Confirming no-one is safe from Robbie Deans’s razor-sharp axe, champion flanker George Smith was on Tuesday shunted to the bench for Australia’s Bledisloe Cup clash with New Zealand in Tokyo on Saturday.
Young gun David Pocock, considered by many a future Test captain, will start as openside flanker, opposing All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw, after Deans relegated Smith for the first time in eight trans-Tasman encounters since taking over as Wallabies coach last year.
With 105 Tests to his credit, 29-year-old Smith is the most-capped forward in Australian rugby history and captained the Wallabies in their past four Tests before Deans this month appointed fellow breakaway Rocky Elsom as his spring tour skipper.
All up, Smith has led Australia eight times during Deans’ 25-match coaching reign.
But there was no room in the starting XV for the dual John Eales Medallist when Deans named a reshuffled line-up in the hope of ending the Wallabies’ six-Test losing streak against the All Blacks.
Deans and fellow selectors Jim Williams and David Nucifora believe the powerhouse Pocock will better serve the Wallabies at the front end of the game.
“What we’re trying to do is find a way of winning so we’re looking for little points of difference that can help us to get there,” Deans said.
Nevertheless, the selection is certain to raise eyebrows among Australian rugby fans who have grown accustomed over the past decade to seeing Smith win countless games for the Wallabies with his brilliant ball pilfering.
An eternal optimist, Deans shed his nice-guy image after Australia’s 33-6 loss to the All Blacks last outing in Wellington, the native New Zealander breaking ranks with his troops to condemn the Wallabies’s lame finish to the match.
He then piled veteran forwards Phil Waugh and Al Baxter onto his high-profile scrapheap, the pair omitted from Australia’s 35-man spring tour squad as Deans’s sweeping generational change continued in the countdown to the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The demotion of Smith, though, is undoubtedly the biggest selection gamble of Deans’s 17-month tenure.
Should the Wallabies lose a seventh successive Test to their fiercest rivals for only the third time in history and again be battered at the breakdown, critics of Deans will doubtless be screaming.
But the unflappable coach is unfazed at the prospect of any backlash should his dumping of Smith backfire.
“That’s part of the industry. There’s always going to be differing opinions,” he said.
“You can’t satisfy everyone. The critical thing is to satisfy what we’re here to do and that’s have the Wallabies succeed.
“That’s the underlying motivation.”
In total, Deans made four personnel changes to his run-on side, with No.8 Wycliff Palu’s inclusion in the back row in place of Smith the only alteration to the forward pack.
Wingers Peter Hynes (knee) and Digby Ioane (shoulder) earned recalls after recovering from long-running injuries, replacing Drew Mitchell, who has been relegated to the bench, and Lachie Turner, who was dropped altogether from the match-day 22.
And Ryan Cross returns at outside centre, with Adam Ashley-Cooper moving from the midfield to replace teenager James O’Connor at fullback.
O’Connor will start on the bench.
Newly-crowned Wallabies player of the year Matt Giteau remains at five-eighth but will continue to share the playmaking role with inside centre Berrick Barnes.
Wallabies: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Peter Hynes, Ryan Cross, Berrick Barnes, Digby Ioane, Matt Giteau, Will Genia, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (capt), Mark Chisholm, James Horwill, Ben Alexander, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson. Replacements: Stephen Moore, Matt Dunning, Dean Mumm, George Smith, Luke Burgess, Drew Mitchell, James O’Connor.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Jameswm - I too have seen him do some great stuff and believe he should be one of the first picked as long as we are NOT playing the AB's. I will watch him very closely tomorrow night to see if I am right or you are? I too have heard that TPN is a great bloke and fairly smart by all accounts. He does bring another dimension to the pack and now that he seems to have gotten over his 'throw in' issues he is in front of Stephen Moore, this amazes me as I thought we were lucky to have a great hooker in Moore. Pity we dont have two great locks (2nd row). When you think about it we have only two guys in the pack that can make opposition forwards consider their safety and that is Elsom and Palu. Not getting excited about tomorrow, more interested and quizzical I guess. Got this awful feeling the AB's are going to do us again!!!! Blinky - you had better get down to Retravision now and order a new one ! You know it is going to happen.
Jameswm
Guest
I was going to make the point that Terry Kidd did - that is that Pocock and Palu have been chosen to give us more strength and power at the breakdown, bigger bodies that can knock opponents flying. Smith, Brown and Hodgson are too small. After 50 Palu can be puffed and Smith can come on. Some of you are awfully tough on Palu - the guy is a sensational player and so strong in contact, plus he can offload. He mightn's be in as many rucks as Smith or Pocock, but that's not his job. His job is once he gets there, to smash the opponents and make a difference. He is also the only one who can be jumped on by three opposing forwards but still manage to not go backwards and recycle the ball. I've watched him before and this is nonsense about his lesser workrate - watch him closely in a game, in the replay even, if you don't believe me. He is there in or one off the ruck plugging holes and driving the attacker back, if they are silly enough to run at him (they tend to avoid him). Note they have picked TPN to start for the same reason - the guy is a human missile and hurts when he tackles. Strong as anything and a brute in scrums. More power at the breakdown. A top person too, which I've said before.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Lote Tuqiri is no longer with the Wallabies, there is a new coach, and time might heal wounds.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Dean - true tah, My view having watched him over the last few years is that he plays well against all teams except NZ. I think that, like a lot of Islander boys, he is just in awe of the All Blacks. IMHO he should be one of the best 8's in the world. This is strange when you think that we had Toutai Kefu and Jim Williams who would lift against the AB's. Hell! Kefu won us a famous test match in Ealsy's last match. We have a few islander boys in our club and you would think the sun shone out of Carter/McCaw and they will not support the Wallabies when we are playing the AB's. Even when we are not playing them they are reluctant supporters.
Ben
Guest
Agree on all points above except maybe the George Smith one. Smith should be there for Palu at a minimum.
Dean Pantio
Guest
That would be the Cheetah's that came last? The Cheetahs that managed to win two matches?
True Tah
Guest
Dean Palu just doesnt have the venom or the anger. 2008 the big man was unstoppable for the Waratahs, but in the Wallaby jersey he goes missing...IMO nowhere near as good as Pierre Spies as a number 8, who is just as powerful as Palu but a lot fitter and quicker. I find a lot of the Islander boys playing for the Wallabies have that sort of mentality, with the only exception in recent years being Lote Tuqiri.
True Tah
Guest
Dean when the Cheetahs played the Crusaders, the Cheetahs won and it was largely due to Brussow...although Im not 100% if McCaw was playing.
Dean Pantio
Guest
Agreed Ben. For someone of his build, Palu sure goes AWOL often.
Dean Pantio
Guest
He'll never play a Test for Australia. Anyone close to the Wallaby set up during the Connelly era can tell you why.
Dean Pantio
Guest
Just what position would you play him in at Test level against the second best team in the world at the moment?
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Or Peter Hewat who currently is fullback for London Irish.
Dexter William
Roar Guru
Good selection in general by Deans. Pocock deserves a go at the ABs, and Smith to be given a 30 minutes at the end sounds like a good strategy. How ever disappointed with: 1) Michell being selected on the bench. He should not even be in the tour. 2) Burgess being selected on the bench, knowing full well that Gits having anxiety attackes when he is half back. Burgess should go back to club Rugby to work on his game. 3) Why is Giteau still palying at 10? Pretty disappointing after Dean's been talking tough preceeding this game. Who's the Boss? 4) Cross selection is weak, but who else is there? I can't see him playing test after this tour. I hope he shows more guts and enthusiasm at his defence. Oh and please make sure to tell Palu that this is really really really his last chance to show that he has got balls big enough to play test.
Stash
Guest
Oh well, perhaps Smith can help Mortlock and Waugh hand out Donuts at half-time - now that Dunnings been recalled. Deans is probably lucky he never got the AB coaching position - his selections would have lead to riots in the streets (then again Rocko and Donald missed the scythe for too long)
sportym
Guest
Not at the wallaby level. We need the best team on the pitch to win. Aside from the SA game he has been missing and given away some dumb penalties.
westy
Guest
I look forward with enthusiasm to the European tour . I have no idea what this game ags the All Blacks means. Sometimes mere repitition cheapens the product. Short term financial gain may have a longer term cost. I think Smith will force his way back into the starting lineup.
mcxd
Guest
they looked like a mob of aussie surfers or a collection of japanese schoolgirls.
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
With Waugh gone and Pocock in the starting XV, Smithie would be feeling the cold wind of his late career. If he doesn't pick his form up, he must know he'll slide out the back of the truck. I think he's still got it in him.
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
Those league skills ...
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
OJ, I actually think the problem is the locks. Without them doing the hard work, we get murdered in the rucks. You don't miss them until they ain't there.