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The Wallabies are all set to name their team for the First Bledisloe Test today at midday, and it will be very interesting to see how Ewen McKenzie shuffles the puzzle pieces.
The Wallabies face New Zealand at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Saturday night.
Everyone has a thought on who should play where, and that’s only been amplified after the Waratahs won their maiden Super Rugby title ten days ago.
Though the team has been together for a week now, the preparations didn’t properly start until yesterday afternoon, with their first training session at North Sydney Oval. Last week’s promotional activities went down really well in Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, and Penrith, but now the preparations get serious.
Front rowers in bubble wrap
If hooker Nathan Charles has noticed a bit of extra love and attention from the Wallabies coaches over the last few days, it’s been well warranted. With Stephen Moore already out, and Tatafu Polota-Nau ruled out for a month or so after the Super Rugby final, the Western Force rake was already expected to win his starting debut on Saturday night.
However, when prop Scott Sio went down early last week, and then his replacement Laurie Weeks pinged a hammy on his second day in camp. McKenzie and his assistants must have been tempted to wrap Charles and all his front row colleagues up in cotton wool.
Bubble wrap and fluffy pillows might have been added in late Sunday, too, when news filtered through from Sydney Uni No.1 oval that Waratahs hooker and sudden Wallabies bolter Tolu Latu had suffered a broken arm. Saia Fainga’a was summoned from Brisbane, and if there was a time Saia was going to get a flight upgrade and the full comfort treatment, this was it.
As much as we like to point to the increasing depth in Australian rugby, it only takes a bit of an injury crisis like what is currently hovering over Australian hookers to realise how paper-thin it can sometimes be. The Tahs and Brumbies have four hookers out of action between them, and the fact that a seemingly out-of-favour player from Queensland has been called up as the sixth or seventh choice illustrates this perfectly.
Lock: a workhorse to start, or massive impact from kickoff?
There’s been precious little indication that James Horwill is in line for a recall, so the discussion around who will partner Rob Simmons appears to be whether Sam Carter comes back in after impressing immensely in the First Test against France, or whether the bulk of Will Skelton is to be used from the start.
I don’t actually think there’s much debate around this one, in truth, and I’m quite sure that Carter will start. If this was a June Test, or the Spring Tour, you might be inclined to try and give Skelton some more experience, but I don’t think that’s a risk McKenzie will take for a Bledisloe Test and onwards to The Rugby Championship.
The interesting decision, though, might be whether Horwill can usurp Skelton for the bench spot.
Scrumhalf: defensive desperation or another kicking option?
The choice at No.9 is an interesting one. Nick Phipps got better and better for the ‘Tahs, and was outstanding in the finals, but if he is preferred over Nic White – which on form, seems the right call – then are the Wallabies giving up aspects of their game plan that they might need?
Certainly, without White, you lose a long-range goal kicking option. Bernard Foley had both feet off the ground as he gave that last kick in the Super Rugby Final absolutely everything, and anything in the 40-45 metre range is going to stretch him.
Without White, the Wallabies also lose another lengthy exit option, either at the back of the ruck or in general play. For whatever reason, Phipps just doesn’t do a lot of kicking.
Their service, a scrumhalf’s bread and butter, is pretty even. Phipps’ pass has improved massively this season, and I’d say he has no more bad passes in his game now than White anyway.
What Phipps does bring, though, is passion and a cover-defence game that has become the stuff of legend of late. His twin try-saving efforts in the Semi, and more of the same in the Final, would not have gone unnoticed by the Wallabies selectors.
Whether his defence and whole-hearted approach is enough to top White’s kicking game, we’ll find out in a few hours.
The centres: Brumbies, Waratahs, or a bit of both
This is almost certainly the biggest point of discussion, and the one with perhaps no wrong answers.
Brumbies pair Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani are the incumbent 12-13 pairing, and Kurtley Beale and Adam Ashley-Cooper have just won a Super Rugby title together.
Toomua finished the Brumbies’ campaign well, and relished the increased opportunity to attack as the Brumbies finished the season with a flurry of tries and another shift in playing style. His midfield defence, particularly coming up against the All Blacks and more than likely Ma’a Nonu, will certainly way heavily in his favour.
As good as Beale was in the Finals, I still wouldn’t be looking to start him at 12 against New Zealand. He didn’t do a lot of defending in midfield for the Tahs, and that would mean more compromise for the Wallabies. Again, if it was the end of year tour, you might consider it, but not now. And either way, Toomua has done nothing to warrant being dropped.
No.13 is a whole other argument. Adam Ashley-Cooper cannot do any more than he has for the Waratahs this year to outline his case for playing in his preferred position for the Wallabies too. Kuridrani had a solid, if unspectacular Super Rugby season, while Ashley-Cooper played better than he ever has.
If I were making this call, I’d play Ashley-Cooper at outside centre.
However, the loss of Nick Cummins means McKenzie needs another winger. With Henry Speight still not eligible for another month, Pat McCabe seems likely to pip Rob Horne for the berth. In reality, both McCabe and Horne are equally deserving and would do a sterling job.
However, with the limited Wallabies preparation, and changes being forced as they are, I think McKenzie will be looking to keep whatever combinations he can, and this might mean leaving Ashley-Cooper where he is on the wing.
Once Speight can play, perhaps that will be the time for Ashley-Cooper to go back infield.