handle the jump to Test level, especially against a brutal Springboks back-row, remains to be seen.
Carlo Tizzano also gets his first call-up after an industrious season for the Western Force. He will also be competing for the openside spot and based on his form in Super Rugby Pacific he is certainly in with a shot.
Other uncapped stars
It feels like it has been forever since Max Jorgensen was first named in a Wallabies squad and somehow he is still uncapped. The extremely talented youngster has had terrible luck with injury but it could be his time now. The Waratah is one of those players who always seems to have more time on the ball, more space and all the tools to exploit that. He is comfortable across the back three and seems like he would excel on the Test scene if his body lets him.
It is similar in some ways for Hamish Stewart who is almost a recreation of Berrick Barnes. The Western Force man offers value as an extra playmaker in the 12 channel or as a straight-out fly-half. Stewart certainly has the right skill-set to manage at the highest level.
Retained rookies
Angus Blyth, Isaac Kailea, Jeremy Williams, Josh Flook, Tom Lynagh and Dylan Pietsch all kept their names in the squad after making their Test bow in the mid-year window. The whole group has shown how they can add to the Wallabies with Kailea in particular making waves in the front-row.
Still, all of these players have passed the first challenge of their Test careers and will be looking to kick on from here.
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Losers
Will Skelton
The Wallabies did not offer any explanation for his omission despite overseas-based players being considered this time around. He may be 32 years old but the gargantuan lock is easily still good enough to make a big impact on this Australian side but misses out to the young, emerging locks.
It could be a case of planning for the future or there could even be reluctance from Skelton’s end, but what we do know is that we would have picked him.
Back-row injuries
Injuries are part and parcel of such an attritional game and Fraser McReight is a victim to that at an unfortunate time. The openside was really coming into his own after being fully back in the seven shirt and was one of the best in Wallabies gold against Wales and Georgia. He is out with a thumb injury which is terribly sad as he would have been relishing the challenge of facing the Springboks.
Even more unlucky is Schmidt’s first captain. Liam Wright, who is still out after the one and only Test he played under his new coach. It would have been a good chance to fill the void in the back-row but we feel he will be given another shot when the time is right.
Omitted rookies
We certainly did not expect number eight Charlie Cale to lose out, but Harry Wilson offers more experience. Cale did not make a poor start to his Test career by any means and, even though he has been omitted, we have a feeling he will be back in gold soon enough.
Darby Lancaster is a bit more of an obvious omission with the return of Koroibete. The speedster was decent enough on debut but did not light it up as he would have hoped. Still, at just 21 he is a very young man and, like Cale, he will be back in gold soon enough.
