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No matter how dynamic and skilful the full-on Fraser McReight-Michael Hooper scrap may be in Townsville on Saturday, we are not at the dawn of the “McHooper” era.
Been there done that. The formula of squeezing two openside flankers into the same Test backrow had flaws, as high-performing as David Pocock and Hooper were together, at times. It will not be reprised at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The “Pooper” combo was at the heart of some wonderful Wallabies’ successes at the 2015 World Cup in England.
Equally, new Wallabies coach Eddie Jones should always pat himself on the back for some stirring wins when he paired George Smith and Phil Waugh as twin open sides in the same backrow at the 2003 tournament.
Pure and simple, McReight and Hooper are two industrious six-footers competing for the same No.7 jersey.
As with all Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs skirmishes over time, they are always heightened by such head-to-head contests. Just think Paul McLean v Mark Ella, Quade Cooper v Bernard Foley, Phil Waugh v David Croft, Wendell Sailor v anyone…the list goes on.
What do we want in a 2023 Wallabies No.7? The question should always be what skillset do we want in the Wallabies backrow trio en masse? A lukewarm skill in one is made up in another.
It should be a smorgasbord of link-play deluxe, workrate, tackling tenacity, off-the-ball smarts, on-ball pressure to force penalties and turnovers, offloading in tackles and potent ball-carrying. Greedy, aren’t we?
McReight is in excellent form. He scored two tries against the Western Force last round. It should have been three (but for a Liam Wright forward pass) and could have been four.
All were a result of his presence around the ball and his link work, the latter skill being one of those X-factor qualities that made Smith such a star.
McReight has always admired Hooper. Training and playing with him at the Wallabies has increased that respect.
“Hoops has done a lot in the game and served Australian rugby so well. I see him as the frontrunner for the (Wallabies) No.7 jersey obviously. I’m there to push him, be competitive and make him better and myself,” McReight said.
That’s a respectful way of saying, ‘Yeah, but I still want to beat you to every breakdown, thieve your ball, hit harder in tackles and win every contest.’
It reminds me of the NSW Rugby marketing department of 1999 when they put together a snappy ad campaign before the interstate game in Sydney.
For newspaper ads, they dressed up the big head-to-heads of the match like one of those old-style boxing bills.
The “Scraps For Test Caps” promo was a sharp idea and pitted Nathan “Young Gun” Grey against Tim “The Legend” Horan in one bout.
Swat, bam, boom. The Reds and Horan won a unanimous decision 30-13. Hooper v McReight. The feistier the better, please.
No player in Australian rugby has been given more chances to shine at his full potential than Reds winger Suliasi Vunivalu.
We watch every week, hoping.
There have been some signs…his greater involvement off his wing to set up a try against Moana Pasifika and his second intercept try of the season in the same game (albeit running it in at 75 per cent pace).
This match against the Waratahs in Townsville will be another good test. No winger in Australian rugby looks more intense and full throttle all the time than Dylan Pietsch unless your name is Corey Toole.
Pietsch’s 100 per cent pace all the time vs Vunivalu’s coasting speed. Let’s check them out.
Suliasi Vunivalu. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
The Western Force have been busier with signings in-season than any club and they have picked up some good ones.
With former Wallaby backrower Isi Naisarani you know exactly what you are going to get. He’ll cart the ball up 10-12 times a game, he’ll win lineouts, he’ll work hard for you and his hands won’t often let you down.
He’s not as dynamic as many Fijian backrowers but he’s a strong signing. Anything he can produce against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday in his first game back will almost be a bonus.
Force coach Simon Cron has revealed he has started chats with English winger Zach Kibirige to see if his time in Perth can be extended beyond this season.
It’s a shrewd call. Nearly all of the flyer’s eight tries have shown the polish of expert handling, a dot down under pressure, anticipation for an intercept or sheer speed.
Who are the best Englishmen to play Super Rugby?
Go. Zach Kibirige (Force), Danny Cipriani (Melbourne Rebels) for the five minutes of his two-touch try and dance-move celebration in 2012 and James Haskell (Highlanders).
There is an intriguing match-up of outside centres in Townsville with Izzy Perese (Waratahs) lining up against Josh Flook (Reds).
Perese’s turf-shredding leg drive powered him through four Highlanders defenders for the opening try last round with good help from Dave Porecki as his backpack.
Other key parts of a centre’s game, a la passing, are less refined in Perese’s make-up which does put a stutter in Mark Nawaqanitawase’s chances on the wing.
Flook is an excellent defender and reader of the game. He has pace but not the tackle-busting ways of Perese.
The pair have very different styles. It will be a fascinating match-up in a game both sides are desperate to earn points from.