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It’s taken a dozen rounds, but Matt Lucas has at last been promoted to Waratahs starting half-back, and will now figure in Wallaby calculations for June 11.
Lucas takes over from Brendan McKibbin as one of the four changes as the men-in-blue keep alive their play-off chances.
It’s nice to see Berrick Barnes back in the run-on side after 10 weeks of injury time, replacing Rob Horne at inside-centre who moves to the bench.
John Ulugia fills in for Tatafa Polota-Nau, who is nursing a fractured forearm, and Sekope Kepu replaces Paddy Ryan.
But Lucas is the exciting selection, after warming the bench all season. Every time the 21-year-old has taken the field, the Waratahs’ backline has instantly looked slicker, and more alive.
That can now be the case from the get-go, and at least 40 minutes won’t be wasted before Lucas is unleashed.
He has been one of my smokies for Wallaby selection against the Lions, with 20-year-old Force inside-centre Kyle Godwin, and the massive 21-year-old Waratah lock Will Skelton.
They are three very talented youngsters who have Wallaby written all over them.
But whether coach Robbie Deans has the courage to pitch them into the Lions series is the big question. So far he’s gone for experience alone in his initial 25-man squad.
But there’s still six places to go on June 11, and Matt Lucas will be pushing Nic White, Nick Phipps, and perhaps Luke Burgess for Will Genia’s off-sider berth.
Lucas and Phipps go head-to-head on Friday night at AAMI Stadium when the Waratahs take on the Rebels, the locals still on a high after beating the Stormers last week – their first win ever over a South African side.
But the Wallaby-laden Waratahs will have far too much grunt for the Rebels, especially now Barnes is back in action – looking good, kicking goals, and embracing coach Michael Cheika’s ball-in-hand policy.
He has Bernard Foley inside him and Adam Ashley-Cooper outside him in career-best form, with the back three of Peter Betham, Drew Mitchell, and Irael Folau just itching to run the ball at will.
These are exciting times for the Waratahs, but they face a tough draw to sneak into the play-offs with only four rounds to go.
To make it harder, the Rebels, Crusaders, and the Force are all away games, then there’s a month off with the Lions window, leaving the big finale at ANZ Stadium against the Reds, which no doubt will be make or break.
Whatever the play-offs outcome, Cheika must be saluted for doing a super job with the much-maligned Waratahs coming off their worst season ever in 2012.
It took six games for the Tahs to understand what Cheika was after, running the ball Randwick-style instead of aimlessly kicking the soul-case out of the ball.
Why so long?
No idea, except it was an in-built culture that was very hard to shake. Which doesn’t say much for the rugby nous of some players.
But the penny has thankfully dropped.
Since the bye in mid-April, the Waratahs have won four of their last five games against tough opposition: They beat the Chiefs 25-20, lost to the Bulls 30-19 at altitude, thumped the Kings 72-10, beat the Stormers 21-16, and the Brumbies 28-22.
The penny has dropped alright.
And the Tahs are thriving on the pressure of having to win all their games from here on in to even get a sniff of the play-offs, restarting tomorrow night in Melbourne.