It felt like it was up in the air for an eternity, and then suddenly it just became clear.
Like a lingering airport fog that just disappears, the Wallabies first-choice XV seemed anything but obvious when the Rugby Championship began, yet just three games later there was so little doubt that it’s actually funny to think about.
And with the first Wallabies fixture of the 2019 Rugby World Cup now just days away – and, no, I’m not quite ready for it, thanks for asking – I’ve still seen nothing to shift me away from the opinion expressed over the last month.
Australia’s best team still looks pretty settled, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some verbal confusion coming out of the camp in the meantime.
Immediately after the Samoa Test in Sydney, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika explained that the competition for spots within will make the squad stronger, and the best options in each position will naturally emerge.
“No, no headaches,” he said after Wallabies debut at the new Western Sydney Stadium win. “You want to have as many players as possible competing for the spots, it’s exactly where you want to be going into the tournament.”
“I think we have a really good atmosphere in the team, where players all compete with each other and then once one gets selected, the other one works with him to make sure the right outcome comes in the game.
“There’s a really good camaraderie inside the team at the moment.”
And as I wrote at the time, I did get what he meant.
But now that the team is in Japan, that same message is being used slightly differently.
Cheika was asked if he had a bit of a selection headache looming ahead of the Fiji game, with almost all niggly injuries in the squad now gone and pretty much all players available, leaving the coach to concede in agreement with the question.
“There’s a lot of competition for places in the team so far and I think that’s the way it’s going to stay, to be honest, over the next seven weeks,” Cheika told AAP from the Wallabies training base in Odawara over the weekend.
“That’s going to elevate the level of each player because I know everyone wants to play.
“You can just see it in the way guys are training, everyone wants to be a part of it.”
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
The two quotes are pretty well identical. But now they mean the opposite of what they did a fortnight ago.
And perhaps it’s an indication of how the mindset has changed now that the Wallabies are on the ground in Japan. Shit just got real, as the cool kids say. What wasn’t a headache in Sydney – no problems at all, she’ll be right mate – is now a really nice problem to have as they head north to Sapporo on Wednesday.
I find that fascinating, I must say.
The other fascinating element has been the placement of a couple of veteran players in front of the media in the last few days and the way they’ve addressed the very obvious question of going into World Cup with a far from certain involvement only days out from the first game.
“It’s great competition and I’ve really enjoyed going up against [Christian Lealiifano] every time we’re training,” Bernard Foley told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“We’ve been doing a lot of 15 on 15 and that means that the competition is there and it’s probably the same across all positions. Every position is being highly contested. It’s good to work with him on certain issues and how we’re seeing the game, how we can evolve our games and how that can benefit the side.”
Foley was okay against Samoa but not so great that Lealiifano still shouldn’t start against Fiji this weekend and probably Wales the following weekend.
(Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Think about that. Think back to even the end of Super Rugby and whether you thought it was at all plausible Foley would be fighting to play a significant role at the World Cup just a few months later. That a player of Foley’s standing in the game – regardless of how you might rate him – is suddenly very uncertain about his Rugby World Cup involvement can only be a positive for the Wallabies.
Adam Ashley-Cooper has been another one.
“I guess for me, more than anything in this World Cup, it’s just about making sure I’ve got my own game right,” he told rugby.com.au this week.
“Making sure I remain competitive, making sure I have a mindset to grow and develop and get better and improve each day and that’s how I can contribute to the team building, making sure I’m taking care of my pieces of the puzzle.”
For the removal of all doubt, because I’m sure this will come up, I don’t believe Foley and Ashley-Cooper have been put up this week for some kind of conspiracy that their fronting the media is some kind of assurance that they will be picked later in the week to face Fiji.
The Wallabies have been in Japan not quite a week, and I reckon I’ve seen video or audio interviews from at least half the squad already. RWC rookies, young players, key players, old players – they’ve all been put up accordingly.
Yet here we have a couple of very senior players in the middle of all that who, through a suddenly surprising amount of competition for places – and unquestionably borne out of the squad uncertainty at the start of in the international season – are having to fight like perhaps they’ve never had to fight for a Wallabies jersey before.
If Foley and Ashley-Cooper, or any player outside that still pretty clear first XV, manage to fight their way into the Wallabies side for crucial games, then it can only be because they’ve earnt it.
And in the middle of a Rugby World Cup, that’s pretty much the best-case scenario.
John R
Roar Guru
"2011 Was named international player of the tournament playing for the Australian U20s in the World Championships, captaining the side against Fiji." https://www.rugby.com.au/players/michael%20hooper#International Colby was the squad captain. Ford was Player of the Year, but Hooper was player of the tournament. So you're both right. I see this as a total win.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
How is that relevant? The point is that McMahon has never been a specialist 7. So not being played there, he isn’t played out of position.
Locky
Guest
You must have forgotten the winning try White scored against the AB`s in Sydney 2015 to wrap up the game.Then he was replaced for Phipps for the 2015 RWC. Your argument still doesn't hold much weight.
Chris
Guest
Twas Test matches are Brutal. You cannot compare Super Rugby NRC and Japanese club rugby to them. Try again.
Rob M
Roar Rookie
White was ordinary in 2015. He has improved in many many ways in the UK. Phipps was good in 2015. Not anymore. And Cheika dropped him. My toilet paper is thick and fluffy. And very dry.
JP
Guest
Train Without A Terminus has disappeared with his tail between his legs. :laughing:
Locky
Guest
Clown punted White in 2015 for Phipps. Your argument holds as much weight behind it as wet toilet paper.
bigbaz
Roar Guru
and all are qualified to play for Australia unlike McCaw and unlike Eales for New Zealand , this stuff is not rocket science.
Rhyno
Roar Rookie
Garry - most PI's in Abs are kiwi-born, they're as kiwi as a hangi ;-)
Rhyno
Roar Rookie
bigbaz - or like how Zimbabweans, Papua new guineans, kiwis and pacific islanders can't make the wallabies? Oh wait there's 12 foreign-born players in the current Aus squad.
Markus
Roar Rookie
Hooper didn't captain the Australian U20s, Colby Faingaa did. And while Hooper was the Australian U20 player of the year, George Ford was the World Rugby junior player of the year. No Australian player was nominated.
Highlander
Guest
I like evidence too Hoopers captaincy win rate without Pocock in the side - 48% Hoopers captaincy win rate WITH Pocock in the side - 30%
Stu
Roar Rookie
Everyone else but me, anyway..
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Agree thanks for the update
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
You're right. They do not each have 3 people locked in, although I do feel they have more connotations where players have combined more often. Even so, to be more explicit, being the third wheel with Pooper must be extremely hard. One or all three needs to be adapting their game for it to work. Which one adapts what, and when, only comes with game time. Hopefully with a slightly improved set piece nowadays they can at least figure out while going forward
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
In 2012 or 2013 he made more pilfers than any player in international rugby for example. A huge factor is when you look at the stats, he tops the tackles leading to turnovers category. Why would you want your defender who best sets you for pilfers, going for them himself? As you’ve said, we’ve lacked the quality 2 back rowers to join him. A 7s job is not in right. Pocock worked at times, but we really need one of Hooper or Pocock and 2 big back rowers. Thankfully Naisarani looks like 1 of them.
Sinclair Whitbourne
Roar Rookie
I think Foley often gets an amount of flak that might be better directed elsewhere. He does have significant shortcomings (kicking from hand, defence is not strong) but he is playing within a structure that has a lot of problems. All halves look poor if the grunts don't get the job done and he has often played behind beaten packs. He is a dangerous runner, often reads the game well and has a very good short passing game. I have never felt that he has been less than 100% committed. The options have often been little better. He also should be remembered for that penalty in the 1/4's against Scotland 2015, amongst other things. His decline since then might be part of a broader decline in the team. I don't think he is the reason. I also think we need to ask how it is that we have a 10 coming through with these deficiencies not corrected.
Sinclair Whitbourne
Roar Rookie
I could have happily supported Folau being dropped for team cohesion reasons. Agree re Speight and Carter. Carter was one of those guys who was just not quite good enough for true international level but I loved watching him at his best for the Brumbies. Speight was just a great team man and a quality player. He had a very good Super season defensively this year. I thought his was a situation where selection or non-selection were fine - within the margin of discretion, as it were. I wasn't too thrilled by AAC's selection but as he is there I hope he adds value, playing or training.
Sinclair Whitbourne
Roar Rookie
I think people unhappy with Hooper's play need to recognise that he was much more a traditional 7 under Jake White at the Brumbies. He wasn't a limpet over the ball like Pocock but he was very effective. My recollection is that his play has varied depending on the coach and the game-plan. It may be that if we had a monster ball carrier, or two, like NSW with Potgeiter in 2014-15 he would please a lot more people. Like a lot of our players I think he is being wasted by a gameplan that is missing the key ingredients to make it work. I think we are struggling to find two quality tighter backrowers of the kind we had in the glory days, who could bend or break the gain line, cover a lot of ground, read the play and inject some mongrel (ah, Toutai and the 1999 game v Ireland).
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
That’s factually incorrect. Hooper was used off the bench in the 2012 June tests while Gill was playing for the U20s. Hooper captained the side in 2011 and won player of the tournament. When Pocock got injured, Hooper then seized his chance in the Rugby Championship tests that Gill was available and selected for under Deans.