- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Michael Cheika brought through a lot of young talent in 2017. Jack Dempsey, Lukhan Tui, Izack Rodda, Jorda Uelese and Marike Koroibete were all relatively unknown before the 2017 internationals, but put in some extremely good performances for the Wallabies.
It is vital that Cheika uses the end of year tour to give these players more game time, and also give opportunities to other youngsters who performed well in Super Rugby and the NRC in 2017, such as Tom Banks, Duncan Paia’aua, Tolu Latu and Joe Powell.
With Israel Folau taking the rest of the year off, it is the perfect opportunity to get Karmichael Hunt into the starting team at 12 or 15, and to get Tom Banks onto the bench as outside back cover. Banks is one of the fastest men in Australian rugby, has excellent positional play, is strong under the high ball and possesses a strong playmaking game.
He truly is the full package, and needs to be supported, as he will be a star.
Powell gets to breakdowns quickly and has an accurate and fast pass. He needs to work on his running game and avoid silly errors off of set piece, but he does an excellent job of clearing the ball to his fly-half quickly and accurately.
Uelese was a masterstroke from Cheika. The lad has played almost no Super Rugby but looked every bit the dynamic hooker the Wallabies needed during his few cameos.
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby” name=”Rugby”]
It is time we move on from Nick Phipps, Stephen Moore and Rob Simmons (injuries excepted).
Phipps, after 60-odd Tests, still makes unforgivable unforced errors in most of his starts, struggled to make the Waratahs in 2016 and his pass is too inaccurate for an international halfback.
Moore has been a warrior and great leader. However, despite the fact he has done okay in most of his recent cameos Moore is too slow and lacks dynamism and impact around the park.
Simmons is fine injury cover, but his line out work has declined and he does not offer the same impact anymore.
Increased defence
The Wallabies’ attack was wonderful in the Rugby Championship. Stephen Larkham deserves special credit for this.
However, while the defence has improved, we still leak too many tries, especially in the 10-12 channel.
Kurtley Beale is an interesting case. He is a liability under the high ball at fullback and a liability in defence at inside centre. However, he is also impossible to leave out of the team.
It can be assumed that Beale and Hunt will wear the 12 and 15 jerseys between them.
My preference would be for Beale as custodian, as his highball taking has generally improved – Bledisloe 3 excepted – and he is still at his most dangerous when counterattacking from fullback.
Additionally, Beale is often already situated at fullback on defence, so him attacking from there means less moving pieces in defence and allows for Hunt to take on the defensive organiser role in the front line.
Playing Hunt at 12 also opens the opportunity to start Samu Kerevi at 13, as he will have strong defenders around him.
Especially with Folau out, the Wallabies need another attacking weapon, and Kerevi is by far the next-best in Australia.
AAP Image/Dave Hunt
Pick and stick with locks
The revolving door in the second row must end. Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold and Lukhan Tui are our best three locks.
Coleman is by far number one and will start. It does not matter whether Arnold or Tui is with him, as both are excellent finishers off the bench.
Finishers off the bench
Ned Hanigan is not a finisher, he offers no impact and is a liability.
Nick Phipps is not a finisher, as he cannot be trusted when the game is in the balance.
Tom Robertson is not a finisher, as he is poor in the scrum and weak around the park.
Henry Speight is not a finisher, as he struggles to make an impact at international level.
Moore is no longer a finisher either.
The Wallabies must seleCt a high-impact, powerful bench that can come on and win matches in the final 30 minutes, as they did in the Rugby World Cup.
Lopeti Timani is powerful off the bench and should be our back-row cover.
Tom Banks, as said above, is an x-factor player.
Tui and Arnold are both high-impact locks.
Powell can be trusted to provide good service in the final 20 minutes, and Jake Gordon can provide impact too.
Uelese is immensely powerful and is the perfect hooker option to bring on to end matches.
Additionally, even if Quade Cooper is not going to start under Cheika’s reign, we need a second specialist 10 in the squad – Cooper should at least be on the bench to cover an injury to Foley and to change the dynamic at the end of matches.
If we do all of this then the team has a good opportunity of at least winning their matches against Japan, Wales and Scotland. Who knows, given England’s injuries, perhaps we can even pull an upset out at Twickenham?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.