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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will be tempted to name Leroy Houston in the starting XV to meet the Pumas at Twickenham, early Sunday morning. Don’t do it, coach.
Houston is the late replacement from Bath brought in to cover injured backrower Sean McMahon, but current roster member Lopeti Timani must get the nod.
Timani has already been shabbily treated, as a quality backrower-cum-lock with enormous potential.
With David Pocock and McMahom on the injured list, Cheika has the opportunity to throw Timani in the deep end for much-needed experience.
He’s 26, standing 193 cms, and weighing 123 kgs – Houston’s 30 next month, 191 cms and 117 kilos.
Those stats alone make Timani the option for both the moment, and the longevity.
But Houston must be on the bench, and that signals the sacking of Dean Mumm, who has been a bitter disappointment for most of this year.
The Pumas clash will be the last chance for skipper Stephen Moore, Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons (if he gets a game), Bernard Foley, and Nick Phipps to be in the 23 for the clash with the All Blacks on October 22 at Eden Park, and the Grand Slam plus France tour next month.
Those six coming internationals will be a golden chance for the Wallabies to make a deep impression on world rugby, but the form players must be selected, no passengers.
Cheika also has the chance against the Pumas to settle on his 23 for the men in black to break that Eden Park hoodoo since 1986.
The Bledisloe is done and dusted for another year, but the hoodoo lives on.
It’s time, and it’s time for Israel Folau to move up into the centres, which would be a major cultural change for Cheika, and a necessary one for not only Folau, but the team.
The champion has been stagnating at fullback, he needs an injection of activity.
The squad I’d like to see selected for Twickenham has backline changes, with Quade Cooper to take the short shots at goal and Reece Hodge the longer penalty shots, and penalty kicks for touch to make full use of his big boot.
My Wallabies squad to play the Pumas at Twickenham:
1 – Scott Sio
2 – Stephen Moore (c)
3 – Sekope Kepu
4 – Kane Douglas
5 – Adam Coleman
6 – Scott Fardy
7 – Michael Hooper
8 – Lopeti Timani
9 – Will Genia
10 – Quade Cooper
11 – Samu Kerevi
12 – Reece Hodge
13 – Israel Folau
14 – Sefa Naivalu
15 – Dane Haylett-Petty
16 – James Hanson
17 – James Slipper
18 – Tom Robertson
19 – Rory Arnold
20 – Leroy Houston
21 – Nick Phipps
22 – Tevita Kuridrani
23 – Bernard Foley
The referee will be relatively unknown Frenchman Mathieu Raynal.
Let’s hope he isn’t a chip off the Jerome Garces block.