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Smashed in South Africa, Eddie Jones says his plan was always to give players opportunities as the Wallabies coach made five changes to his starting side and 10 in total for Saturday’s crucial Test against Michael Cheika’s Argentina in Parramatta.
The gun Reds openside is one of three changes to the starting pack, with Waratahs utility forward Jed Holloway drafted in at blindside flanker.
While Richie Arnold, who made his debut off the bench during the Wallabies’ heavy loss to the Springboks last week, will start alongside Will Skelton in a giant forward pack.
Fraser McReight has been called in to start against Argentina. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
There are two changes to the backline, with Samu Kerevi returning at inside centre at the expense of Reece Hodge, while Mark Nawaqanitawase has been named on the right wing ahead of Suliasi Vunivalu.
Jones has gone heavy on the bench, with Rebels rake Jordan Uelese once again given an opportunity despite his struggles in Pretoria. After his throwing woes last week, it’s a chance the hooker must take.
“He’s a good, strong scrummaging hooker,” Jones said.
“He’s a good defensive player. He’s got the capacity there to carry well, and obviously there’s a bit to his game he’s got to improve, but we feel he and [Dave] Porecki can give us some really good 80 minutes.”
Loose-head prop Angus Bell has been named to make his comeback from a six-month toe injury while Pone Fa’amausili has also been called up.
Rebels lock Matt Philip has also been named on the bench alongside Rob Leota, while fellow Rebels forward Josh Kemeny is in line to make his debut.
Jones named Kemeny as a “utility” player when he named his squad for The Rugby Championship and his selection on a six forwards, two backs bench strongly suggests that the Rebels back-rower might need to play elsewhere if injuries strike in the back-row.
Meanwhile, Tate McDermott and Carter Gordon have been retained on the bench as the two lone backs.
But Jones doesn’t believe the decision to name a forwards heavy bench isn’t a gamble, plainly putting there’s “always a risk to go 5-3”.
Just days after All Blacks winger turned pundit Jeff Wilson declared Quade Cooper “not the answer”, Jones opted to give the veteran playmaker another chance in the No.10 jersey while giving Carter Gordon another opportunity off the bench.
“What I don’t want to do is throw him [Gordon] in,” Jones said. “I want him to be ready to go.
“He’s a great young player, but he’s a young kid at the moment and he’s finding his feet.
“Would Quade have played like that in the last 10 minutes when there was plenty of space and there was a bit of quick ball? So you got to be careful of that. It’s like a batsman coming in in the second innings and there’s no result and he gets a quick 50 and they’ll say ‘s**t, he should be playing next Test.’
“Quade, again, he’s coming back from a serious Achilles injury, so we want to give him some time and Carter’s coming through beautifully, [I] couldn’t be happier with him. He’s one out one back, we’re just holding him back at the moment and then we’ll let him go. When we get over the rise, we’re not at the rise yet.”
Jones admitted there was a balance to strike between giving opportunity and focusing on the here and now, but said the Wallabies couldn’t look beyond Saturday’s Test.
“Every time we get to game time, it’s about winning,” he said.
“We’ve got the process of the day and we’ve got the process of tomorrow, so that’s continually a balancing act. But obviously Saturday’s the priority.
“We’re playing against a team that’s probably in terms of where they are similar in their development, ‘Cheik’ is a relatively new coach there, they’re trying to find their style of play under Cheik, so it’ll be it’ll be a good competitive match.”
Eddie Jones (coach) has made 10 changes to his matchday team to take on Argentina. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
After Cheika lost all seven Tests against Jones’ English side, the former Waratahs and Wallabies coach got one back on Jones last year after the Pumas stunned England at Twickenham 30-29.
While Cheika’s Pumas took the points on offer at Twickenham to break their 16-year drought at the venue against England and kicked often in general play, Jones predicted Argentina to play differently in their home away from home in Parramatta – the scene of their famous maiden win over the All Blacks in 2020.
“I’m sure he’ll play differently, like when we played him last year at Twickenham they kicked the leather off the ball,” Jones said.
“I think they kicked it 40 times in the game, basically didn’t play anything over one phase. So, that’s not Cheika rugby, is it?
“Cheik when he was with Australia, and the boys talk about, he wanted to run the ball and he said it all the time. He wanted to play Australian style rugby, so yeah I think he’s finding his feet with him and the Argentinian team, and the team they’ve picked doesn’t look like a team that’s going to get the ball 40 times this week, so they’ll be a bit different.”
Cheika has made four changes to the starting team beaten by the All Blacks last week, with Juan Martin Gonzale coming in at No.8 and Jeronimo de la Fuente named at inside centre.
Wallabies team to play Argentina at CommBank Stadium, Sydney on Saturday 15 July, 7:45pm AEST
Finishers
*denotes uncapped
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