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Former Wallabies coach Alan Jones has taken exception with Eddie Jones’ backline selections and wants to see a significant change for game two against Fiji.
Writing for News Corp, Jones said Carter Gordon doesn’t deserve a start at No.10 unless he’s the team’s goal kicker.
“It was very pleasing to see Ben Donaldson step up at fullback and play well,” Alan Jones wrote. “He has ability. His kicking game needed to be on point and he delivered.
Carter Gordon. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
“As this tournament evolves, I can see Donaldson playing at number 10 and Andrew Kellaway at fullback.
“It doesn’t make sense for the Wallabies to pick Carter Gordon if he can’t handle Test match pressure as a goal-kicker.
“Against Georgia, young Gordon kicked far too much ball away inside the Georgian 22-metre area.
“Ben Donaldson is definitely a better all-round fit for the team; Kellaway is a world class fullback.
“In the pressure games ahead, we will be a stronger team with Donaldson at 10 and Kellaway at 15.”
Mack Hansen has come up with one of the all-time great press conference answers when he faced the media after being selected to start Ireland’s match against Tonga on Saturday.
The Aussie-born Hansen was asked if he’d much support from home.
“A lot of my mates are over. It’s tough getting Snapchats of them smoking vapes and drinking beer while I’m trying to prepare for the game,” Hansen laughed.
“It’s good craic. It will be good to catch up with them. It’s been nice to get that aspect, outside of playing, and seeing how much the World Cup means to people. People have been planning this for the last four years so seeing everybody really enjoying themselves is great.”
Hansen, who went viral after Ireland’s opening match for stripping down to his undies and throwing the rest of his kit into the stands, said playing at a World Cup was “an absolute privilege.
“I didn’t know if I’d ever get the opportunity. To get a start against a good Tongan team is really exciting. I was lucky enough to come off the bench so it settled the nerves, which is nice, so I should really enjoy this week.”
Springboks superstar hooker Malcolm Marx has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament after suffering a long-term knee injury at training.
“Marx, who was not included in Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber’s matchday squad to face Romania in Bordeaux on Sunday, went down at training on Wednesday after having his knee caught in contact,” the Springboks said in a statement.
“With the Springboks having the luxury of an enlarged 33-man squad in France for the international showpiece, and sufficient cover at hooker within the squad, he will not be replaced in the squad at this stage.”
South Africa, who beat Scotland 18-3 in their opening Pool B game, take on Romania in Bordeaux on Sunday.
Coach Jacques Nienaber said while the Springboks, who beat Scotland 18-3 in their Pool B opener, were now left with only one specialist hooker in the squad, other players could step into the role if needed.
“First and foremost, we are extremely disappointed for Malcolm, and we wish him all the best in his recovery,” he said.
“We have enough cover at hooker with Bongi (Mbonambi) and Deon (Fourie) in the squad, while Marco (van Staden) has also been training there and has been named on all our team sheets so far as a hooker option.”
Wallabies players will pocket $175,000 bonuses each if they can overcome the odds and win the World Cup, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The paper says RA and the players union wanted to keep the bonuses – which include a $25,000 boost if they make the semi finals – secret. That makes sense considering the recent blow up at RA spending on the men’s program by the national women’s team players.
The Herald says it is only the second time players have been offered bonuses for advancing past the quarterfinals.
The bonus offer for winning is a 40 percent increase on the $125,000 that was offered in 2019.
The Wallabies are looking to put the brakes on Fiji’s Semi Radradra with the ex-NRL star in their sights in their Rugby World Cup showdown with a quarter-final berth on the line.
Known as “Semi-trailer”, the hulking centre is Fiji’s go-to man with the Pacific Islanders desperate to topple Australia in Saint-Etienne on Sunday (Monday AEST) to keep alive their tournament.
Radradra will need to regroup after fumbling a last-ditch pass which could have led to a match-winning try in their World Cup opener against Wales, instead falling 32-26.
Playing for Parramatta between 2013 and 2017, Radradra had a stunning strike-rate with 82 tries from 94 games.
Wallabies assistant Jason Ryles said stopping Radradra would be key to Australia’s hopes of banking back-to-back victories after downing Georgia in their first pool game.
Barring any major upsets a win over Fiji would see the Wallabies and Wales secure the two play-off spots.
“Semi’s one of those guys that bend the line and they like to play off the back of him and in open space they look for him,” said Ryles, himself a former NRL star forward.
“He’s a huge influence on their team and one of the guys that we’re certainly going to have to make sure we’re doing a good job on.”
Wallabies winger Suliasi Vunivalu got the better of Radradra in their last meeting in a 2017 NRL qualifying final, when the ex-Storm star helped his team to victory.
Radradra was one of the Eels’ scorers in an 18-16 thriller at AAMI Park.
“I played against Semi back in club level at NRL and he’s a big threat so I’m looking forward this week to playing him,” said Vunivalu.
“We played each other in the finals and we (Melbourne) got up in 2017 so that was good.
“There’s no banter (between us) – it’s just respect.”
One of seven players in the Wallabies squad with Fijian blood-lines, Vunivalu was born and raised in Fiji until he moved to New Zealand as a teen and then on to Australia.
He said he asked fellow Fiji-born winger Marika Koroibete, who was part of Australia’s win over Fiji at the 2019 World Cup, if they would be targeted by the islanders.
“I was actually speaking to Marika about their last World Cup, and what they were saying, like ‘Were they like trying to aim at them, like Fijian on Fijian?’
“He said they were mentioning stuff to Samu (Kerevi) like ‘Belt him, belt him’ in Fijian.
“And I was like, ‘Did Samu know?’ and he said, ‘No, I didn’t want to tell Samu about that’ but yeah I think they’ll be looking forward to the same situation this week.”
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.