Wallabies team winners and losers as ‘electric’ speedster again misses out and Joe Schmidt looks to prevent another All Blacks ‘scoring blitz’
Wallabies players Jake Gordon and Marika Koroibete, and head coach Joe Schmidt.
Following Joe Schmidt’s team announcement for the Wallabies’ second Test against the All Blacks, here are our winners and losers from the 23 named for the Rugby Championship clash in Wellington.
Australia have opted for minimal changes despite seeing their great rivals retain the Bledisloe Cup for another year. There are two alterations to the XV – one of those enforced – as the Wallabies look to build a side capable of challenging the sport’s elite.
We unpack the matchday squad and pick out our winners and losers from Schmidt’s selections.
Winners
Dylan Pietsch
Comes in for the injured Marika Koroibete and makes his first-ever Test start for the Wallabies having appeared three times previously off the bench. It is reward for a fine couple of seasons with the Waratahs, as well as some impactful efforts as a replacement for Schmidt’s side. Pietsch has pace and power and was good in the final 20 minutes in Sydney last weekend.
Jake Gordon
Back as the starting nine and will hope to provide the sort of control Nic White failed to ultimately bring in Sydney. Tate McDermott did his job as a replacement, bringing pace and tempo late on, but the Australia head coach will want more from his main scrum-half. Gordon has generally been the preferred option this year and he will hope to provide more control, so it prevents another All Blacks scoring blitz in the opening quarter.
Isaac Kailea
Schmidt has generally kept a pretty stable XV – quite rare for the Wallabies in 2024 – but there are a few alterations on the bench. That includes talented loosehead Kailea, who will make his third appearance of the Rugby Championship. He has missed the previous two matches, despite impressing off the bench in the 20-19 victory over Argentina in Round Three. It is another test for the youngster but he has shown plenty of promise so far this year.
Ben Donaldson
Another to be in and out of the squad. Noah Lolesio is obviously Schmidt’s preferred fly-half option but Donaldson has started two matches for the Wallabies, with his three other appearances coming from the bench. He is a steady player and won’t let the team down, but the Australia head coach will probably want a bit more from him.
Josh Flook
After two excellent outings in July, we were expecting to see much more from the talented centre in the Rugby Championship, but he has earned just one more Test cap. That, unfortunately for him, came as a replacement in the 67-27 hammering by Argentina, where he came on for the final 15 minutes and saw Los Pumas score four tries during his time on the field. It could have counted against Flook but Schmidt has given him another shot.
Wallabies team: Joe Schmidt makes bold changes dropping experienced trio for ‘high-tempo All Blacks’
Losers
Marika Koroibete
The powerhouse wing went off injured in last weekend’s clash with the All Blacks and that wrist issue has made the decision easy for Schmidt. Koroibete’s performances in the Rugby Championship, and particularly his display in the 31-28 defeat in Sydney, have raised questions about his place in the team, however. He certainly has not been at his best since coming into the side and a good effort from Pietsch could see him out of the team for longer.
Nic White
The experienced scrum-half has been on the periphery of the squad in 2024 and he simply did not do enough to retain his place for this weekend. New Zealand dominated that opening period and White and his team-mates failed to get a grasp on the game, leading to a blowout in the opening 15 minutes.
James Slipper
140 and out for the great loosehead? We doubt it but, a week after eclipsing George Gregan’s Wallabies cap record, Slipper has been dropped from the 23. The 35-year-old has been an incredible servant for Australian rugby and is still incredibly reliable at Test level, but there is no doubt that Schmidt needs to find younger options going forward, hence Kailea’s inclusion.
Corey Toole
We wondered whether Koroibete’s injury might open the door for the absolutely rapid wing to finally makes his Test debut, but evidently not. Toole, who is one of the quickest players in Super Rugby Pacific, was once again outstanding for the Brumbies last year, but the flyer still has weaknesses which he needs to rectify. That is no doubt holding him back as he is utterly electric with ball in hand.
Carlo Tizzano
You can’t help but feel sorry for the flanker, who has been absolutely superb stepping in for the injured Fraser McReight. However, following McReight’s return, Tizzano has been unceremoniously dumped from the 23. The incumbent openside played well last weekend so was never going to be replaced but we at least thought a bench spot might be in the offing for Tizzano. Alas not.
