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As one of the very few rugby writers who support Michael Cheika as the Wallabies’ coach, there are times when I blink in disbelief at some of his selections.
Israel Folau is the latest, returning from an ankle injury on the right wing instead of fullback for the clash with the improving Pumas on the Gold Coast tomorrow night.
Why on earth would Cheika deny the inspirational, x-factor fullback Folau the full field to strut his stuff by slotting him onto the wing with a quarter of the field to move in?
Folau is the fifth highest Wallaby try-scorer in history, playing 61 of his 66 Tests in the 15 jersey in just five years.
Barring more injuries, he should be second by the end of the year if he stayed fullback.
Simply, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Champion winger David Campese (1982-1996) tops the list with 64 tries from 101 Tests, having played 16 at fullback.
Chris Latham (1998-2007) is next best with 40 tries from 78 Tests, from Adam Ashley-Cooper (2005-2016) with 37 from 116, and Drew Mitchell (2005-2016) with 34 from 71.
Then it’s Folau with 32 tries from 66.
Cheika’s explanation is to do “Just something different, shake it up a bit, and see how it goes”.
Bloody hell Cheik, this isn’t a social game of chess, it’s a rugby Test the Wallabies must win.
(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
His selection of Dane Haylett-Petty as fullback was on the basis of him filling in so well against the Boks last week with Folau out injured.
But Haylett-Petty is no Folau.
He’s a traditional style custodian, while Folau is without peer in world rugby under the high ball, and can make something out of nothing in attack.
He’s unpredictable.
But tomorrow night he’ll be hemmed in along the right touchline if, in fact, he gets his hands on the ball at all.
What happens if most of the Wallaby play keeps moving to the left?
That’s dumb.
It would make a shade more sense, but not a lot, if Matt Toomua was switched to 10, and Kurtley Beale regained his 12 jersey where he has more room to move and is closer to link with Folau.
But that hasn’t happened either.
The undisputed fact is Folau and Beale are the only x-factor Wallabies. Now, both are out of position.
Obviously, I hope the Wallabies win but even that won’t support Michael Cheika’s Russian roulette selections.
But it will show the Wallabies are now believing in themselves, a vital factor that has been missing this campaign until last week.
It would just be far easier if key players were in their rightful positions.