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The most telling moment in the Wallabies 47-10 win over the USA in Chicago yesterday was vice-captain Matt Giteau giving Nick Phipps a gobful at the six-minute mark.
And it was about time.
Why coach Michael Cheika continues to support Phipps is one of rugby’s great mysteries.
In Chicago, Phipps was again pedestrian servicing the rucks and general play right from the kickoff, and Giteau swooped.
And he didn’t take any prisoners.
To his credit, Phipps did fractionally improve, but he’s nowhere near as effective or as good as Will Genia who must be first-choice halfback for every World Cup game, except Uruguay.
When Genia replaced Phipps early in the second half, there were immediate dividends with the Wallaby backline lifting enormously – the missing zip returned and the backline actually looked as though they were enjoying themselves.
More importantly, with Genia on duty the Wallabies scored five of their seven tries.
Genia makes things happen.
So the Wallaby first choice backline for the Fiji, England, Wales games and the finals seres must be Genia (9), Bernard Foley (10), Rob Horne (11), Giteau (12),Tevita Kuridrani (13), Adam Ashley-Cooper (14), and Israel Folau (15), with Kurtley Beale, Quade Cooper, and Matt Toomua on the bench.
Giteau to be the second halfback and only use Phipps if Genia or Giteau are injured. Heaven help the Wallabies if that happens.
Up front, the selections are pretty much cut and dried for the main games.
James Slipper has inched ahead of Scott Sio for the number one jumper, Stephen Moore picks himself as hooker-skipper, with Sekope Kepu having a mortagage on the number three jersey.
Kane Douglas had a big game against the USA, winning plenty of lineout ball and using his big frame in general play. Rob Simmons and Dean Mumm will be angling for Cheika’s attention for a starting berth as Douglas’ lock partner.
Give it to Simmons at the start with Mumm a far more versatile selection off the bench as lock or any backrow position,
The starting backrow is done and dusted with Scott Fardy (6), Michael Hooper (7), and David Pocock (8).
The forwards bench – Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio, Greg Holmes, Will Skelton, Dean Mumm, and Sean McMahon who was the only outstanding Wallaby for all of the USA game.
As for the game being a fund-raiser for the ARU, that target fell flat on its face.
Only 23,212 turned up in the capacity 61,500 Soldier Field complex, and no doubt Michael Cheika leaving out Moore, Kepu, Skelton, Hooper, Fardy, Pocock, Kuridrani, and Folau had something to do with the poor crowd.
But Cheika had a job to do to settle on his top side – and he did just that.
Now bring on Bill.