Will Skelton OUT! Seven replacements to fill behemoth lock’s void for the Wallabies
From left to right: Will Skelton, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Jeremy Williams
The Wallabies will be without the services of behemoth lock forward Will Skelton for the rest of the Rugby Championship, with the La Rochelle man reportedly headed back to France for club duty.
Skelton has played an instrumental role in Joe Schmidt’s squad over the past few months, as he played a key role in their wins over the British and Irish Lions and Springboks in successive Test matches.
His reported departure now means Schmidt will be looking around for a replacement, and while there is no easy way of filling a Skelton-shaped hole in your pack, the Wallabies do have some decent options at lock.
Here is our rundown of the possible replacements for Skelton.
Front-runner: Jeremy Williams
The most likely replacement for Skelton ahead of the Wallabies’ Tests against Los Pumas is Jeremy Williams, who has already been his able deputy within Schmidt’s 23 this year. The Western Force lock might not be as physically imposing as Skelton, few are in fairness, but he does give the Wallabies the sort of beef they are after within their engine room, given he stands at 6′ 5 and weighs in at 113kg. Around his size, Williams has been involved in all six Wallabies Tests this year, either as a starter or off the bench, and that will allow him to seamlessly step in.
In the mix: Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
One man who is virtually an exact replacement for Skelton is enforcer Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, who could be about to earn a well-earned recall into the Wallabies squad. The Reds giant would bring all the raw size and physicality that Skelton brings, with the lock standing at 6’6 and weighing 124kg, but he is also in great form of late after three impressive outings against the British and Irish Lions for the Reds, the AUNZ XV and the First Nations and Pasifika XV. His form across that series deserved a Test cap, and this seems a good time to give him one.
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Outside bets: Tom Hooper, Darcy Swain
Underneath them, Tom Hooper and Darcy Swain are viable contenders for the shirt. Exeter Chiefs-bound Hooper has really impressed since returning to the starting XV on the blindside flank in the past few Tests, almost making that number six jersey his own, and you would expect him to simply carry on that good form at lock. One issue with Hooper moving to lock is that it would disrupt the developing back-row unit.
Swain is another massive unit that could come in and bring that sort of ballast Schmidt got from Skelton. The 6′ 7 lock also boasts some good form this season, impressing for the Western Force across his 14 starts and for the FNP against the Lions, and this could be a good opportunity to impress on the Test stage after a prolonged absence.
Bolters: Angus Blyth, Josh Canham, Matt Phillip
Rounding off the options, Angus Blyth, Josh Canham and Matt Phillip could all be on standby. The trio have all been out of the picture for a while now, with Blyth and Canham both being absent from the senior Test stage since last year’s Rugby Championship, while Phillip has not donned the gold jersey since the World Cup, but again could all come in and add some fresh impact to the side. Crucially, all three men bring that sort of size Schmidt would be after, with Blyth standing at 6′ 9 and weighing 124kg, Canham 6′ 8 and 119kg and Phillip 6′ 6 and 115kg.
