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Ignoring Rebels lock Cadeyrn Neville in the Wallaby 22 to meet Scotland in Newcastle tomorrow night doesn’t make any sense.
Neville is an obvious selection this winter. It would have been far more positive to blood the strapping 23-year-old standing 202cm (6’8″ in old money) and a 120kg mobile giant against Scotland, the weaker of the five nations the Wallabies will face in Wales, All Blacks, Springboks, and Argentina.
Instead the Wallaby selectors – Robbie Deans, Tony McGahan, and David Nucifora – have opted for veteran warhorse Nathan Sharpe and Sitaleki Timani in the starting lineup, with Rob Simmons on the bench.
It’s not that Sharpe doesn’t deserve selection, but he’s hanging up his boots at season’s end. Now is the time to build, not superannuate.
As for Timani, he’s been in the lack-lustre Waratahs pack that has lost a record 10 Super games this season, six on the trot, and Timani hasn’t been a standout like David Dennis, Kane Douglas, and Wycliff Palu.
But Neville has been a standout in the far less representative Rebels pack, even though it’s his first season of Super rugby, and only his third in the code after switching from rowing.
Talent is talent, it’s recognisable from game one, and Neville has put in every week.
Maybe I’m sounding off too early. Have the selectors inked Neville in for the first Test against Wales next Saturday? Hardly likely, but an alternative.
Neville apart, the selectors have done a pretty good job with just four days in between two Tests. The lineup for Wales will be named on Thursday.
The selection of Berrick Barnes in the contentious No 10 slot will prove a point.
When he’s played there for the Waratahs, and even at inside-centre, he’s kicked the casing off the football, driving fans and television viewers bonkers.
If Barnes feeds his Wallaby backline, then we will all know Barnes has been under instructions from Waratahs coach Michael Foley to kick, kick, kick.
If he continues his kicking spree, then we’ll know both Foley and Deans have taken the negative route to gain territory. Precious few teams can win without ball in hand, counting on mistakes from the opposition.
The selection of the centres is also interesting. Pat McCabe and Andrew Smith have been the best midfield combination of attack and defence in the Australian Conference, and one of the major reasons why the Brumbies lead the Conference.
But the Reds pairing of Mike Harris and Anthony Fainga’a have been given the nod.
At least McCabe is on the bench, while Harris will be the goal-kicking option if Barnes has an off night.
And it must have been a toss of the coin naming Reds Luke Morahan as full-back ahead of Waratah Bernard Foley. The same could be said about Brumby winger Joe Tomane’s selection over the Reds’ Dom Shipperley.
The big pluses?
David Pocock as captain, where he’s been destined to be for three years, and five new caps – the tireless Dennis, the Waratahs’ most consistent performer all tournament, Harris, Tomane, Morahan, and prop Dan Palmer, with flanker Michael Hooper on the bench, and a potential sixth new cap.
In the break-up, the Reds show the way with five in the backline, and nine in the 22, Brumbies six, Waratahs four, Force two, with bench half-back Nick Phipps the sole Rebel.
South African Jaco Peyper will referee tomorrow night. Compatriot Craig Joubert will take over next Saturday.