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PARIS – Two months after being beaten out of the blocks in Tonga and paying the price, Australia A coach Jason Gilmore has called on his side to step up their physicality as they prepare to take on the Wallabies’ Pool C opponents Portugal on Saturday at the Stade Jules Ladoumague.
While Saturday’s clash (Sunday, 4pm AEST) means little in the grand scheme of things, an eye-catching performance could be the difference between getting a call-up for the World Cup or not.
Indeed, Mark Nawaqanitawase did more in 20 minutes off the bench against Japan last October than anyone else in that game to catapult his way into Dave Rennie’s Wallabies team for their end of season spring tour.
Of course, Eddie Jones has already named his 33-man World Cup squad and will only tweak his troops if there are injuries. But they are to be expected.
Yet, managing expectations of a group thrown together at the last minute, which features disappointed men who have missed out on World Cup selection and others like Lachie Swinton excited for the chance, is a difficult thing for a coach.
“We always address that on the first day of these A programs is you’re going to have guys coming in with different motivations,” Gilmore told The Roar.
“Some will be really disappointed that they’re not in the World Cup, others will have a bit of a point to prove and then you get the other boys sitting underneath that are really excited to be here. So, it’s not about cookie-cuttering the approach to each player because a Tom Wright is going to be different to a James Tuttle.
“It’s making sure we hit the motivations that those individuals want and then collectively put them together, which can be quite tricky, but that’s what it is with the A’s.”
Jason Gilmore says managing the players’ expectations and motivations is essential ahead of Australia A’s clash against Portugal(Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
Gilmore will oversee the Jones-picked side, which has a healthy dose of experience and youth.
Experienced ball players Bernard Foley and James O’Connor will start at fly-half and inside-centre respectively, while the recently axed Tom Wright is at fullback.
Ryan Lonergan, the uncapped Wallabies halfback who has been ever present in Australian squads and is a quality goal-kicker, has been named captain.
Pete Samu has been named at openside flanker alongside the hard-hitting Swinton and Seru Uru, whose unique skill-set and ability to cover multiple positions has seen him once again named at No.8.
Up front, Tom Lambert has been named alongside Wallabies Lachlan Lonergan and Sam Talakai in the front-row.
Veteran Test lock Cadeyrn Neville joins Josh Canham in the second-row. Whether Canham plays remains to be seen, with the rising Rebels lock missing the second half of training on Thursday after copping a knock to the face.
“I think it’s just a knock. But he should be sweet,” Gilmore said.
Elsewhere, Filpo Daugunu starts ahead of his Reds teammate Josh Flook at outside centre while Lachie Anderson and Dylan Pietsch join Wright in the back three.
There’s experience on the bench with Folau Fainga’a named as hooker before he joins Clermont, while Matt Gibbon and Rhys Van Nek are the replacement props.
The forgotten Darcy Swain, whose year was hampered by injury, joins Ned Hanigan on the bench.
James Tuttle, whose skill-set has impressed Jones, is the replacement halfback and has been joined by the fit-again Hunter Paisami and Flook.
Gilmore, who has led the Australia A side over the past two seasons, has not got the time to reinvent the wheel and nor can he. Jones picks the side and many of the same structures are aligned with the Wallabies to ensure as seamless a transition between the two sides as possible.
“Oh not so much on how we play in terms of a game plan because they’re obviously head down preparing for the World Cup, so I wouldn’t expect Eddie to jump in with Portugal preview or anything like that,” Gilmore said from Massy Rugby Club in Paris’ south west when asked about how much collaboration there was with Jones.
“Certainly, in terms of how we play, we’ve got all of their defence and attack and set-piece structures from the relevant coaches from the Wallabies, and then we just take that and mold it as how we see fit.
“But there’s certainly an expectation that they’re playing a Wallabies style that Eddie wants.
“In terms of a game plan, you have a bit of a look at your opposition just to see more patterns of how they’re playing, but it’s more about just getting our goals aligned and combinations as quick as you can in a short period.”
(Photo by Paul Devlin/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Those combinations struggled when Australia A last played, with Gilmore’s side paying the price for their terrible first half as they went into the sheds trailing 24-nil before rallying in the second half to go down 27-21.
The Australia A coach, who is being assisted by Nathan Grey and Laurie Fisher, said they were acutely aware of not being asleep at the wheel like their last outing.
“We certainly addressed that on Tuesday with this group because the majority were there,” Gilmore said.
“We felt we just liked a lot of physicality and we were slow out of the blocks and running into the breeze, we just didn’t handle the first half or dictate terms at all and Tonga got a roll on.
“We made a few changes in the second half, which helped that physicality aspect and we came back but something this week we’ve mentioned is we want to make sure that we start fast and we’ve got that physicality from the get-go because these guys can play footy, they love to throw it around. That’s their strength. So, if we miss the jump there, it could be on the scoreboard again. But hopefully mindset-wise, we’re sweet.”
Waratahs defence coach is overseeing the Australia A program. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Swinton, who missed a crucial chunk of the Super Rugby season just as he was starting to find his feet following last year’s shoulder injury, said he was excited by the opportunity to pull on the gold jersey again.
“It’s still a gold jersey to me. We’re still representing our country,” Swinton told The Roar.
“They’re a full international side preparing for World Cup as well, so in my eyes, I’m treating it as an international game.”
Meanwhile, the weekend’s clash will not just give Jones an opportunity to cast his eyes over his wider depth from outside the squad but his Pool C opponents Portugal, too.
The Wallabies will take on Portugal in their final pool match in St Etienne on October 1.
As many as 15 Australians, most from the Australia A side, will stay behind for a Barbarians tour of the United Kingdom.
The tour will allow Jones to have players fit and in the same time zone if he needs to call up players for his World Cup campaign.
Foley, Samu and Fainga’a aren’t expected to be included in the Barbarians, with the trio contracted overseas.
Australia A vs Portugal won’t be broadcast but Christy Doran will be on deck in Paris to cover the match.
Australia A vs. Portugal
Stade Jules-Ladoumègue, Massy
8:00pm Saturday 26 August (4:00am AEST Sunday 27 August)
*caps refer Wallabies Tests
1. Tom Lambert, NSW Waratahs – 0 caps
2. Lachlan Lonergan, ACT Brumbies – 8 caps
3. Sam Talakai, Melbourne Rebels – 1 cap
4. Josh Canham, Melbourne Rebels – 0 caps
5. Cadeyrn Neville, ACT Brumbies – 8 caps
6. Lachlan Swinton, NSW Waratahs – 4 caps
7. Pete Samu, ACT Brumbies – 33 caps
8. Seru Uru, QLD Reds – 0 caps
9. Ryan Lonergan, ACT Brumbies (c) – 0 caps
10. Bernard Foley, Japan – 76 caps
11. Dylan Pietsch, NSW Waratahs – 0 caps
12. James O’Connor, QLD Reds – 72 caps
13. Filipo Daugunu, QLD Reds – 7 caps
14. Lachlan Anderson, Melbourne Rebels – 0 caps
15. Tom Wright, ACT Brumbies – 23 caps
16. Folau Fainga’a, Western Force – 38 caps
17. Matt Gibbon, Melbourne Rebels – 5 caps
18. Rhys Van Nek, ACT Brumbies – 0 caps
19. Darcy Swain, ACT Brumbies – 17 caps
20. Ned Hanigan, NSW Waratahs – 28 caps
21. James Tuttle, Melbourne Rebels – 0 caps
22. Hunter Paisami, QLD Reds – 24 caps
23. Josh Flook, QLD Reds – 0 caps
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.