Being nearly halfway through the 2018 Super Rugby season gives us a sense of where players are at in the pecking order for different positions in the Wallabies for the June test series and beyond.
One position incumbent player who shouldn’t be too comfortable based on his performance this season and the availability of quality competition is the outside centre position. Let’s look at the most likely possibilities for the Wallabies number 13.
Tevita Kuridrani
I have been a huge fan of Kuridrani’s rock wall defence and game-breaking try-scoring ability. However, I can’t remember seeing his attacking game at close to its best in the last year. This Super Rugby season he’s making an average of only 50 run metres from seven runs per game.
His defensive stats aren’t very good either, with Fox Sports Lab giving him a tackle effectiveness rating of 68 per cent. Fox defensive stats are harsher to some stats as the TE rating is calculated using missed tackles and ineffective tackles, while others just use missed tackles, but even so this is a mediocre effort.
He needs to get his act together, because right now he doesn’t look like he deserves a Wallabies starting spot.
(AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Samu Kerevi
A competitor with Kuridrani for the Wallabies 13 last year, Kerevi is a blockbuster in attack, leading in key attacking stats for the candidates with an average of 90 run metres from 11.2 runs. However, his defence is terrible, with a tackle efficiency rating of 65 per cent that is explained by watching him defend.
He constantly makes poor decisions – not running out of the line when he should, running out when he shouldn’t, trying to tackle already marked players, flailing his arms like a helicopter, missing tackles entirely and falling off apparently completed tackles.
He does a bit better in defence at 12 than 13, but really his defence isn’t even good enough for an international bench player.
Part of the problem may be that the Reds are overusing him in attack, as evidenced by what I saw from behind the posts in the Suncorp game against the Brumbies. He would hit the ball up on one side of the park and then run the breadth within a phase to do the same on the other.
I suspect he might just be too knackered to defend when it is time to do so, so the Reds need to better share the attacking load.
The Reds coaching staff also need to work hard with him to improve his defence. He is getting away with it at Super Rugby level, but if Kerevi starts finding it hard to make the Wallabies, he will become frustrated and become a flight risk to overseas clubs. That would be a tragic loss for all concerned.
(Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Curtis Rona
While Rona has played winger early in the season, the Tahs seem to have settled on him playing centre in the last couple of games. I rate Rona as the player most likely to leapfrog Kerevi and to pinch the Wallabies 13 from Kuridrani this year.
Already capped, Rona has a nose for the line, a hard edge and is rated by Michael Cheika. He defends better than both the blokes ahead of him at 76 per cent and has been doing more in attack than Kuridrani at 76 run metres from eight runs. Watch this space.
(Gabriel Rossi/Getty Images)
Chris Feauai-Sautia
A dark-horse candidate after several years of poor form and injuries, Feiuai-Sautia has shifted into 13 from the wing at the Reds in recent games and is doing a damn good job of it.
What will be a surprise to many from a bloke with a reputation for not being the most solid defender, CFS has the highest tackle efficiency of the lot at 84 per cent.
He could do more in attack than his contribution of six runs and 46 metres per game, but what the stats don’t tell is that CFS has a bit of magic in him, with a knack for finding himself in the right place at the right time and working with his teammates to construct spectacular tries.
Michael Cheika might be tempted to give him a run to throw Ireland a curveball in June, with his ability to cover the wing being a bonus.
(AAP Image/Dan Peled)
Other candidates include Tom English, Lalakai Foketi, Reece Hodge and Izaia Perese. I would argue that English and Foketi aren’t quite up to the standard of the four above at this stage, though they are good to have available in the case of an injury crisis, while Hodge and Perese have talents that I reckon are better used as a utility back and a winger respectively.
It is great to have such depth at 13, though, both to motivate the incumbents and to replace them if they don’t step up.
The Sheriff
Guest
Good summary of their talents. Rona, at present is my choice but it depends on who you put inside him.
The Sheriff
Guest
Godd summary of their talents. Rona, at present is my choice but it depends on who you put inside him.
Olly
Guest
Hodge at 13. Has some play making ability but more importantly he has some smarts about him. If coaches would stop shifting him around and just put him in13 then we would be sorted. 10. Foley (don't rate him but he will be 10) 12. Kerevi 13. Hodge 15 Beale Put Izzy on a wing and any of the others on the other one.
Rugby Tragic Too
Roar Guru
CFS is not the answer. He's a decent player but he would be behind Rona and kerevi. plus CFS is a winger if anything in that team because Kerevi is not a 12. He's a 13. Thorn has that tactic wrong and his attack is stifled as a result.
Fionn
Guest
I know that Foley and Beale defended well in Dunedin, but we've had another 9 months of matches since. Beale's defence has never matched that night (that being said, Foley's defence seems vastly improved this year, as has his kicking out of hand and off the tee, which is excellent to see). At present though the Foley-Beale-Rona axis looks likely to continue at international level, I would have thought. One thing I've found really interesting about the Tahs is that the lack of Folau seems to have made them more creative with their attack. As opposed to just defaulting to 'give it to Folau' Foley, Beale and Rona are doing an excellent job at creating space for their outside backs.
Rhys Bosley
Guest
Correction, Kerevi missed the covering tackle on the Tahs 8.
Rhys Bosley
Guest
I agree that Rona is top of the pile at the moment, he was excellent and I would have no problem seeing him in the gold 13. However, I also think CFS may suffer in comparison because he has to play outside Kerevi instead of Beale. He made 10 out of 12 tackles too. I reckon he would flourish with the Wallabies and that they should bat least take a look in the extended squad. As for Kerevi, he is always trying to bust through himself and I think teams have worked that out and are marking him closely. Consequently the ball is not getting out to CFS and beyond. He missed 3 from 7 tackles too and I am still shaking my head at him not being able to make an effective cover tackle on the Tahs 12, he is faster and had plenty of time. Let alone the Wallabies I wonder whether Kerevi should even keep his Reds starting spot at the moment. I would be inclined to bench him while he improves his defence abdvuse him as a game breaking finisher in the meantime. And I reckon Paia’aua should be on as a second playmaker, to help Lance/Stewart get the outsides into the game.
Rugby Tragic Too
Roar Guru
yes at the start f the weekend I'd have had Kerevi and F-saitia ahead of the other two. Bur last night Rona played his way into the starting no 13 for the wallabies. IMHO I still think Kuridrani is too one dimeensional for a no 13.
Rugby Tragic Too
Roar Guru
i think Rona played his way into the wallaby no 13 jersey. At-least into the top of the reckoning pile. Power, speed, guile and finesse something we've been lacking from our 13 for some time. Now he just has to be consistent but i think the jerseys his for the taking.
Tez
Guest
Curtis Rona and Kurindrani narrowed the field yesterday ..... they both played well while Kerevi and CFS did themselves no favors especially in defence. I reckon Kurindrani suffers from lack of opportunity in the Brumbies backline.
Dally
Guest
Would be a good 12 if defence better, they have to train him here, every day. Beale can play 15. Folau to wing. Our options at 13 in this country at the moment are very thin, however at Wallaby level Kuridrani may still be the the most solid option.
cinque
Roar Rookie
After this round, Rona pushed his case, Rhys's other three candidates went a bit backwards. In fact, the entire Tah's backline - bar Foley - went well. To be fair, Foley kicked 7 from 7. Just as well ...
jeznez
Roar Guru
That's the spirit! :D
Fionn
Guest
Funny how that doesn't apply to so many other Wallabies. Including our current inside centre, who he has a better defensive record than.
nate
Guest
22 or hunt
nate
Guest
9 genia 10 foley 11 naiyara or naivalu or koro 12 kerevi 13 kurindrani 14 folau 15 beale 21 gordon 22 cooper 23 rona or hodge or cfs
ThugbyFab
Guest
Am not sold on Hooper at #13, but would be nice to have someone good in rucks out wide. Its why R.Crotty is so valued for the AB, he is first into wide rucks and protects/attacks the ball, both in defence and attack, so keeps that continuity going for the AB with ball.
ThugbyFab
Guest
G'day Malo, good call on R.Hodge but atm no way would I consider J.Maddocks at OC. I have always considered that R.Hodge is a long term IC for the WB. Hodge tackles as good as Kerevi at #12 (not as many big hits but more reliable) and is a better playmaker. I just cannot take K.Beale seriously as a WB player with such weak defence, and I would replace him with Hodge. Beale may be brilliant taking the line on and doing the organisation that B.Foley can't do but he is a liability in defence. With Hodge you lose a bit of attack option (not as badly as having Kerevi there) but now have a very solid defender in midfield. J.Maddocks may be the golden boy on the wing atm, but his defence was shown up badly against the Tahs and Hurricanes. He missed a couple of howlers, as well he gets turned over too many times. In addition I have never seen him play at OC, so who knows how good his reading of defence is. Remember #13 is bloke in the headlights in wide defence, he is the organiser. You can't just put someone there cause he looks good at running with the ball. Maddocks has loads of potential but I would give him another year for him to show us all what he has got.
Hurles
Roar Rookie
Tyrone, are you saying Kerevi isn't good? Kerevi is an outstanding individual player, but rugby is a team sport and you need the people around you to compliment your skill set. Just because you have your 15 best players on the paddock, it doesn't mean the best team is out there.
James Brown
Guest
If the litmus test for Wallabies success is a Bledisloe series victory, after 16 years (whatever it is now) of losses, surely we should ditch a few of the old casualties. They look scared and timid now of the black jersey, and have lost all belief, if you ask me. Beale rarely fronts up anymore. When the going gets tough, the Kiwis get going - we do the opposite and fold now. Also, we keep living on their past one-good-game glories, never on absolute current form. Beale - Genia - Foley - three examples of one great game every five years, and we keep saying they're just out of form. Meanwhile, we lose years worth of WB matches waiting for them all. Dump the lot - jump in, and take a punt on youth. Look what Thorn's achieved so far with just youth and coaching steel. Clean slate - no scars - just diehard effort from the kids. Bin Cheika while we're at it to complete the revolution - perhaps will all happen after we get dumped out of RWC19.