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.
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.”
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
Nate
Roar Rookie
Absolutely ridiculous re Samu, but looks as though Hodge was indeed punted :unhappy:
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Not good Mac. I wasn’t defending the decision, merely looking for the logic of it. But yeh, Eddie tempted fate, and came up short in the midfield. Positives- big minutes for Quade and Carter.
Mactruck
Roar Rookie
So how do the No centre cover go Ken? Thought it disrupted our game a bit
piru
Roar Rookie
The referee was quite noticeable and had too big an influence on the outcome of the game. Like saying "the police had too big an influence on my being late" when you've been driving on the wrong side of the road
Thing Me
Roar Rookie
How about replpacing him with McDermott at the very start of the game. White is not in the same class as a Des Connor, Farr-Jones, a Ken Catchpole or a Will Genia.
Thing Me
Roar Rookie
The referee was quite noticeable and had too big an influence on the outcome of the game.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
indeed.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Yeah he needs to get his angles right.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Don't get used to it...
tuohyred
Roar Rookie
seem some combination of dumb and .... Hate Brave browser's auto predict
tuohyred
Roar Rookie
Is it just me, or does Uelese always seeming some combination and not fully committed - more egg than bacon???
TheTruth08
Roar Rookie
he also got MOM or close to it last year playing 7… Seru, hot and cold, cold most of the time.. And after todays game against Tonga, Seru should be joining the reds off season in couple weeks.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
cj, that Saffa guy in Black Jersey video sure bags poor D.Porecki. Porecki had a bad bad day in the Veldt, but he wasn't the only one. :crying:
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Thanks Hika, I only watched the replay last night and you are dead right. Interesting to save the halfback's legs and make the 5/8th work. It makes sense as a #10 has to be able to punt the pill, and N.White's legs would have been stretched from all of his kicking. :silly: And what you say about Koro being too gassed to chase a kick is what I alluded to in my post; all the running around covering multiple positions just tires out a bloke even faster. Especially at altitude.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Hiki below is correct. I assumed that MK was covering in the middle again but FINALLY I got to look at a replay and Marika was at the back covering the kick. My bad! But the gist of my comment above still stands that wingers leaving their position means its either empty space or covered by a non-winger. However its fair enough that a winger covers the back as help to fb. How to cover the space is always a problem if the opponents run the pill as its an instant overlap, so a side needs very switched-on slide defence as counter.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Nah its all protein shakes these days Doc. The cow is still mooing in the back paddock, with the kids calling her "Daisy"
Ray
Roar Rookie
Carter Gordon is the only replacement for the fullback, or either centre, should one of them be injured during the game, based on the team selected.
cj
Roar Rookie
Maybe. But he hasn’t played a game yet after an achilles tear.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Nothing builds mass like protein, and best source of protein is tasty beasts.
OwenL
Roar Rookie
Leota is a much better option at lineout and in general