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A few weeks ago, I wrote an article talking about how Eddie Jones might find success with Will Skelton in the backrow. Understandably, most of you thought that was a stupid idea.
I’m not going to convince you otherwise, but I am going to take a closer look at Skelton’s game. To do this, we’re going to hyper focus on Skelton’s last outing , La Rochelle’s dominant European Cup semi-final victory over Exeter Chiefs.
La Rochelle’s game plan throughout the year has been to hoard possession. They lead the Top 14 by carries. Skelton’s job therefore is to contribute with carries, especially when things slow down. He doesn’t make many breakout carries. Instead he is expected to contribute by tying up defenders and getting over the gain line.
This is a typical carry for Skelton. It’s not the kind of thing that gets the blood pumping, but he ties in three Exeter defenders but still gets quick ball back for La Rochelle. This is a massively underrated skill. It is rare that we fully appreciate this hard work. Lots of the highlight reel line breaks come from a carry like this which tie up defenders and create that space outside.
That isn’t always the case for Skelton. Against weaker opponents in the Top 14 he has been given the freedom to be more creative with his carrying. However, that wasn’t the case against Exeter. The Chiefs also lead their league in carries. The plan for La Rochelle was simple, force the Chiefs into a game they weren’t familiar with. La Rochelle kicked 22 times, relatively low by modern standards, but only eight of those were long kicks. The majority were short with the intention that they would be reclaimed. Exeter kicked just seven times as they tried to preserve what possession they had in the first half.
When it comes to carrying, Australia and Eddie Jones will likely want Skelton to take a similar approach. They shouldn’t expect him to become a barnstorming carrier in the mould of a Fraser McReight, for example. Instead, his job will be to make the holes for McReight to run through.
You can see that in this ruck example. La Rochelle are looking to attack wide. If Skelton can’t singlehandedly secure this ruck, it forces La Rochelle to slow down, commit more men to the ruck, and lose that outside advantage. Instead, Skelton can secure the ball and the quick recycle allows La Rochelle to exploit the gap and score the try on the next phase.
It’s also an underrated skill, but Skelton has hit more attacking rucks than any other La Rochelle player in the European Cup. He also ranks in the top 20 by that same metric in the whole tournament. His work rate is often questioned, perhaps because he doesn’t carry that much. That is accurate, he ranks sixth for La Rochelle by carries. However, that is a bit like criticising Scott Sio for not kicking enough. It’s not his job.
A legitimate concern is whether Australia can afford to select Skelton over other locks who hit the rucks but also contribute in different areas. Take Richie Arnold for example. He has actually hit more rucks than Skelton and is Toulouse’s primary lineout option. Skelton, on the other hand, sits joint fifth for La Rochelle by lineout catches in Europe this year. Arnold has carried only two times fewer than Skelton as well.
We shouldn’t paint too negative a picture of Skelton’s attacking ability though. He has more than a few moments of brilliance, including this offload from the weekend. It is really basic fact that someone of Skelton’s size and power will draw in defenders. The fact that he can then free up his hands and ship an offload is what makes him world class.
This isn’t just a one-off though. This is something he has been doing all year in the Top 14. He is simply a magnet for defenders and, whether the pass comes before or after contact, that creates space elsewhere.
There are very few players in the world who have a skillset like Skelton. It is what is earning him a small fortune over on the west coast of France. However, it’s a skillset which might be seen as a luxury for Eddie Jones and Australia. I have seen comments about using Skelton later in the game when the opposition defence is tired. That makes sense on paper. Except, we know that Skelton isn’t that type of carrier.
I think he will have to be used as a starter. His remit will be to dominate the breakdown and create space for the rest of the forwards. There is a precedent for the value of a player like this. For example, the rare times when Wales have played well in recent years, prop Tomas Francis has been integral to it. He barely carries or passes but he hits rucks constantly. That frees up the other big carriers to stay fresh and do what they do best. It might sound like damming with faint praise, but Skelton can do that same job for Australia.
As England coach, Eddie Jones incited the ire of fans by selecting functional players over the showmen of the Premiership. For a long time, it worked. Arguably, his downfall was to finally succumb to that pressure and select the showmen. Suddenly, without the hard-working ruckers, those showmen didn’t look so great. Will Jones learn this time around?
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.