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With David Pocock, Kurtley Beale and Adam Ashley-Cooper ruled out against England at the home of rugby, beleaguered Wallaby coach Michael Cheika can end this woeful campaign on a huge high with a victory against all odds.
Pocock passed a fitness test mid-week with his career threatening neck injury, but failed another test the following day, while Beale and Ashley-Cooper will miss out through sanctions for defying team protocol after the shock 6-9 tryless defeat by Wales a fortnight ago.
Why captain Michael Hooper, the leader of the senior tour group of Pocock, Allan Alaatoa, Samu Kerevi, and Nick Phipps avoided telling Cheika of the Beale-AAC problem until 10 days later, defies description.
It would have been far more prudent for the pair to miss the Italian game, and be available for Twickenham, but Hooper saw otherwise.
But it’s given Cheika a mighty chance to end England’s six-game winning streak under Eddie Jones without three heavyweights that have 274 caps between them.
No England side has beaten the Wallabies seven straight, but they are almost unbackable to do just that.
Pete Samu will wear Pocock’s No.8 jersey, Jack Maddocks will replace AAC on the wing, while Marika Koriobete will take over from Beale on the pine.
But there are plenty of pluses for Cheika to snatch a win from seemingly nothing to knock the knockers.
The biggest asset will be Will Genia’s 100th cap, with no better timing than at the home of rugby making it a very special international for all those wearing the outstanding indigenous Wallaby jersey to see the champion halfback celebrate with a win.
The next big plus will be Israel Folau at fullback and fully fit after an uncharacteristic poor showing against Italy last week suffering from a virus. Tomorrow badly needs the “Izzy x-factor” to break out.
Prop Sekope Kepu’s back in the starting lineup after far too many games on the bench, and it’s time for locks Izack Rodda and Adam Coleman to use their big frames to lift considerably to at least compete with the strong England pack, and give the Wallaby backline swift and accurate possession.
And thankfully Bernard Foley will be there as the Wallaby’s most accurate goal-kicker in what looms as a penalty shoot-out with South African referee Jaco Peyper in control.
The biggest negatives will be Foley at inside centre, and Matt Toomua at fly-half, both likely to jolt the speedsters outside them, with loose cannon hooker Tolu Latu’s lineout feeds questionable, and staying on the paddock an even bigger ask.
If he’s yellow carded again, that must be game, set and match on his international career – he’s become a liability.
And it’s a pity halfback Phipps is back on the bench, leaving the promising youngster Jake Gordon languishing in the stand as a spectator.
Hopefully Genia will play the entire 80 minutes, so it won’t matter what Phipps does.
Those are the pluses, and minuses, Cheika faces, but damn it, he must do something radical to stop the Wallaby faithful from deserting in seriously big numbers.
I’m sick to death of saying it, but it would sure be a major plus across the board if this squad got the simple basics right of pass, catch, support, retain possession, and tackle.
The basics should be an automatic given, but not to this Wallaby squad.
Get them right, and they, along with Michael Cheika and his staff, can genuinely enjoy Christmas.
Another loss, the ninth in 13 this campaign, and it won’t be only the turkey that’s stuffed.