- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
SAINT ETIENNE – In another bombshell selection, Eddie Jones is expected to name Ben Donaldson at fullback for the Wallabies’ World Cup opener against Georgia on Sunday (AEST).
It’s understood by The Roar that Donaldson will replace Andrew Kellaway who had been expected to wear the No.15 jersey after playing there in the Bledisloe Cup and warm up match against France.
Donaldson, 24, has played less than 30 minutes since the Waratahs were knocked out of the Super Rugby competition, with the utility back in the No.15 jersey.
Ben Donaldson is expected to start for the Wallabies against Georgia. (Chris Hyde, Getty Images)
Donaldson has featured in just four Tests since he debuted against Italy in Florence last November as a late game replacement for Noah Lolesio.
The Wallabies suffered their first-ever defeat to Italy and Donaldson missed a late conversion that would have won the game for Australia.
It’s an extraordinary decision that will have many second guessing the Wallabies’ coach, especially as the Waratahs opted not to break to bank to keep the Randwick junior. He is heading to Western Force next season.
Donaldson told reporters on Monday that he trained largely at flyhalf in France where he was expected to back up Carter Gordon. Gordon struggled with goalkicking against France two weekends ago, without a recognised back up on the field.
Donaldson started the Super season at fullback but was low on form and confidence.
Jones has clearly marked Donaldson as a project player and the back’s selection in the coach’s first camp of the year surprised many, including the player himself.
Ben Donaldson runs the ball during a Wallabies training session ahead of the Rugby World Cup France 2023, at Stade Roger Baudras on September 02, 2023 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
“To be honest, I thought the way I’ve been playing this year, I probably wasn’t expecting to make it,” Donaldson said at the time.
“I knew the squad was coming out. I didn’t get too caught up in it or anything. I haven’t really been playing the way I want to this year, neither has our team, so I wasn’t really expecting anything.
“To see my name there, I was over the moon. Whenever you get named in a Wallabies squad, it’s a big achievement. Now it’s about continuing to work hard and work on my game and show the coaches what I’m capable of.”
Jones raised eyebrows two weeks ago when he talked about Donaldson, a Randwick junior, being able to implement the style preferred by Jones, another Randwick product.
“He’s trained predominantly at 15 for us, but he’s done a little bit of work at 10,” said Jones.
“And as a player, who can play 10 and 15 and a goal kicker, he’s a pretty important player for us. He’s got the skill set we want, which is to be able to play the game as it comes.”
“We’ve tried to restructure, we’re restructuring our attack to be much more… we want to play to play, rather than create points to play and what I mean is points on the field, which has been the Australian style,” Jones explained.
“So we’re going completely away from that and that suits his natural game. You know, coming out of Randwick that’s how we play, well that’s how Randwick play, a more natural style of game so I’ve been really impressed by what he’s doing.”
Meanwhile the Wallabies insist Samu Kerevi remains available for selection against Georgia. It’s believe he will start at inside cengtre.
The damaging inside centre barely trained on Tuesday, leaving it open to interpretation that Eddie Jones would leave his crucial inside back wrapped in cotton wool for another week after recovering from hand surgery last month.
Indeed, as his teammates all trained on the field, with the exception of injured props James Slipper and Pone Fa’amausili boxing in the corner, Kerevi sat with his runners on in the team dugout.
Kerevi wasn’t the first player to sit out a training session over the past fortnight, with back-rower Tom Hooper and Kellaway missing a session last week, but given he’s missed dozens of contact sessions it was an interesting sight to see the former vice-captain cooling his heels.
Wallabies assistant Neal Hatley confirmed the 29-year-old was back out training on Wednesday.
SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE – AUGUST 31: Samu Kerevi runs during an Australia Wallabies training session ahead of the Rugby World Cup France 2023, at Stade Roger Baudras in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
“He trained today and he’s available,” Hatley said.
“Eddie will make the final decisions on that today and tonight.”
Asked why he missed Tuesday’s session, their penultimate one of the week, Hatley said everyone’s training programs were different.
“No specific reason,” he said.
“He’s been he’s been coming back [from an injury], so he has a really individualised plan with John Pryor and John Clark.
“[It’s] just to make sure that at the back end of the week, he’s in the very best position to be able to contribute to the team if he’s called on.”
Wallabies veteran Nic White said Kerevi was still his damaging self.
“He pumped me off,” White quipped.
“He was running through blokes. He was good today.”
While the bulk of the Wallabies’ squad appears largely settled, with the tight-five to remain very much the same as the one that played against France in their final warm-up match before the World Cup, mystery surrounds the midfield and fullback positions.
Given Kerevi’s importance in going deep – the former Reds captain is the only big centre in Australia’s squad – it’s possible that Jones won’t want to risk his star against the 11th-ranked Georgians.
It’s likely Kerevi will start alongside Jordan Petaia in the midfield.
In recent weeks there has also been a push for Max Jorgensen to be parachuted into the 23. But it’s expected Jones will resist the urge to throw the 19-year-old in at this early stage of the tournament.
One thing is for certain, the Wallabies have been hugely impressed by Jorgensen, who celebrated his 19th birthday last weekend.
Should he win selection over the next month, he will overtake Jordan Petaia to become the youngest Wallaby to play at a World Cup and, indeed, the second youngest ever in the tournament’s history.
“I had lunch with him yesterday and I had to remind myself that he just turned 19,” White said.
“He’s so mature. Such a good competitor. His football IQ is through the roof. Even just his body, he’s impressive.
“I was talking to ‘Slips’ [Slipper] and we were just ‘Wow, this guy’s going to be good.’”
A regular starter under Dave Rennie, The Roar understood White was very close to missing out on World Cup selection.
Even in the days before the official World Cup squads had to be finalised, Jones was exploring his options.
White, who featured prominently at the last World Cup after missing selection in 2015, said he was content with his position in Australian rugby and wanted to add value to the squad regardless of whether he was in the matchday 23 or not.
“It feels very real. I was absolutely stoked [to be included in the squad],” White said.
“When I first came back to Australian rugby, there was a question mark around 2023. Look, I’m here.
“It’s all ahead of us. We’re at the start line now. The gun’s about to go. And we’ve worked bloody hard, and I think we’re all just looking forward to it.
“Obviously [Tate’s] vice captain and he’s doing a good job there. But we’re a team of 33, whoever is playing good footy will play. We’ve seen that throughout the Rugby Championship.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
“It doesn’t affect the way I prepare, the way I lead, and I’ve spoken about that with Eddie. He’s made it very clear that the best man will do the job. And Tate’s been doing a great job at the moment.
“I feel like I’ve been doing a really good job of supporting him. And that’s my job as well.
“I’m under no illusion of where I’m at with my career and my age and my experience … I want to do whatever job that is to the absolute best of my ability.”
White said some choice words from former World Cup winning halfback and long-time Wallabies captain George Gregan had drummed home the importance of both those who start the match and finish it.
“The start is really important, but I think the way the game has evolved into, the bench just isn’t a bench anymore. People have used ‘finishers’, ‘Bomb Squad’, ‘game winners’, all these sorts of things. They’re the championship minutes, that last 20,” White said.
“I think George Gregan was the first to tell me that. He wanted to be on the field in that last 20, they’re big moments in big games when trophies are involved.
“[A] fast start [is] crucially important to put the team in a really good spot but equally as important are the guys coming on in the end to make sure they finish off that game.”
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.