Wallabies’ giant Will Skelton has been selected for the Barbarians and will test out England in an emotional match before their tour to Australia.
Skelton, who scored one of his only two Test tries for the Wallabies at Twickenham eight years ago, will start in the Baa-Baas’ second row on Sunday alongside former England international George Kruis, who’ll be playing his last game.
And Skelton’s selection has left the invitation side’s French coach Fabien Galthie wondering why the big man isn’t more of a regular fixture still for the Wallabies.
Skelton and Kruis were teammates at English club Saracens, with Six Nations-winning coach Galthie believing their rekindled partnership will be a fitting way for the 45-times capped England World Cup finalist to bow out.
“Will is big and good and clever. I don’t know why he is not an international player now – maybe they manage players in their country, and overseas maybe not – but in this case it is an opportunity for us because Will wanted to play with George Kruis,” said Galthie.
“It is like a present for George because they played at Saracens years ago. It is a nice story.”
Skelton did feature with a 19th cap for Australia in the loss to Scotland at Murrayfield last November, his first appearance in the green and gold for five years.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was only able to name three overseas based players for the series against England, and opted for Japan-based Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete.
Earlier this week, Skelton said it hurt not to be selected but he understood the reasoning.
“It’s something I always look forward to,” Skelton said of playing for the Wallabies on the RugbyPass Offload podcast.
“I obviously played in November and I haven’t had much contact after that. I think I spoke to Rens a week after we broke up and I haven’t had much contact.
“In my head I had an inkling that they’d pick those Japanese boys – the season’s aligned with Super Rugby and the Japanese league and with us having such a long season I know from the chats that we had in November they were almost not going to pick us.
“It hurts not to be selected but that’s life and it’s nothing you can control.”
The 30-year-old La Rochelle lock, who at 140kg and 2.03m tall remains one of the biggest players in the professional game, will be a formidable opponent for the home side, who are honing their final preparations before coach Eddie Jones names his touring squad.
Skelton last month led La Rochelle to a 24-21 win against Leinster in the European Champions Cup Final in Marseille, in which he was outstanding.
Australian Jones, defending an unbeaten coaching record for England against the Wallabies, will be hoping to stretch his sequence to 11 straight wins over his home country by winning the July series 3-0.
Kruis and Skelton will be part of a team dominated by stars from France’s grand slam-winning squad.
French players make up 10 of the starting line-up, with captain Charles Ollivon back in international action after being sidelined during the championship with injury.
The only other representatives are Fiji’s Levani Botia and Georgia pair Beka Gigashvili and Davit Niniashvili, all of whom play their club rugby in France. There are also eight French players on the bench.
Galthie, who has led a training camp in Monaco this week, said: “It has been a good experience for us.
“We have 19 French players, so we are the British Barbarians with a French accent!”
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
How does Skelton’a test performances in 2021 compare to his provincial performances. Talk up how he played for Saracens and La Rochelle all you want, he’s played about 20 tests over 7 seasons and hasn’t shown that he can consistently perform to the same standard at the next level. Which isn’t exactly a shock. He’s a player whose strength is effectively running through teams. When the 15 players across the park are better this becomes more difficult.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It also helps he plays against provincial teams and not test teams…
Colvin Brown
Roar Guru
We'll take you all Mz. The weather can be a bit cool in Dunedin sometimes but we have FSB a great multi-purpose stadium with a roof. And we have the spectacular Central Otago where you'll be able to set up holiday homes. And you'll be able to adopt the Highlanders as your rugby team.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Good point
PeterK
Roar Guru
Combined with those who want to rubbish most (all) tah players even after they leave the tahs
Frankly
Roar Rookie
Fabian. I don't know why he's wondering. It's not a mystery.
Frankly
Roar Rookie
Probably
Bobby
Roar Rookie
We only have 3 picks. Qc, Kerevi and Koro are much needed, more so than Skelton. We have good depth at lock. And at Test level he's pretty average as well.
mused6
Roar Rookie
I believe that a bitterness exists in some Australian rugby supporters at players who leave to play overseas earlier than expected. Especially ones that show potential. Skelton is one of them. Rodda was another, but he returned. It’s the whole money over loyalty thing, I think.
adastra32
Roar Rookie
On whose part?
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Yep, spot on.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Yes, Neil, I haven't got the faintest idea how England will front up in the Oz series. On the bright side, I presume that means the Aussies haven't either.
pm
Roar Rookie
Just might be that it's a rhetorical question. No?
Paul D
Roar Rookie
“It’s pretty obvious that the guys who make the comments about Skelton don’t actually watch him in the NH Miz“ It’s pretty obvious from those commentators in general they don’t watch much Rugby full stop!!
Wigeye
Guest
I think he missed a fair patch of rugby b4 the recent 80 minute game if i read it right or it was true :thumbup: I just feel you gotta be Blunt discard and reward the Players wallabys to take you through 2 world cups, Either build or make the same mistakes thats what the dr era is about right
West Aussie Exile
Roar Rookie
I look forward to seeing Skelton back in the Wallabies team ASAP. It would be good if we could see him in the RC and NH tour -that would really give time to see if he transfers superb club form to WB set up, and, as others have said, how that affects the set up of the second and back rows. I was sceptical of Skelton like many others, 5-6 years ago, but his form over the past few years is immense, against top quality opposition. Teams at the top level need 'a point of difference' -I think Will is it!
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
" In tests he is dealt with easily". Well, I suspect then you have not seen this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kMSsTWGsyA
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Really interested in your rating of Willemse and Skelton, Nic. "fake new brigade above". Bit of a shift there I note. Now saying big Will is only a club player, no good at Int. level. Previously he was just no good at all at any level.
Zero_Cool
Roar Rookie
Ultimately, Skeleton isn't better enough to justify picking him from France. When given the opportunity last year he wasn't all that impressive. Want to get picked from Overseas gotta be the best in the World, otherwise play for an Aussie team and he might get picked that way...
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
It’s pretty obvious that the guys who make the comments about Skelton don’t actually watch him in the NH Miz – or understand the structure of forward packs in France. Sarries got him fit and able to start games and play for the full 80, and that is what he did v Leinster a few weeks ago. French teams like LAR generally feature all three B/Rs who can jump in the lineout (as in their national team for example, and as Peter points out below), they don’t pick a natural number 7. So they can afford him not to jump, but lift people and dominate mauls from lineout instead. If France had a choice between Willemse and Skelton right now, I reckon it would be 50/50 and both would be in the matchday 23. They would see his presence around ruck and maul, and on the carry as crucial But maybe Galthie as a Test coach knows nothing compared to our fake new brigade above :laughing: