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As World Cup bolters go, Queenslander Matt Faessler keeps simmering away in conversations about the hooking spots.
Queensland Reds coach Brad Thorn rarely blows the trumpet for his players when it comes to Wallabies selections so you have to rate his upbeat Thursday endorsement of Faessler.
No.1, Faessler can throw. He’s the best lineout thrower, on stats, of any Australian hooker and that counts. Eddie Jones must have thought so to include him in his first camp.
You can be a dasher, a bludgeoning runner or a try-magnet at the rear of a rolling maul in the open but if you can’t throw don’t apply for a World Cup job.
Faessler runs low to the ground naturally and he’s bigger, at 110kg, than many give him credit for because he’s added 6kg since joining the pro ranks.
Queensland Reds’ hooker Matt Faessler. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
“Every position has its core basics. For a hooker, it’s around throwing and scrummaging, the set piece, and then you’ve got your general play, defence and whatever,” Thorn said.
“The pressure comes on at Test level around set piece. He’s well placed, he’s a heck of an athlete, he’s a lot bigger than people realise and he runs like a back. He’s played some good footy and if he keeps doing so you’d hope there’s opportunity in the green-and-gold.”
Dave Porecki has 2022’s Test experience behind him as a head start, Jordan Uelese’s lineout throwing is not his strongest attribute, Folau Fainga’a has a case and Lachy Lonergan’s fine skills package will always come in the smallest frame of any contender no matter how many protein shakes he drinks.
Plenty to weigh up.
The beauty of the upset is a sporting gift with few parallels, certainly for the fan rabidly cheering at the TV, the diehard at a game on the road or the fair-weather supporter opening a text with disbelief.
The Queensland Reds’ 25-22 overthrow of the Chiefs in Round 12 is in Super Rugby’s all-time pantheon.
After a bit of head-scratching, I rate it as the Reds’ biggest upset on the road in 20 years since the 41-20 upset of the Stormers in Cape Town in 2003. The Queenslanders played that one with 14 men for more than 70 minutes after the early red card to hooker Tai McIsaac.
Better Reds sides have taken bigger scalps against the odds – Crusaders (2010), Chiefs (2010), Stormers (2011) and so on – but not one so unexpected.
The value of the upset to earn a surge of support is immense. The NSW Waratahs pretty much built this season’s top four hopes on their worthy upset of the Crusaders last year.
Where do we see another upset in the crucial final three rounds that will decide the order of the top eight into the play-offs?
The Reds are in the thick of the possibilities.
The Reds over the Blues, minus Rieko Ioane, Finlay Christie, Dalton Papalii and Caleb Clarke, is some chance of unfolding at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Equally, the Fijian Drua knocking off the Reds in Suva in the final round is a fair shout although that would hardly be an upset based on the home ground vibe.
It’s not just me but, philosophically, you have to be against a 3-8 side still being in the play-off hunt.
The best the Melbourne Rebels can finish is 6-8 to squeak into the play-offs. That just shouts “too many teams in the play-offs.”
Top six seems a better fit with a 12-team competition.
Anyway, the Rebels and the 3-8 Highlanders go at it on Saturday in Dunedin where the winner is still a finals hope.
The NSW Waratahs winger is such an asset, so why is he on rations in terms of getting the ball?
Mark Nawaqanitawase is one of the few starting Wallabies to rack up 10 80-minute games this season. Even Michael Hooper has missed 10 minutes in his 10 outings.
Nawaqanitwase did register for 10 ball carries against the Rebels last round but rarely in any open space.
Nor have the Waratahs really used him as a kick-catch target on attack. Odd.
Perhaps, this outing against the Fijian Drua at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night is his chance for a big running night and adding to his five tries for 2023.
He’ll certainly play with a smile after signing a new contract until the end of 2024.
The Brumbies just can’t afford an unexpected slip-up over the final three rounds.
The value of a top two spot to ensure home ground advantage in the quarter-finals and a possible semi-final is immense.
At 9-2, they must beat the Western Force in Perth on Saturday and the Rebels in Canberra on June 2 at the very least to sustain that idea. Dropping the May 27 game against the Chiefs might still be feasible with the Kiwi chasers having games amongst themselves.
This equation is mentioned to highlight how vital this trip to Perth is. HBF Park has been something of a Bermuda Triangle for visiting sides this season. The Brumbies have to avoid such turbulence.
This is huge for the Rebels but even bigger for the Wallabies.
The grunt work that Matt Philip puts in is the glue to any pack he plays in. That’s cleanouts, hard carries, solid lineout wins, regular touches of good handling and always a big attitude.
He’s back starting against the Highlanders so that’s three games in which to make the right impression on Wallabies boss Eddie Jones.
Philip is an interesting case. Michael Cheika went a little cold on him. Dave Rennie loved what he brought. How will Jones rate him?
A workhorse lock is always a good partner for the jumping star like a David Giffin beside John Eales.
Philip is probably competing with Cadeyrn Neville for the workhorse role and right now the Brumbies lock has done everything right in 2023 with the bonus of being a better lineout target.