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A lot can change in 12 months. Just ask Blake Schoupp, the 23-year-old Brumbies rookie who was juggling the realities of life a year ago as he went to work and then packed down in scrums at night in the pursuit of one day being able to do it full-time.
Now, off the back of one pre-season with Australian rugby’s rising scrum doctor Dan Palmer and less than half-a-dozen matches for the Brumbies, half of which have been off the bench, the former school teacher is living his dream after being selected in Eddie Jones’ first Wallabies squad of the year.
Schoupp was one of the real bolters in Jones’ 33-man training squad, but nor did his selection come the clouds given his eye-catching form over the first third of this year’s Super Rugby season.
Schoupp delivered on debut against the Waratahs in Sydney and, a week later against the Blues in Melbourne, the young man’s work rate, ability to get on the ball and scrummaging helped the Brumbies seal a memorable victory over Leon MacDonald’s highly fancied side.
Blake Schoupp has gone from Super Rugby rookie to World Cup bolter in the space of six months. Photo: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
Footage of Schoupp roaring with delight after a breakdown win in the second half would have got Jones excited. After all, the returning Wallabies coach has repeatedly said he’s only interested in players who want to play for the national team. Schoupp is that – and more.
“What I like about him [Schoupp] is he’s one of those players I feel like he’s got a lot of growth in him,” Jones said when asked about the first-year professional.
“He’s an unheralded player, he’s built pretty close to the ground; if he’s standing behind a picket fence you’re not going to see much of him. He’s built like a brick s—house, isn’t he?
“So he’s perfectly built to be a prop, he scrummages hard, he’s hard on the ball, and he’s one of those guys, he’s come up the hard way and I feel like with an opportunity we might get a bit more out of him.”
It was quite the assessment, one that Schoupp seemingly found equally amusing as exciting.
“Yeah, it was pretty funny,” Schoupp said. “I think that’s just how he is, he’s a typical Aussie bloke.
“Full credit to him, just respect, a bit of that aura about him just being who he is and I really respect that. So I think now it’s all about parking it and just putting in the work and continually trying to get better. It was pretty cool to listen to and see.”
Blake Schoupp says he has Dan Palmer to thank for bringing him to the Brumbies. Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Undoubtedly Jones would have spoken to Palmer, who spent a month under the Wallabies coach working up in Japan at Suntory late last year, about the unheralded prop who was strangely overlooked by the Waratahs but has attitude and talent in spades.
“Massive” is how Schoupp described Palmer’s influence on his rapid rise to the professional ranks, with the former Wallabies prop heading to Sydney to speak to the Southern Districts prop.
“He gave me that shot and he’s world-class,” Schoupp said of Palmer. “His rap sheet speaks for itself and how he develops props and forwards in general. So yeah, full credit to him and I just can’t thank him enough for initially giving me that opportunity.”
Former Wallabies prop Dan Palmer is the Brumbies’ scrum coach. Picture: Lachlan Lawson/Brumbies Media
It’s that talent identification that Rugby Australia needs to get back on track, with too many examples of players sneaking through the gaps and succeeding elsewhere.
Schoupp missed the Brumbies’ stunning late win over the Waratahs after being rested.
For some, Schoupp too perhaps, he might well have wished to have played.
But as Jones believes, and evidently the Brumbies’ hierarchy too, sometimes players, young players particularly, need to be managed to get the best out of them. Just ask James Slipper and Scott Sio, who have had second winds in their careers after being rotated in recent years.
The loose-head prop is expected to come back into the selection reckoning to take on the Reds on Good Friday.
It’s a game the Brumbies have learned to never take lightly despite being Australia’s best side in recent years.
“I think we’re improving every week and those tight wins are going to be good for the backend of the season,” Schoupp said.
“But as the Brumbies have done in the past, you want to try and dominate those Australian teams and put yourself up there in terms of being able to compete with the top end of the competition. So this weekend’s another challenge to just try and do that.”
Helping Schoupp through his first year is Slipper – the incumbent Wallabies captain he idolised growing up.
“It was a dream come true being able to rub shoulders with him now at training, but knowing that they’re going be up there in camp is a bit comforting because they’ve done it time and time again, he’s played over 100 Tests for Australia,” Schoupp said.
“He’s given me a lot of support without even really knowing it. I’m a bit more of an observer when it comes to looking at those guys. I just sort of watch how they go to work day-in, day-out and being able to just watch him and observe how he goes about things has been the most beneficial thing and he’s really open to helping me, and anytime I’ve got a question he’s always down to sit down and chat, even if it’s not to do with rugby.”
It’s a telling comment for Rugby Australia’s bean counters to acknowledge when contemplating the worth of veteran Wallabies Slipper and Nic White, both of whom are off contract.
But despite respecting his idol, Schoupp won’t be heading to Brisbane this weekend and, indeed, the Gold Coast a week later for the April Wallabies training camp, just for ride. No, he’s after more – just what Jones wants.
“I’m definitely not going up there just to hold a pad,” Schoupp said.
“Now that I’ve got my foot in the door, it’s all about how can I get better and putting myself in a position to play if needed, and I’m going to be doing everything that I can to be in that position.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.