Wallabies team: Winners and losers as Joe Schmidt’s ‘refusal to tinker’ could prove costly while ‘mightily disappointing’ setback depowers pack
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt and players Nic White and Rob Valetini.
Following the announcement of Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies team to face the British and Irish Lions in the final Test match of the series, we pick out our winners and losers.
Australia have been forced into a handful of changes for the clash in Sydney as they aim to avoid going down 3-0 and denying the Lions an unbeaten tour Down Under.
Without further ado, here are our winners and losers from the Wallabies team.
Winners
Nic White
Schmidt admitted that he is not one for sentimentality, but conceded that when a player has served the team and is such a popular and respected member like Nic White is, then it’s hard not to be.
Still, the head coach added that the Wallabies’ scrum-half stocks this series were well stocked and there was very little separating the trio, with White’s superb kicking game actually playing into his favour considering the weather conditions.
It will be the final time that the livewire, loud-mouthed and cheeky number nine will pull on the Wallabies’ gold jersey after announcing his retirement from international rugby as he steps away from the game entirely at the end of the year.
The 35-year-old is rewarded for being a fierce competitor on the pitch and, frankly, a pain in the arse for the opposition, but should also be remembered for his well-rounded game and tactical acumen.
White won’t go down in the same category of Wallabies scrum-halves as the likes of George Gregan, Nick Farr-Jones or Will Genia, but there is no doubt that he was a magnificent servant to Rugby Australia and did the jersey proud every time he pulled it over his head.
So often, an emotional driver can be that one per-center that is the difference between winning and losing, a fact that Schmidt agreed with. A win in a dead rubber is far from the most ideal send-off, but for a player who missed the opportunity to face the British and Irish Lions 12 years ago, White will bite your arm off for it.
Nic White ready to ‘pass on the baton’ as Wallabies veteran calls time on his illustrious career
Taniela Tupou
It’s been a tough, tough year for Taniela Tupou, who battled his way through the Super Rugby Pacific season, struggling with form and confidence, but things looked to have turned when he ran out for the First Nations and Pasifika XV team against the Lions.
The Tongan Thor of old was back to thundering through tackles, hammering red shirts backwards and was a titan in the scrums. His performance was so impressive that many tipped him to be elevated right back into the Wallabies squad for the second Test, which did not come to fruition.
But injury creates opportunity, and with Allan Alaalatoa missing the final Test, Tupou gets his chance to replicate his last appearance against the tourists in the Gold jersey.
Frankly, it’s a major boost not just for him but for the Wallabies too, as if he hits his best form, he should cause all kinds of havoc for the Lions and put Andrew Porter under immense pressure in the scrums.
Tom Hooper
It’s been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride for Tom Hooper too, with the Brumbies back-rower overlooked by Schmidt last year after being a standout at the Rugby World Cup for the Wallabies.
His decision to sign with Exeter Chiefs meant that he was again overlooked for the training camps in the build-up to the series, but his form during Super Rugby was just too good to ignore.
Hooper featured off the bench in the opening Test against the Lions, and with the injury to Rob Valetini, he now gets the nod in the starting line-up.
A hard-working and abrasive loose forward, who can easily slot into lock, Hooper is bound to play a massive role in the final Test match, which could see him retain his place in the squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.
Tom Lynagh
Before the British and Irish Lions series, Tom Lynagh had yet to start a Test match for his country and followed in his father’s footsteps playing for the Wallabies against the famous touring team, becoming the first Australian to do so.
While he struggled in the first Test, he dusted himself off and put in a far more mature and commanding shift in the narrow defeat. With Noah Lolesio heading off to Japan and sidelined long-term, Lynagh has the opportunity to nail down the starting jersey going forward, and another solid shift this week will go a long way in doing so.
Dylan Pietsch
There perhaps isn’t a backline player who has caused the Lions as much trouble as Dylan Pietsch did when the Western Force tackled the touring team in the first game Down Under.
That performance was not enough to twist Schmidt’s arm and secure a place in the Wallabies squad for the Test series, with Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter both preferred. However, an injury to the latter has opened the door for Pietsch to get just his sixth Test cap for Australia.
Losers
James O’Connor
While a rare sign of sentiment from Schmidt resulted in a start for White, the same honour was not awarded to veteran James O’Connor, who is overlooked for the third week in a row.
O’Connor answered Schmidt’s SOS following the gutting injury to Lolesio, but has been subjected to carrying tackle bags and passing on knowledge to the younger Wallabies’ playmakers throughout the Lions series.
The veteran admitted that he was willing to contribute in whatever manner possible, but he will undoubtedly be gutted not to have forced his way into a matchday squad.
Professional sport is brutal at the best of times, and in this case, O’Connor has fallen victim to that fact.
Carlo Tizzano
Wallabies boss Schmidt confirmed that Carlo Tizzano is not suffering from concussion, with his omission a result of the ‘online abuse’ he has been subjected to after the fallout from the second Test match.
It’s a real shame for the Western Force flanker who has fought hard for his spot in the team, not only last year but this year too, has been dropped from the matchday squad due to forces out of his control.
To make matters worse, Tizzano has also been a standout performer for the Wallabies in the first two Tests, and he would have been raring to get another crack at the tourists.
What may ease his woes is that he has probably cemented his place in the squad for the Rugby Championship and the rest of the year.
Rob Valetini
The Wallabies’ best player for the past two years, arguably even longer, misses two of the British and Irish Lions Tests through injury.
Schmidt admitted that the coaching team took a broader look when they substituted Valetini at half-time after a barnstorming 40 minutes in the second Test.
“He is not right this week. It’s the same injury. It was precautionary to take him off and precautionary that he isn’t playing this week,” he confirmed after naming his squad.
His absence is mightily disappointing for the player himself and undoubtedly a massive blow for the squad too, with Australia struggling on the gain-line without their powerhouse back-rower.
Hunter Paisami
Schmidt has refused to tinker with his backline for the opening Tests, with one change this week enforced, while the other is a reward for long service to the jersey.
But one has to wonder whether the Wallabies boss has missed a trick by not getting the abrasive Hunter Paisami into the mix, particularly how he feared for the Queensland Reds against the tourists.
Had he been added to the starting XV, it would have allowed Len Ikitau to shift into his preferred number 13 jumper and Joseph Suaalii to move to full-back or wing, where Australia could better utilise his aerial skills.
Jake Gordon
A catch-22 for Jake Gordon, who vindicated his controversial selection in the first two Tests but now makes way for his long-time teammate White’s swansong.
Unfortunately for the Waratahs scrum-half, he is also not the same ilk as Tate McDermott, whose skillset better suits the replacement number nine role.
A real team player, Gordon would have been happy to step aside, but at the same time, he would have liked to build on his two performances against the Lions.
