Wallabies team v Springboks: Five takeaways as ‘finest of Cabernet Sauvignon’s’ picked but ‘worrying’ injury trend continues
James O'Connor (front right) with an inset of Nic White (left)
Following the announcement of the Wallabies’ 23-man squad to face the Springboks in round two of the Rugby Championship, here are our five key takeaways.
The top line
Joe Schmidt has made four changes to his 23-man squad from last weekend’s famous 38-22 win over the Springboks at Ellis Park, with three of those coming in the starting XV alone. The return of Rob Valetini is the headline selection, with the powerful back-rower coming in for captain Harry Wilson at eight, but debutant Corey Toole and Tom Robertson join him in the side. Nick Champion de Crespigny also comes onto the bench for Langi Gleeson, after being axed last weekend despite initially being named in the squad.
Elsewhere, Schmidt has kept some of his key men in his side for the clash in Cape Town. Tom Wright again starts at full-back, with Max Jorgensen named on the wing alongside Toole. Joseph Suaalii and Len Ikitau continue their partnership in the centres, with James O’Connor and Nic White also retained in the halves.
Up front, Valetini is joined by newly appointed captain Fraser McReight and Tom Hooper in the back-row, with Will Skelton and Nick Frost continuing in the second-row. Taniela Tupou, Billy Pollard and Robertson form the front-row.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Tate McDermott, Tane Edmed and Andrew Kellaway join Champion de Crespigny on the bench.
Commenting on his selection, Schmidt said: “The squad as a whole has recovered pretty well from what was a very draining and physical Test match on the highveld last week.
“We struggled to contain a powerhouse Springbok start last weekend and we know that we have to improve leading into what’s likely to be a bruising encounter in Cape Town on Saturday night.”
O captain! My captain!
McReight takes the armband off the injured Wilson heading into Saturday’s Test in Cape Town, becoming the fifth man to lead Australia since Schmidt took the reins as head coach.
Liam Wright was the first to do so in their series opener against Wales last year, with James Slipper later taking over for Test Two. Allan Alaalatoa later led the side for the early stages of the Rugby Championship, before Wilson was named ahead of their round three visit to Argentina.
And now, with Wilson out, McReight has become the fifth to don the armband in just over a year.
Schmidt has been pretty open with his thinking surrounding the captaincy. He previously hinted that he could have taken it off Wilson ahead of the Lions series, and while the number eight has certainly proved his captaincy credentials since taking on the position, McReight is also a fine fit to lead the side into battle.
The back-rower is almost a carbon copy of Wallabies great Michael Hooper, which is no mean feat. His work at the breakdown is impeccable, consistently contorting his body into angles a human body shouldn’t be able to recreate to get his hands on the ball, and he then backs that up with some huge defensive efforts and nice carries. McReight is slowly becoming one of the best opensides in the Test game, and is crucial to the success of this Wallabies team.
His influence on this side was certainly reflected in his stats from last week’s heroic win over the all-conquering Boks. Across his shift, McReight notched 20 tackles and two turnovers in defence, and chipped in with seven carries ball-in-hand for good measure.
This is an exemplary pick for the captaincy role, and you expect him to take his game to new levels.
Fine wines
Goodness me, James O’Connor and Nic White were on some form last weekend, weren’t they? With all the pressure to deliver, both on a personal level and a team point of view, they just oozed class in everything they did to deliver a statement win over the Boks, and proved a lot of people wrong.
O’Connor was mesmeric at times as he looked to take the line on and play fast and attack the space, and backed that up with some exquisite passing out wide. Partner-in-crime White, fresh from his incredibly short Test retirement, backed up his performance in Test Three against the Lions with another gloriously efficient performance.
What’s more important about this pairing is that they both proved a huge point in the win. O’Connor had not played a Test match for the Wallabies since 2022, but he didn’t look like he’d been away for three years at Ellis Park as he was the beating heart of the win. White, too, proved just why Schmidt was so keen to end his retirement after just a few days.
Yes, questions still remain about the depth in both areas, especially as Australia move towards the upcoming Les Kiss era, but both men seem to be ageing like the finest of Cabernet Sauvignon’s out of Bordeaux, and after last weekend, we should sit back and enjoy a drop.
Beef
I said it last week, I’ll say it again now, I’ll likely say it again next time the Wallabies team drops too, but this pack is seriously frightening. To beat the Springboks anyway is a mean feat, let alone in the circumstances they did it in, and the pack played a crucial role in that victory.
While the scrum might not have gone to plan, they were pretty spot on in the loose. McReight, Hooper, Wilson, Pollard and Skelton – five of the starting eight – posted more than 10 tackles across their respective shifts, while McReight, Slipper and Hooper also managed to make turnovers at the breakdown. In attack, too, Wilson, McReight, Bell, Skelton, Gleeson and Hooper all posted more than five carries.
While some of these players might not be in the squad, it’s clear that the pack are becoming an increasingly important weapon for the Wallabies in the Schmidt farewell tour. This selection proves that too. Valetini, Hooper and Skelton all bring some serious beef and outright aggression to the side, while McReight also backs their efforts up with some immense work around the breakdown too. Frost is also an understated weapon within this pack, given his unrelenting efforts in the loose plus his sublime work in the lineout as well.
Even the bench points to the importance of the pack, despite the 5:3 split. Champion de Crespigny is another big man to come into the Wallabies back-row, as is 6′ 5 inch Jeremy Williams. The front-row unit of Paenga-Amosa, Bell and Nonggorr might not be the biggest of their positional area, but they are incredibly mobile and pack some serious aggression too.
The pack are again not just here to take part.
Worrying trend continues
While there is a lot to like about the Wallabies at the moment, their trend of picking up key injuries has continued with Wilson, Pietsch and Slipper all sidelined. This is the latest in a long line of key injuries, with Jake Gordon, Ben Donaldson, Noah Lolesio and Harry Potter all sidelined, while Skelton and Valetini have also missed key games this year through injury concerns.
That cannot be good for Schmidt or this squad. For the coach, he will be increasingly frustrated at not having his men when he wants or needs them, while the forced chopping and changing of the squad will not help build those connections.
It’s never-ending on the injury front.
