Following the conclusion of the 2020 international window and ahead of the 2021 Super Rugby season, there is an opportunity for the Super Rugby teams and Wallabies set up to collaborate and work together to get the best out of the current crop of players.
Having continuity across the Super Rugby competition going into the international calendar can only be mutually advantageous.
In particular, by having players playing regularly in the same position for their Super Rugby team will benefit the player when they transfer to the international set up, which will allow them to further develop their game coming up against high quality international players.
Subsequently their Super Rugby teams will reap the benefits with a better player returning.
While there is always positives with versatility, too often Australian players have been shifted into varying positions in an effort to get the most talented players all on the pitch at the same time.
Although the logic does have some merit, by playing regularly in a position both for your club and country will greatly aid in understanding the intricacies and inner workings of that particular position.
Let’s consider some possibilities.
There has been a lot of talk of the Hunter Paisami and Jordan Petaia combination at 12 and 13 for both the Reds and Wallabies.
It was however evident in 2020 that Australia need twin playmakers in the 10 and 12 channels in order to get the best out of the flair players in the other back line positions. The difference in the Wallabies back line play was night and day when James O’Connor and Matt To’omua were paired together at 10 and 12 compared to the other combinations.
By this reckoning Hunter Paisami should remain in the outside centre position that made him catch everyone’s eye for the Reds and in the first Bledisloe Cup match in Wellington.
Paisami showed that he is more than capable in the 13 channel and he needs to be given more match experience in this highly complex position.
Hunter Paisami. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)
The consequence of keeping Paisami at outside centre begs the question of what to do with Jordan Petaia, who has been a regular in this position for the Wallabies in 2020.
Whilst he is still raw, what we have seen from Petaia suggests that his abilities may be better suited at full back.
He would be afforded more space at 15 and provide more opportunities to counter attack creating line breaks for the team, and he is also comfortable under the high ball.
Fullback is at the moment a very open position for the Wallabies and one where a highly skillful and explosive player who can create chances would prove invaluable.
The benefit for Queensland Reds is that it will allow both Hamish Stewart and Paisami to continue their flourishing partnership in the midfield and if Josh Flook lives up to this potential, he could provide genuine competition for places in the Reds midfield.
The fact that at 26 Reece Hodge still does not have a regular position is an indictment on Australian rugby.
Looking at his attributes and the current crop of Australian backs, Hodge would be handy addition at inside centre for the Melbourne Rebels, allowing for twin playmakers at 10 and 12.
Hodge’s skills lend himself to the position, with a combination of his experience as a playmaker, his crash ball ability and excellent defence.
Reece Hodge. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Playing alongside To’omua for the Rebels would further aid his development in the inside centre channel, with the added benefit of To’omua remaining as the Rebels flyhalf providing the promising Carter Gordon an incredible mentor to learn his craft over the next few years.
Hodge should also be the primary goal kicker for the Rebels as, with his age, he is the most likely player out of To’omua and O’Connor to be in the Wallabies XV at the 2023 World Cup.
Three seasons of regular Super Rugby kicking duties would allow him to further develop this crucial area of the game.
Even at his age, Liam Wright has one of the smartest rugby minds in Australia and has the potential to be excellent in either the 6 or 7 jersey.
However we are now at a point where he needs to specialise in one of these positions, as both have differing areas of expertise.
Currently with his frame and breakdown abilities, Wright looks to be best suited to the openside flanker position. His pilfering, excellent work at attacking and defending breakdowns and also being a line out option make him a stand out in the 7 jersey.
However this move would obviously hinder the impressive Fraser McReight who many tip to be a future Wallaby star, and such a decision would likely require one of the two to depart Ballymore which the Reds will obviously want to avoid.
If however it is decided to turn Wright into a blindside flanker then he needs to adapt his frame and abilities to better suit this position with some of the best players in the world currently in this position being hard ball running options.
The Bledisloe Cup matches demonstrated the strengths of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in the second row and there should be no further experiments with him at blindside flanker.
In Swinton, Valetini and Hanigan Australia have better options in the 6 jersey and Salakaia-Loto has shown his class as an international second row enforcer.
Lachlan Swinton has bags of potential and all the right attributes to be a very effective blindside flanker and should not be considered for the second row to cover the recent departures at the Waratahs.
His aggression in matches is something that he needs to keep however it does need to be controlled in order to end any repeats of his red card in Brisbane.
Perhaps a slightly bold suggestion but with Rob Simmons heading off to the UK and Michael Hooper to Japan next season there is a vacancy for the Waratahs captaincy and you could do worse than to look at Swinton.
In 2008, the Reds appointed a 22-year-old James Horwill to the captaincy, who like Swinton has an abrasive style.
The captaincy required Horwill to mature and control his aggression which famously led to the Reds’ 2011 Super Rugby crown and him leading the Wallabies at the World Cup in New Zealand the same year.
The Wallabies need more leaders around the match day squad, with none of the current Super Rugby captains being regular starters during the 2020 Wallabies campaign.
By this token we should also see other players such as Wilson, Salakaia-Loto, Hodge and Gordon given leadership positions at their Super Rugby teams to develop the future Wallaby leadership group.
Whilst the final result for the Wallabies in 2020 was a bit of a damp squib, there is no doubting the potential of this team.
This is where Scott Johnson as Director of Rugby will earn his wage by identifying growth areas that are in the national interest but that in no way devalue the Super Rugby competition by ensuring long term benefits to the Super Rugby teams.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
I can't see why everyone raves about Swinton. He had 30 minutes of mayhem where he tried his hardest to get sent off until he did. Also a certain Jock Campbell is a better fullback than Jordan P. will ever be.
Choppies
Roar Rookie
100% agree with you on the injury aspect. But if you talk to wilson or any of the schoolboy players that have played with him or against him, or even the reds for that matter, they consensus say he is a freak talent. Wallabies need to coordinate some special physio regime with him at the reds where he plays less game time or something so to spare him for wallabies - he is honestly too good to not have in the wallabies in the future.
Jack
Guest
Interesting that none of the players of so much ability and talent but playing out of position in the Wallabies come from the Brumbies. Consistently the best Australian team, consistently under represented in the Wallabies over the last few years of dismal outcomes. Maybe these players of great ability and potential really have neither when the pressure is on which is why their Super teams and the Wallabies have consistently performed below par.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Choppies ok thanks for the info. I'm not sure he's a better talent than Wilson, McReight or Wright but he's definitely got plenty. And also I'm confident he'll bounce back by 2023. The major issue with Petaia though depends on his injury prone body. If he can't settle emotionally, and physically, in the next few years he won't play much Test Rugby
Tony
Roar Guru
Thats probably the answer Poco. Give more opportunity to prove himself as a kicker from all over the park. As I said, excellent player.
Choppies
Roar Rookie
Petaia played his entire high schooling rugby at fullback where he won the GPS premierhsip (the elite high school rugby union comp in Brisbane) as a grade 11er. He was the highest try scorer in aus U20s and when he played for Qcountry (where he was the player of the tournament). Although his last few games have been poor, he is the greatest australian UNION talent since falou. Lets not forget he lost father only a few months ago and has since been seperated from his family due to covid - he will bounce back and by 2023 be the in form full back in the world.
Poco Loco
Roar Rookie
Hi BB, Hodge's stats in the last 2 tests for 35m and under shots is 100%. Not bad for someone who is not his super team's kicker. His misses were the 2 +45m shots so don't discount his abilities. He has been asked to take the long shots in high wind and wet conditions because he has a big boot. Who else has that range? With coaching and practise his long range kicking will improve. So he should not be dismissed off hand. I hope he is given the opportunity in the Rebels to be their kicker next year so he can hone his skills. Cheers.
Ex force fan
Guest
Was this article about better cooperation between the Superugby teams and Wallabies or the Reds/Rebels and the Wallabies? I was hoping this article would focus on how we can get at least five playerseligible to play for the Wallabies in each position - one at each team. Also on how we can ensure that our best 115 (23x5) gets Superugby game time to develop their game by distributing talent better across the franchises. For example the Force will field a strong side in Superugby next year, but will a competitive team made up with several Argentinians, two Kiwis and an Irish player benefit the Wallabies? I expect to see more internationals playing for other Australian Superugby teams next year. It is a difficult balance to get right.
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
If a player has a natural ability then getting to 80% success is not rocket science, it's practise. Hours and hours of practise. If you want to represent your country then it's not too much to expect. When EJ started as England coach he said he wanted the player pool to be the fittest players at their respective clubs. And a decent kick coach wouldn't go amiss.
Brian Westlake
Roar Rookie
If Liam Gill came home do you honestly think mcreight would get a start?
Tree Son
Roar Rookie
I rate this take 7.5/10 for heat. You notably forgot to criticize Dagunu and Gordon but otherwise it was all there.
Antony Henrie
Guest
For good of Rugby in Australia Rennie needs to pick the correct Wallalby 23. He came close to it in game one then he lost the plot completely.
Markus
Roar Rookie
Hodge has been tried plenty of times at 12 for the Rebels, their back line has consistently looked stunted in attack when he starts there. Meakes has provided better balance, as did a Deegan-Toomua combination. His sample size starting at 13 is far smaller but again he has not stood out there. English was the Rebels best all round 13, Magnay also looked more threatening. It is all well and good to say he needs a chance to settle in a position, but he also needs to be stronger or at least on par with his competition for any given spot for that to be reasonable. I like Hodge but I just don't see him as so good that the Wallabies must find a spot for him in the starting backline.
Rugby wizard
Guest
Stander would have been a very good selection,I would have had him at 8 and moved Wilsen to 6. Dream backrow would have been 8.Stander 7.Gill 6.Wilsen I wonder if opposition would have kicked as much to our back 3 if Morahan was in the team,they felt too comfortable doing it. The French fullback is the same age as Morahan and is much slower but he is such a smart player and guides the youngsters so well around him.
Don
Roar Rookie
I think this season, albeit massively disrupted, we saw a lot more communication and support between Scott Johnson and the SR coaches. Now Rennie is on board I expect it will improve further. But whilst everyone benefits from a strong Wallabies side, each SR coach has a job to do and job to keep and has to balance that with the desires of our national coach. Having a higher “national success” focus for the greater good of the Wallabies without centralised player contracting will be difficult to achieve. And on the current selections; Some clubs have their dual playmakers at 10/12 others have a 10/15 combination and utilise a big bodied crash ball runner with good hands at 12. This year under Rennie we saw success with dual playmakers at 10 & 12, but was that by preference or was it simply because we had no options at 15 who’d shown an ability to do the Beauden Barrett type role? Ultimately each SR coach needs to select the side he thinks will win him games. The Wallabies selectors and coach need to work with that. Sure, they can express opinions but ultimately, if they tell Brad Thorn they want Jordan Petaia at 15 but Thorn doesn’t because he’s got a preferred option there, then JP plays where BT needs him.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
In the military the first response is to any problem that arises is to identify the threat and the essential points. The amount of time available varies. It may require immediate action or you may have time to do an appreciation where all options are considered. This would be the job of the coach. Immediate action is the job of the Captain. Who needs to be level headed not a rabbit. So far neither Rennie or Hooper have demonstrated the qualities needed for these jobs. We have few players that would be certain to be picked . Some of them not necessarily of the quality needed. Tupou, Alaatoa, Slipper, Sio, Philip, Wright, Loto, Samu, White, JOC and Kuridrani . We then have Banks who is a complete 15, Koreibeti , Wright, Valentine, Simmoni , Amosa, Faingaa , Hooper, Hanigan and Naisarini are OK . Lolisio, Harrison, Powell, MCDermott, Stewart, Paisami, Campbell, McReight, Wilson all need time and work. Petaia a lot of it. Hodge has played everywhere and has not mastered any position. He needs to go back to the Rebs , learn to tackle and master one position. I think 15. Toomua has been around for too long and is a bench player at provincial level. Then we have the real players that Rennie ignores. Lee-Warner, Standers, Ready, Miller, McCaffrey and Kuridrani. All worth looking at.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
The Brumbies would beat Rennie’s ponies. Better coach, better players and better game plan. Let’s ditch fantasy and face some facts . . Hooper , Simmons, JOC and Toomua have been around for a long time and have never set the world on fire anywhere. . Petaia has really done nothing. I’m beginning to wonder if he is a myth. . Paisami is not in Kuridrani’s class yet. . Correct about the Reds MCD, JOC , HS, Paisami, Campbell. . Wilson is not as bad as Petaia but is BS. . Swinton can’t play rugby.
Rugby wizard
Guest
No way BT will drop Stewart and most if not all Reds fans are extremely happy with Stewart at 12. Petai was hailed as the next great Aussie centre,but I think Flook is a better prospect.
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Nice article mate and some good points, although I can also understand a Super coach wanting to play the players in the best place for his team and this will always be an issue. Totally agree that playing people out of position to get the "best" players on the field is the dumbest selection policy there is. Play the best player available in that position and if there's another who's not as good then he doesn't get on the field. I certainly agree with Paisami at 13 but not so sure about Hodge at 12. I don't think he has the distribution skills to play that position well and I feel he'd revert too much to the cross field crap we see too often. He has also proven himself many times to not be a good centre or wing. I thought he played well at 10 but nothing spectacular and I still believe that had Lolesio come on in the last 20 mins against the Argies in that first game they would have won. I actually do like the guy at 15. Not the flashiest but definitely safe under the high ball and able to make use of his big kicks. Petaia shows some promise but needs to grow a lot more and maybe wing is still his best position at this stage. I haven't seen anything of him at 15 to know if he'd be better than anyone else there but I think wherever he plays, he first needs to sort out his decision making as it's pretty crap.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Spot on David.