Nick Cummins would tell Reece Hodge he’s gunna be busier than a one-armed bricklayer in Baghdad… with an itch.
And the Honey Badger would know about having his hands full given the latest star of The Bachelor only recently stepped out of a house full of 25 women sizing him up for a shot at love. Or fleeting fame.
In fact, it’s difficult to know what would be the most demanding – physically and psychologically – between ‘The Badgelor’s’ gig and the assignment Hodge has been handed on Saturday night.
Hodge will play at outside centre for the first time in his Test career when the Wallabies take on the All Blacks in Sydney.
Remarkably, the 23-year-old Melbourne Rebels utility has already made 27 Test appearances but this season’s Bledisloe Cup opener will be his first wearing the No 13 jersey.
It’s a daunting task, and one that’s come about due to injuries to midfield specialists Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani.
Outside centre is often considered the most difficult position to defend, mostly from scrums and line-outs, and its challenges are exacerbated when you’ve got the world’s best fullback – live-wire Kiwi No.15 Ben Smith – hitting the line at speed.
Earlier in the week, All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster was up front about his team’s plan to target Hodge in defence.
The traffic heading Hodge’s way will be as heavy as that typically around ANZ Stadium on game day, especially given they’ve picked a well-connected centre combination of Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue from the Super Rugby title-winning Crusaders.
Goodhue is raw – it will be only his second Test having made his All Blacks debut in the third Test against France in June.
But he’s rugged and busy and sure to give Hodge a torrid time.
The defensive demands at outside centre, which Hodge himself admitted to this week, makes me feel that he’ll have little to give when it’s time to attack.
He’ll be on such high alert without the ball that his running game will be dialled down.
Hodge’s defence-heavy mindset means much will be expected from Beale and Folau in attack, although it’s a similar set-up at the Tahs in which they dominate the go-forward and line-breaks on the edges.
Not that Hodge’s selection is a poor one from Michael Cheika.
Curtis Rona, even if he spent much of the Super Rugby season outside Waratahs and Wallabies No.12 Kurtley Beale, didn’t show enough to warrant Bledisloe selection.
The other reasonable option would be moving Israel Folau from fullback to outside centre. It seems Folau doesn’t want to have any other jersey except the No.15, and with contract negotiations ongoing, it seems at Rugby Australia that now is not the time to rock the boat and risk losing him overseas or back to the NRL.
The All Blacks say they’ll target Hodge, but they could take aim at any other area of the field and feel like they’ve got a comfortable advantage.
Perhaps that’s overly pessimistic from a Wallabies fan. Defeatist. Droughts that stretch 16 years have that effect.
But again they’ve picked a bruising pack. Kieran Read is underdone, but Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Joe Moody and Sam Cane set the tone and over the years have consistently bullied Australia’s forwards.
They’ve got two wingers – Waisake Naholo and Rieko Ioane – that are as big as backrowers and pop up all over the field. Many reckon Beauden Barrett has been a bit off, but he won’t have too many below-par games in a row.
The depth in New Zealand rugby means there are plenty top-notch players coming off standout Super Rugby seasons that are snapping at the heels of the All Blacks starters.
The Wallabies’ only chance of competing is if they get something close to parity in the tight five. Adam Coleman, Izack Rodda and Lukhan Tui will need to provide the aggression without handing over a glut of penalties, which can be their weakness.
Similarly off the bench, Tolu Latu and Taniela Tupou are big on energy and impact but often low on discipline. The June Tests – on both sides of the Tasman – proved that sin-bins and send-offs are in vogue and game-changing.
The All Blacks and Winx are both at $1.20 to win on Saturday. It wouldn’t feel right trying to make if just a few bucks by backing the All Blacks to beat the Wallabies, but getting on the Kiwis is probably a safer bet than putting cash on the champion mare on a 25-race winning streak.
Who knows what the All Blacks’ odds to take down the Wallabies at Eden Park next weekend will be. Like Winx running in a mid-weeker at Muswellbrook?!
MitchO
Guest
Always interesting to talk scrums Jez but I was never particularly technical. I know a lot of smart people talk about alot of variations but too often the flaw is that the players don't feel it well enough and can't go with the flow. My first good coach was an old South African tighthead (back in the under 14s) and he said get square stay square. If you are the loosehead get a nice bridge established. Another mate I played a fair bit with says if you have good technique the tricks don't work on you. I have found that to be true.
PiratesRugby
Guest
Fred, there’s the naive optimism before the series followed by desperate clinging to whatever shred of hope the ABs leave us after the series. Then there’s the collective amnesia about how poor the selection, coaching, gameplay, skills and execution were. Remember, we can’t beat Scotland.
PiratesRugby
Guest
Robertson has been improving rapidly. He’s earned a starting spot. Let’s see how he handles it.
Markie362
Guest
So the game hasnt started yet and the all blacks are already cheating wateva abs by 15
Nomad
Guest
Crockett has retired.
Rhys Bosley
Guest
I reckon this alleged trade off between Hodge’s defence and attack is made up. The lad is a natural footy player - tough, big, fit, fast, good skills, committed and aggressive. None of that is going to desert him in a new position.This new Kiwi kid Goodhue will be well tested me thinks.
Rhys Bosley
Guest
“Aaron Smith – Genia BB > Foley Reiko - Koroibete Crotty - Beale Goodhue ? Hodge Naholo < DHP Folau – Smith” Fixed it for ya. Nahalo over DHP in particular was a courageous call, based on this Super Season he is the player most likely to be sent off and lose the All Blacks the game.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Thanks for the further explanation, great to get into a bit of detail. In HK we are firing up for pre-season. I'm going to work on both options with the pack I am coaching.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I completely get what you describe though - never tried it but makes sense that as a loosehead tries to work around, by shifting your scrum left, he winds up even further around. If he was at 45, he is probably now at 90 and no longer driving towards your try line while opening up his side.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I see the pro guys tend to pincer the opposition hooker between their hooker and tighthead as opponents look to roll, or particularly if the loosehead tries to bore while the rest of the opposition stays square. I was never a good enough tighthead to manage that. For me, I never wanted the opposition loosehead to have too much angle around against my righthand side, made it too easy for him to duck under and attack my sternum while negating my abilty to pressure his outside shoulder down. By stepping right you square him back up, and if the whole pack does it you can bring their tighthead and hooker off square, then attack by driving straight after making that move. Absolutely it is not a pure weightlifting game - major part of the battle is having all 8 working on the same page - as long as you work in concert you are a great chance of dominating the opposition 8 (at least at the lower levels)
MitchO
Guest
Yeah Tman but if the Wallabies don't get a lead we are in deep poo. Surely the games we've won we've gotten and front and somehow managed to hang despite some form of kiwi points scoring come back. No matter how good we are and how crap the All Black team is, surely we have never beaten them by much.
MitchO
Guest
Jez if you shuffle step left a little, hold tight and drive straight the other scrum effectively peels away. It does work. Looks a bit freaky and you have to hold your formation but as you know that is scrummaging is not about weight lifting. I never tried to step right. An old Queenslander who was our tight head taught me to step left. He never mentioned going right so I figure he didn't know either.
Jacko
Guest
Yes they often get the first points...a 3 pointer
Jacko
Guest
Oh that cheating thing again eh Peter? They must have cheated massively in Dunedin last year as the Aus scrum went backwards very very fast...I.m with Die hard...Abs use scrums to restart unless they see a massive advantage to be gained
bluesfan
Guest
What I'm saying very slowly for you - is that no Australian side bar Queensland had a dominant scrum this year, thus your propping strength whilst OK - does not match up to either Franks or Moody. The QLD Scrum that was dominant - was not ranked higher than any of the NZ sides and did not even play against the Crusaders this year. The Wallaby scrum from last year has lost Moore from the Hooker ranks and gained Topou - where people see the AB Scrum being dominated is a mystery to me - if the Wallabies can gain parity in the scrums they will be doing well.
Akari
Guest
Jack Maddocks is IMO a distraction, MC. I think Banks' maturity, pace and rugby nous would have been better as a sub instead.
scubasteve
Guest
For all the talk around Hodge. He can run hard. He has two good runners off him in Hooper and Folau. Add to that Beale with a good pass to the outside and it is the newbie in Goodhue that should be more concerned about being targetted. If I was Chieka I would be targetting their new guy. As for Hodge he can tackle and has Hooper as cover for him and Beale. But the AB's are going to create an overlap with Hodge not as quick on the turn. Phipps and to some extend Genia will create cover on this but will it be to late by then. I feel like Crotty isn't as good a ball player and with as good a pass as Beale so a lot of the AB's extras will need to come from Barretts long pass and nulified by how quick Beale can shut down Crotty or push Crotty to crowd Barret. It will be a close game. Hodge and Robertson will play a critical role in the result.
Danny
Roar Rookie
Who have they picked to counter the TH, Tu'inukuafe has actually been moved to TH reserve,as there been injury. So surely you don't mean Perry? I actually do think the Wallabies scrum is ok, but let's not make things up!!
Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
Aust backs are not par with the AB's. You can only make a case for 3 Wallabies. Gina, Beale and Folau. Aaron Smith - Gina BB > Foley Reiko > Koroibete Crotty - Beale Goodhue > Hodge Naholo > DHP Folau - Smith
PeterK
Roar Guru
except the official stats were 10 scrums each with each losing 1 scrum