Bill it as the day Super Rugby AU came alive in 2021.
The Brumbies and the Reds played out a classic at GIO stadium last Saturday, the Queensland team storming back from a 17-0 deficit to overwhelm the injury and suspension-stricken 2020 champions.
Coach Brad Thorn should rightfully take the plaudits. As should Taniela Tupou, Suliasi Vunivalu and Hunter Paisami. But the post-match discourse has focused on the game management of flyhalf James O’Connor, and it’s hard to argue with that.
With leadership, composure from the tee, and effective decision-making, O’Connor complements this fiery Reds backline perfectly. The Chiefs must be kicking themselves, as O’Connor would have been a significant upgrade on Bryn Gatland and Kaleb Trask this year.
What makes this performance more interesting is the context of the Wallabies 10 jersey. O’Connor is comfortably the incumbent, but at 30 is not likely to be the long-term solution.
Moreover, he was unable to shift the tide against the All Blacks and Los Pumas in last year’s Bledisloe and Tri Nations games once inside-centre Matt To’omua went off injured at Eden Park. There’s an argument that without a playmaker at 12, the helter-skelter, low-percentage game of midfielders Paisami and Jordan Petaia does not translate well to the finer margins of international rugby.
Certainly, Petaia’s acrobatic winning try masks the fact that he – like Rieko Ioane across the ditch – has simply not made a compelling enough case to wear the number 13 jersey.
Jordan Petaia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
If not O’Connor, then who? Noah Lolesio is still feeling his way into the role of chief playmaker at the Brumbies after an injury-hit 2020.
He was unfortunate to be at the helm when the All Blacks monstered the Wallabies 43-5 in Sydney, although his try at the start of the second half offered a glimpse of the running power he brings from flyhalf. That’s one advantage he has over O’Connor – the Reds man simply does not have the legs of his younger days, and so relies on his backline and scrumhalf to do the running for him.
In a time when the game has been criticised for being too defensive, the pendulum could swing towards line breaking fly-halves – which may be one of the reasons England have struggled with George Ford and Owen Farrell at the reins.
However, running power is not enough, and the jury is still out on Lolesio (though Rugby Australia and Dave Rennie should invest all they can into making him the Wallabies’ next great flyhalf).
There are slim pickings beyond the top two. To’omua has been consistently excellent at 10 for the Melbourne Rebels, but is hamstrung by his even greater excellence at inside centre.
He provides the second playmaking option better than anyone in Australian rugby at the moment, stepping into first receiver to mix things up and take the pressure off his flyhalf.
Paisami, though game, does not yet have the distribution or game intelligence to match To’omua at 12, which means that opponents simply have to shut down O’Connor to stop the Reds, or the Wallabies, playing. For the time being then, To’omua is more useful at 12 than 10.
The Waraths and the Force don’t give much hope either. Will Harrison is an excellent goalkicker but has not shown enough as a 10, admittedly in an insipid Waratahs team. Meanwhile, Jono Lance and Jake McIntyre at the Force should not even be in the conversation if the Wallabies are serious about challenging at the top table.
This leaves us with a two-horse race between O’Connor and Lolesio for the Wallabies 10 jersey. The rest of the Super Rugby AU season will go a long way towards settling this debate, as will – perhaps even more so – the Trans-Tasman competition we all hope will go ahead later this year.
The former Sale bad boy has struck the first blow, and it’s hard to see him being unseated if he keeps playing like this.
What’s difficult to escape, however, is the growing feeling that for the first time since the Quade Cooper years, the Wallabies might finally have authentic options at flyhalf to challenge the very best in the international game.
RummagingPig
Guest
Man it seems like fans are so petty these days, and easy to overlook players monumental achievements, because they don’t fit in with their view of the golden age era. Quade was run out of town but was by far the best 10 of his generation. JOC being referred to as an ok test player. A guy who debuted at 18 as a winger and has gone onto play every position in the back line except halfback at Test level and did well in all of them. How many players could do that? Has there been any other player in test history? At the time of being kicked out of Wallabies, statistically he was Australia’s most dangerous player, based on line breaks, tackles broken and metres gained. A guy who was once ranked worlds best goal kicker under pressure, again at Test level. And now being spoken about as a chance to be Aus captain. He is an all time talent and achiever at the highest level of Rugby and seemingly referred to as a player clinging to a spot in the side. 32/33 as a fly half is not too old to lead a team if form is merited. And the World Cup is a long tournament, you’ll need players to be there in case of injury. These is plenty of opportunity for someone that age. A guy that scored three tries on his run on debut being ousted by one whose debut was as poor as it can get, does that make a lot of sense?
jameswm
Roar Guru
Rebs can do what they want.
Stu
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing:
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Well while we're at it he's pretty rubbish at kicking from 50 at full time as well. And yes, his passing and hands are too slow for test level 10. He's a useful fullback though. By your rationale though we should be playing Tupou at flyhalf. He's had many a cracking game.
Stu
Roar Rookie
Ah right, ok cheers.. so he's too slow as well as not being able to pass a rugby ball either. I guess he must've just got lucky when he got dropped in it last minute at Test level against the Kiwis at their home ground I spose. :thumbup:
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Not nearly fast enough to play 10.
Stu
Roar Rookie
Got it, so what you're saying is that Toomua has been getting it out to Hodge very effectively all along, but that's where it ends, because Hodge somehow has no ability to pass the ball further on to the 13, or 14, or 15, even though he's a professional level rugby union player with two good arms and 15 years of playing experience? I'll have to keep an eye on him - cheers.
Noodles
Roar Rookie
Captaincy is a personality gig and I think guys like Hoops and Toomua attract player loyalty. As for the 10, I'd pick Toomua first in any WB backline right now. I think Simone is growing into a potentially cracking 12 and would be thinking of whether his form might push O'Connor out and Toomua into 10. Lolesio, Harrison and others in the youth brigade have a bit to go. Settling a few younger 12-13 combinations would be hugely important and both Reds and Ponies have promise.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
He’s not fit. Last year he was miles fitter but this year he didn’t do a pre-season. I’m sure they’re managing him and he’s building into a long season, but at the moment he’s nowhere near as dominant as he was in 2020.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
Which games did he play 80 mins?
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
He’s played a hand full of tests at 10 and I don’t recall us doing too well. I rate him, but we don’t need to fudge the facts.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
Has JOC ever played a bad test? He’s played 4 or 5 positions and always shows up.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
Yet the best player in the world is a 36 year old Welshman? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think either JOC or MK will be starting in 2023, but if they’ve still got the form then that’s all that matters.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
Frisbee is a halfback. The Force could put the Argentinian international flyhalf at 10 if they wanted to win. Or Pek Cowan? Anyone is better than Mcindire.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
The winners of the last 5 RWC finals have used the box kick to great effect. It is the best tool for clearance as it doesn’t involve passing the ball back 15m. It is a great tool to apply pressure to the opposition in middle part of the field, but it’s only as good as the chasers. A scrumhalf without a great box kick shouldn’t play test rugby.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
It's not except shouldn't the Rebels then be playing Toomua at 12? Hodge is currently playing 12 and this doesn't seem in step with that plan either. Hodge should be playing 15.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
He's playing 12 right now and his distribution is ratchet. It's not going to improve magically with a 10 on his back. Korobeitte has had to come in looking for the ball because Hodge hasn't been able to get it out to him.
Stu
Roar Rookie
"Hodge just doesn’t have the distribution required to play at 10. This year at the Rebels his lack of ability to move the ball on quickly has lead to a stifled attack." Whaa..?? Toomua is the Rebels 10 though - Hodge is at 12. So based on your logic, doesn't that mean that the stifled attack from 10 is Toomua's fault, if you're saying the stunted 10 is the cause? It seems Hodge gets the blame from people, and the poor bloke isn't even playing at 10! :stoked:
jameswm
Roar Guru
10. JOC 12. To’omua It’s not hard.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Understandable though. He’s been playing about 40 mins this year specifically to be managed. But his scrum dominance was critical to put the Reds in a position to chance the game so he was used for 80 minutes. It’s a big jump when you have been playing around 40 for 6-9 months.