As the team lists displayed on screen, I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who had underestimated the strength of the Japan XV for Australia A’s first match of their three-match tour in Tokyo on Saturday night.
I had admittedly missed the team when first named, so as the graphic started rolling, the quality of names became apparent as quickly as the tally of caps racked up.
Atsushi Sakate upfront. Lappies Labuschagne on the side. Michael bloody Leitch at No.8! Coaches Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown up in the box. 13 Brave Blossoms and 196 Test caps in the starting XV.
This was a really good Japanese side, and it was no wonder the Prince Chichibu was heaving.
So there will be plenty of satisfaction within the Australia A camp that they were able to grind back into the contest and kick away in the last 20 minutes to win 34-22.
Mark Nawaqanitawase will get plenty of headlines for his excellent finishing off the bench – “World Cup bolter” was out there yesterday – and so will Ben Donaldson for the way he put his stamp on the game after the break.
Jock Campbell was really good, Langi Gleeson’s meteoric star continues to rise, and Ryan Lonergan recovered well from a bit of a scratchy start, too.
Locks Nick Frost and Cadeyrn Neville would have received ticks from both A coach Jason Gilmore and Wallabies mentor Dave Rennie watching on from home. Ned Hanigan looked pretty strong too, in what would have been his first game in a good while.
All of them will have done their Spring tour selection no harm, and more will emerge in the follow-up games this Saturday and next. Tom Banks is set to return from that nasty arm break, and Gilmore confirmed on Thursday that Tane Edmed will play as well.
And that’s the whole point, obviously.
Yes, this tour will help get more international game time against the aforementioned quality opposition into more players leading into the World Cup year, but the timing of this tour is almost certainly deliberate to allow guys to play themselves into a Spring tour ticket.
With the final A game on Friday October 14, it’s easy to see the touring squad being named that weekend, gathering for a week of training before heading straight to Edinburgh for another week of preps, before facing Scotland at Murrayfield on October 30.
But more than playing themselves onto the plane in a few weeks’ time, it’s going to be just as important for guys on the ‘A’ tour to stand out for when the inevitable injury replacements are called for.
On last year’s Spring tour, five players were called up just in the three weeks the Wallabies were in the UK. This time around, they’re playing five Tests and with two outside the prescribed World Rugby window, it can’t be assumed that all replacement will be European-based as four of the five last year were.
And when we again consider the 30-plus injuries recorded over the course of this year, and that up to 14 players plus James O’Connor would still be unavailable this week, the need for injury cover becomes clearer.
Six players were injured or concussed in the two most recent Bledisloe Cup games alone.
Gilmore – also in line for a national call-up, filling the vacant defence role temporarily played by Laurie Fisher for the home leg of The Rugby Championship – said last week that the communication between coaching teams has been regular and will remain so over the next two weeks in Japan.
“We’re in contact constantly,” Gilmore said.
“We discussed what the squads look like and what minutes that we need to play the boys.
“Having said that, Dave is pretty good, he lets us run our own show, but there’s a Spring tour and World Cup coming up that we’re going to be conscious of with these Wallabies boys as well.
“There is regular my texts and phone calls and emails across all of the Wallabies staff. There’s a good connection between the two programs.”
Rennie himself has expressed similar sentiments in recent times, praising the likes of Reece Hodge, Fraser McReight and Matt Gibbon for the seamless way they slotted into the Wallabies side, earning Test game time after promotion from the A squad earlier this year.
Gilmore later in that same presser on Thursday echoed the need for the guys on the A tour to quickly work back into a good level of fitness in preparation for the Japan XV games and to then maintain it afterwards as well, knowing that there almost certainly will be call-ups.
But he also said “there’s certainly no point hiding them or being worried about injury” with Spring in mind.
So a good win in Tokyo is an excellent outcome for a squad that wouldn’t have spent a lot of time together beforehand, and comprising a number of guys who hadn’t played a lot of rugby of any description in recent weeks.
Combinations established during the Pacific Nations Cup would’ve been rusty, and that’s how they looked through the first half. But they scrapped their way back, twice hitting back within minutes after Japan scored, before taking the lead with 20 to play and finishing the job.
The big test now will be to do it all over again against whoever Joseph and Brown roll out in Game 2, knowing the Japanese coaches are using these games are using these games for Spring Tour preparations themselves.
But if the Australia A side can do it again, then more stocks will rise and more Spring tour headlines will be created.
And that’s obviously going to be handy, because you’d have to think all kinds of options will be explored after the Wallabies’ disappointing fade-out to the home Tests component of the international rugby year.
Rugbytrylover
Roar Rookie
Yes Flat footed… I thought exactly the same! He will probably be dropped for not being a stickler and awarding more penalties!
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks BeeMc. I love these 2nd XV teams. Like the good old days of the tours. I hope they field these teams much, more often.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Well, there are salaries and all costs for the PC series I'm sure so it's been a major spend this year but negotiating a bonus extra 3 games with costs covered and a serious opponent is great. This should be a regular occurrence. Every second year, perhaps?
Brett McKay
Expert
OK, that is great news Oz. It's certainly not always that generous!
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Hi Brett, I checked with a common friend and he tells me "Cost neutral tour…Japanese paying Australian expenses…accom, travel etc and taking the gate". So great outcome for RA. And great planning
Wozza
Roar Rookie
TBH, O'Connor had a complete shocker on last years EOYT as well. When he played his lone test this year it was more of the same. It seemed clear to me O'Connor doesn't really have anything to offer at int level anymore. I think we focus on Lolesio and take another young guy on the EOYT. People think Donaldson but I really like Edmed and am keen to see what he can show. Forget Foley, we know what he brings, do we need to see more of it at the moment? For the RWC we take Quade, Lolesio and Donaldson, Foley as an iinjury replacement if necessary.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
My thoughts exactly
numpty
Roar Rookie
Wilson may be a better player then the alternates "generally", but not better at performing the role that Rennie wants at 6. At least that is the logic I can see for why he hasn't got more game time. The question is what is the yard stick being used to measure the performance of the 6? Wilson may carry better and be more mobile, but if the 6s job is lineout and physicality, then Holloway is probably performing better on those metrics (this is just a hypothetical). I personally think Rennie wants gainline physical carries and this is why Leota has gotten the nod mostly (plus lineout). Wilson is good running at gaps, but not at blowing over the top of guys.
Brett McKay
Expert
The A team did just beat a Japanese side with 196 Test caps. But wouldn't beat the Force? Righto, Tooly... :roll:
Brett McKay
Expert
13 Brumbies in the Bledisloe squads 5 + 3 Wallabies (Frost, L.Lonergan, Neville) + suspended Swain in AUS A squad. 18 in total across both squads. 15 Reds, again. Create whatever false logic and loopy theories you want, but you can't create your own facts.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Sorry Don but I do not think he has fallen out with thorn. Its Rennie thats not selecting him. Nothing to do with Thorn. Who do you suggest would be the Reds no 9?
Cheika_Mate
Roar Rookie
Final score 21-19 Brums. Apparently they gotr out to a 14 -0 score line before the Tahs get their act together. Really wanted to hear how Debracene went at 10.
Rugbytrylover
Roar Rookie
Wouldn’t beat the Force? You’re dreaming.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@JC Ned has not improved since his silly introduction to Test rugby under Cheika imo. He's good in lineouts, tackles ok but his tackling is passive - he doesn't win collisions. His ball carrying is still ordinary and he doesn't win collisions there either. His breakdown work is very ordinary for a no 6. He's got little mongrel and does not intimidate a mouse. So Ned is a good provincial player who's still not Test standard imo
Mo
Guest
Pete samu at 7 does help get Skelton into the team and to win big tests we do need to do better in second phase. If 7 and 6 can take lineout ball it solves the Skelton problem.
Mo
Guest
With Worcester problems the Japanese should have a crack at getting Fergus Lee Warner. He’d be handy for them if or when he qualified
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Hi Numpty- I agree Bobby V is playing a better game at international level than Wilson. But is everyone who is playing at 6 going a better job is my question? I’d like to see both wilson and Bobby v start to build a back row combo over time.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
“But he’s not getting Wilson any wider.” That is because he wants him to play in tight and play bash ball like Bobby V or Leota. If he plays his more natural game which is wider then maybe he will play a little better. Even Hannigan was playing very wide for Aus A and played decent. Was that because when he came in tight his impact was reduced to nothing?
tsuru
Roar Rookie
Don, I think you'll find that Turinui based his comment on club games, Super Rugby and Pacific Nations Cup as well as the Japan game.
tsuru
Roar Rookie
Yeah CM and Brett. I couldn't even find a result of that game let alone a summary of how certain players went. But there was ample pre-game comment about it happening.