Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt ignores veteran No.10s and calls up another rookie for must-win Italy clash
The Wallabies will be scrambling to get injured five-eighth Ben Donaldson ready to play in a must-win clash against Italy this week after manager Joe Schmidt opted to send an SOS to an experienced playmaker and called up another unrestricted eight instead.
The Wallabies flew to Perth on Sunday after losing 42-26 to France at Suncorp Stadium. The home team was ahead 21-12 in the first half, but lost in the second half.
Schmidt identified inexperience in the Wallabies’ half as a factor in Australia’s capitulation and said the French failed to regain control of the game after gaining momentum in the third quarter.
After Donaldson and Carter Gordon were ruled out last week with calf injuries, Declan Meredith made his Test debut at number 10 and Schmidt took a gamble by selecting full-back Jock Campbell as a reserve five-eighth despite having never started a professional game in that position.
It backfired. Campbell came on in the 57th minute with the Wallabies trailing by 13 points and having just enough time to recover. But the Wallabies were disconnected and bereft of the direction offered by an experienced playmaker, and the French headed home.
“I see them working hard and I know their intentions are really positive,” Schmidt said. “But when things aren’t going our way, we need to be able to gain some traction in the game and part of that comes down to experience.
“We had some pretty inexperienced halves and no chance of the No 10 jersey and we’re not getting any continuity there. As a game driver it makes it difficult to maintain continuity the way we would like.”
“I thought Declan acquitted himself very well for a guy who had never played a Test match before and he just [Romain] Ntamack but [Matthieu] Jalibert is in the backfield. They are two world class 10s and here is a kid coming out of club rugby trying to scheme us around the field for his first Test, with two guys like that plotting against them on the field.”
Schmidt said they’ll find out Tuesday if Donaldson will be fit to return from his calf shot.
“If he can train fully then he is definitely available,” he said.
But if Donaldson is ruled out once again, there will be no other experienced five-eighth option in the Wallabies squad to turn to after Schmidt called up unrestricted Queenslander Harry McLaughlin-Phillips to replace Gordon on Sunday. Schmidt decided not to bring in Noah Lolesio (33 Tests), Tane Edmed (11) and even James O’Connor (70), who returned to Australia after finishing work at Leicester. All three played under Schmidt for the Wallabies last season.
McLaughlin-Phillips, 22, started just 12 of 30 Super Rugby matches and came off the bench for the Australia A and AUNZ Invitational teams. He trained with the Wallabies last week and was officially added to the squad on Sunday.
If Donaldson is ruled out, Meredith will be the only five-eighth option in camp to start the Test match at number 10.
Schmidt said he considered calling up Lolesio last week, but since Donaldson withdrew on Tuesday, they preferred to use a player who was training with the team.
This became a strict selection criterion for Schmidt throughout his tenure in Australia; Even if there is a risk of fielding a less experienced player instead of an experienced option.
Schmidt also touched on long-term planning for next year’s Rugby World Cup, but the Wallabies desperately need a victory this week to stay psychologically afloat in what is a crucial year to build momentum and belief.
The team is on a six-match losing streak and another defeat against Italy, who have beaten Australia in their last two matches, would be their biggest consecutive defeat since 2005.
In a major blow for the Wallabies, in-form winger Tom Hooper has also been ruled out of contention to return to the Italy Test after missing the France match with a shoulder injury. Joe Brial was brought into the squad to replace Hooper, while Isaac Henry was brought in to replace Hunter Paisami (knee).
After the match, Meredith said she wanted to get another chance.
“If I get another opportunity, I would like to offer more,” Meredit said. “When the momentum gets caught, they put you in a difficult position. In tests, you learn that momentum is everything in a game and it’s hard to get it back. A few lessons have definitely been learned, but he’s willing to get back on the horse.”
Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa believes victory will break the losing habit and open the floodgates.
“A win would definitely help us,” he said. “And we’re desperate, we’re desperate as a team. It’s a good kind of desperation, though. We work hard for each other, we go hard, we want that win. And when we get that, it’s just going to have a snowball effect.”
Iain Payten is senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
