Opinion
With setback comes opportunity. While the Wallabies are no stranger to setbacks, now comes a time they can finally grab this opportunity with two hands.
Saturday night’s drubbing by England in Oita highlighted many things – the run-at-all-costs game plan is foolish, Jordan Petaia is certainly worth all the hype and Michael Cheika has run a promising Wallabies team into the ground.
However, the most important lesson the Wallabies must take away from this World Cup campaign if they hope to ever be a successful side again is this: there are too many old heads taking up space.
Since 2003 the Wallabies have ultimately been plagued by holding onto players who are past their best. While it is important to recognise the contribution that greats of the game have made to the Wallabies, keeping certain individuals past their expiry date has been detrimental to Australia rugby.
(Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
This article will not delve into every instance of Australia not letting go of old players; rather it will discuss just one.
Ever since the retirement of Stephen Larkham in 2007 the Wallabies have struggled to successfully find a world-class No. 10 who can truly grab the game by the scruff of the neck, who consistently has the poise and intuition to put a dazzling array of runners around him into spaces they can best display their skills.
While we have certainly produced players who can produce this once in a blue moon, like Bernard Foley, Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale, the crux of a successful international team is consistency in the halves over a four-year period. This is what the Wallabies have lacked.
Why? For the most part the Wallabies have not followed in the footsteps of other international teams who often look to create a mentor and a protege-type setup, allowing for a passing of the torch during rugby world cups, as Daniel Carter did for Beauden Barrett in 2015.
This is what Australians should have been watching throughout this World Cup – a flyhalf at the peak of his powers passing the torch to the next generation. Instead we watched and cringed as Michael Cheika continued to chop and change his halves pairing, which led to the inevitable: a poor showing by both Will Genia and Christian Lealiifano in the game that mattered through squandered opportunities.
These mistakes have been made and now the Wallabies must learn from them.
Of the 31 men who left for Japan, how many should return in 2020?
Despite his critics, it is clear that the first man picked must be Michael Hooper. He is unquestionably Australia’s most consistent player. His two turnovers on Saturday night showed he is a genuine No. 7 and the man to captain the Wallabies in France in 2023.
With that in mind, though, he must now look to mentor the next crop of openside flankers, such as Will Miller and Liam Wright, so he too can pass the torch in 2023.
Aside from Hooper, players who should remain are few. Taniela Tupou, Jordan Uelese, Izack Rodd, Isi Naisarani and of course Jordan Petaia are five players the Wallabies should look to build their team around next season. The 2020 squad should also be bolstered by other fringe capped players such as Rob Valentini, Jack Maddocks, Joe Powell and Harry Johnson-Holmes.
(Rugby AU Media/Stuart Walmsley)
From there the Wallabies must look to bring many of the successful Junior Wallabies into the fold, such as Noah Lolesio, Isaac Lucas, Fraser McReight, Trever Hosea and Lachlan Longeran, plus next-generation Waratahs playmakers Will Harris and Ben Donaldson, Reds flyer Jock Campbell and Rebels young gun Semisi Tupou. And of course we can’t forget schoolboy sensation and future Brumbies flyhalf Reejan Pasitoa.
With these colossal changes the Wallabies can look to properly build towards 2023. It is integral that Australia begins to look beyond the immediate Test match and considering how best to develop promising players.
With that, I give you my hopeful Wallabies XV for 2020.
Sure, it might look crazy. But could we really do any worse?
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