Head coach Eddie Jones has brought in an additional seven players for the Wallabies camp which starts on the Gold Coast on Monday, bringing the total of those attending in person or remotely to 50.
Ned Hanigan, Len Ikitau, David Porecki, Blake Schoupp and Darcy Swain were all been ruled out of action Sunday after suffering concussions in their Super Rugby Pacific games over the weekend while back rowers Pete Samu (ankle) and Langi Gleeson (calf) are ruled out with injuries.
But those seven players will participate via Zoom along with the seven overseas based players who were previously named. Jones has added seven replacements to ensure he has 33 active players for training drills. There will also be three long term rehab players involved.
Waratahs centre Izzy Perese is one of those who heeded Jones call to step up and demand selection after his initial snub and has come back in after two impressive SRP games, including a powerful performance against Western Force on Saturday.
Waratahs teammate Lachlan Swinton and Harry Wilson return as well while there are first call ups for Brumbies pair Rhys Van Nek and Rory Scott and Reds teammates Matt Faessler and Ryan Smith.
Swinton was meanwhile cited on Sunday for alleged foul play in the win over the Force on Saturday night.
“While we feel for the players who have been ruled out, it provides an opportunity for those who will now come into camp,” said Jones.
“This camp will set the tone ahead of the Test season and we know we’re going to need a fast start.”
Jones said on his podcast this week that he was enthusiastic about what he could do with the squad.
Izaia Perese . (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“It’s like this honeymoon period where everyone’s feeling good about the team, so very enthusiastic but also cognisant of the fact that we’ve got a fair bit of work to do to go from a team that’s winning at 38 per cent,” Jones said in a nod top Dave Rennie’s ultimately fatal winning record.
“To win the World Cup you’ve got to win at 100 per cent. So 62 per cent is a big gap. Super Rugby performances haven’t been at the level we would expect and, therefore, we’ve got a lot of work to do which is daunting but also exciting. So a few different emotions.”
He likened the experience of a first camp to “walking into a classroom when you’re a casual teacher, which I did for a couple of years at Matraville High.
“I used to always get the bottom year nine classes because that’s the day that the teachers would take off because they didn’t want all the boys with all the hormones pumping through their bodies … so you’re trying to work out a way to get the team to work together.
“You’re looking for players or pupils who are going to help you get the class working, you’re looking for the players or pupils who are troublemakers and then you’ve got to try and find a way to work with them, find access with their brains. It’s similar to the team. You walk in first day you’ve got some ideas with what you want to do, ideas about how you want to play, ideas of how you want to operate off the field, but at the end of the day you’ve got to do some work with them and find out where you can go.”
Jones revealed he had spoken to consultant and former Rennie assistant Scott Wisemantel about the camp.
“Wisey and I spent a couple of hours talking about rugby,” said Jones. “We were talking about the fact that, how many players have you coached that have actually optimised their career? Really, really got everything out of their career?
“Wisey’s probably coached for 30-odd years at the highest level, I’ve got a similar length of time, and between us we probably thought of one or two players. And that’s the challenge for every player is to find the best in themselves because there’s always noises outside of their head getting there.
“Talking about this camp, this is one of the central themes: how are you going to find a bit more in yourself?”
The camp is a first opportunity for the players to meet Jones’ growing staff and the head coach to start forging his team.
“The staff’s very important these days. Most sporting teams in the world, particularly invasion sports like AFL, rugby league, rugby union, carry a squad of about 20 people, that’s probably on the small side, most people have around 25 which involves medical staff, psychologists, logistical staff, sports science staff, maybe nutritional, and all that staff is what you’re trying to do is get them on the same page, feeding the same message so the message and the tone that they speak to the players is the same tone that you’re trying to push yourself as a head coach.
“That consistency of message, the tone of the message; they say most people remember 93 per cent of the message through the tone rather than the actual content.
“One thing you do as a coach is never hope. Hope’s not a good emotion. We want the players to leave this camp feeling that they want to be a part of it. They want to be a part of this smash and grab mission and they’ll do everything they can to be a part of it. They’ve got to be prepared to sacrifice something and they’ve got to be prepared to bring things to the table. At the end, I want every player to sign up – ‘yeah, we’re in. We’re in. I want to spend the next five months now and do everything I can to be the best player I can be.’”
Chivas
Roar Rookie
Really, just for your information 1998 - QLD reds came 5th (the top Australian side) 1999 - QLD reds won the comp (the top Australian side) 2000 - QLD came 7th - 2 NZ teams below them (ONLY Brumbies ahead.. they won, all other Australia sides below) 2001 - QLD reds came fourth - ALL NZ teams below them, ONLY Brumbies ahead, all other Australia sides below 2002 - QLD reds came 5th - 3 NZ teams below them, ONLY Brumbies ahead, all other Australia sides below So how about you quit with the revisionist bs and do your own googling. In addition I'm not trying to argue what happened in a bygone era... I am asking who these reds players are now who you think derserve to be in the side.
Rejack
Roar Rookie
Whoooooooshkaaaaaaaaaaaa Brumbies and Tahs weren’t being thrashed by the kiwi teams in that 1997 2002 era, Rod selected more Reds than Tahs though. Super rugby is not test rugby. Some players are good test players and are poor super players and vice versa. The Reds were a terrible super rugby team then, with poor super rugby players, but once in Rods Wallaby team they became great players. Google is your friend, you look up the Reds players used by McQueen. :thumbup: :happy:
Biscuit man
Roar Rookie
Im not saying Valentini is not test standard, but the fact remains that the high-level performances that he puts on the field with the ACT Brumbies each week are not the same performances we see at the test level. It could be he gets done by better opposition at the test level. It's there for all to see. Loliseo will never be test standard. He had ample opportunity and didn't take it. It's like flogging a dead horse.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Yes Ferret he offers more since return..good lineout exponent,good hands in attack a must for WC
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
I'd pick Hannigan over Swinton every day of the week. He just keeps impressing me week in week out with his work ethic and consistent performances.
Jez North
Roar Rookie
Fair point. I recall a lot of people slamming Cooper’s selection and thought it seemed desperate at the time. It was a masterstroke.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Jez my post was really about balance to previous neg comments. DR record shows he wasn’t great & I get that but some success, albeit brief, were attained. For me his biggest success was lifting us out of the culture Chieka developed; and broadening the probables & possibles in particular bringing back Quade.
Jez North
Roar Rookie
Hi Cec, Not upset, I am just a little befuddled by the constant ‘Rennie was Great’ posts. The Kiwis seem sore about DR’s departure and won’t recognise in any way that his results sealed his own fate. For the record, I don’t think DR was a poor test coach and he certainly was not damaging to the jersey like Chieka’s last 4 years were. I do however think the team was heading underwater in his last season. Injuries maybe more crippling to a team with depth issues such as Australia but a good coach has squad players stepping in and stepping up. I don’t think you could ever look at too many Wallabies’ performances during the DR era and say the players looked inspired and over achieved.
James584
Roar Rookie
Yes, he has a big influence. But that doesn’t prove your point about lower ranked teams.
Cec
Roar Rookie
A bit off topic Jez but thanks for your comments. The discussion was on DR not getting us there but the fact is we were at #3 with a brace of wins over the defending RWC champs during TRC with a team of first choices. By the time we got to the Spring Tour there was no Quade, Kerevi or Marika but instead we got JOC & Paisami so a completely different team & the losses followed. Also Jez, you would know that the schedules work both ways for NH & SH, where prior to TRC the Euro had their 6N tests series while SH were idle. You sound upset that DR & WB had some success in that period. Let’s not diminish their results & be respectful to those players putting it on the line.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
Actually add Flook, to that list. I think he is coming along pretty well too.. :happy:
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Some more attention to detail wouldn't kill you, Jimbo. It makes for better-informed opinion and lord knows you could do with that
Jez North
Roar Rookie
I stand corrected. 5 W’s & 6 L’s
Jez North
Roar Rookie
“so no perspectives or opinions on that matter it is simply a fact” Wallabies 2021 record was 5 W’s & 5 L’s including losing every match in Europe. - Euro teams played 3 fewer tests than Wallabies in 2021. - Entire rugby championship played in Australia (all home matches). Some perspective around an inflated (albeit temporary) world ranking. Just facts.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
I like some of the reds players. But they arent better than any of the encumbants.. players shouldnt make the side because of some perceived victim mentality that not enough reds aren’t in the side. I get that its important for fans to have a few players they can get behind in the Wallaby side, but its up to said players to demand representation… and outside of Petaia and McReight who I think is coming on nicely the others just aren’t. In fact I think this reds side is particularly poor. As a chiefs fan, i think the chiefs are still a bit too flaky and they are competition leaders. I think a fit wallaby side could really push the ABs, so hard to compare anyone. But I would love to see Liam get a crack. Im not sure he has the physical presence, but Ben Mowen went pretty well and I think Wright could too. Not everyone needs to be a star or an enforcer. A blindside that can hold his own, has a good workrate and does the job day in day out is valuable inmho, even as filler for the easier games. His maturity is valuable. Wilson I feel struggles to dominate like he should for his size, but he is still in the mix for mine. Tate as I mentioned above is a stop gap Nick Phipps type halfback. He has the porential to kick on and become genuine world class, but he’s not there. Certainly not ahead of White. Outside of them who else do you think should be put in and what do you think their point of difference would be on the international stage. It can’t just be about the colour of their jersey.
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
Jimbo,if you hadn't blown your credibility before,then your comments about Joh have certainly sealed the deal! Max Gillies impersonating Joh would have made a better PM.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Okay RTL I’ll bait click. Why is that the case?
Chivas
Roar Rookie
So what team wasn’t being thrashed by kiwi teams. I think it’s over simplifying saying that Rod used more Reds players without context. Who were the players selected and what were the alternate options.. then apply the same standards to todays players… who do you think in the reds is demanding selection. The reds back row, Jordy Petaia… who else? Remembering some like Harry Wilson struggles to step up to the next level. But who in the reds side is better than Valentini or White to name just two. Liam Wright is handy, but a bit light when coming up against the bigger packs. I personally think the reds side is pretty light with the exception of a few players. I’d love for someone to tell me who they think are the world class players are that are not being selected. Surely you can’t be saying we need more players from QLD because in the late 90’s Rod did and we were better so it stands to reason we should put more reds players in. That is what is being promoted. So coming back to it, list out the players who deserve selection over the encumbants and why… the rest is hot air imho. Talking about what happened 20 years ago with no context is useless because you can’t talk to any of the detail.
Rejack
Roar Rookie
Not really, they had 13 players picked in Rods Wallabies. Luckily Rod could see they were good players, just because they were being thrashed by kiwi teams in Super Rugby didn`t mean they couldn`t be good test players and compete against the abs boks etc etc.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
No he’s not. He’ only looks good for the reds, because they are so bereft of anything decent at first five and have no forward pack, but in a decent side better balanced he is too one dimensional and gets eaten alive at test level. He is the reds version of Nick Phipps imo. McDermott won’t be selected ahead of White in this lifetime, that you can be sure of and it has nothing to do with the jersey they wear.