Australia have no option but to look to the future and pick one of their immensely talented 20-year-old playmakers
In 2011, New Zealand travelled to the Under 20 World Championship in Italy with arguably the best age-grade rugby side in the history of the game.
The likes of Codie Taylor, Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane provided the grunt up front while TJ Perenara, Waisake Naholo and Charles Piutau caused havoc from the backline.
The New Zealanders bested England 33-22 in the final and 16 members of the squad have now gone on to play Test rugby.
Of those sixteen, three are first five-eighths – and coach Mark Anscombe had to somehow accommodate all three in his matchday squad.
Gareth Anscombe, Lima Sopoaga and Beauden Barrett were, at the time, three of the most exciting young prospects in the game and, despite all three primarily playing the same position, it made sense to try and incorporate them all into the top line-up.
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As such, Anscombe played at 10, Sopoaga went into the midfield and Barrett was employed at fullback.
It wasn’t the perfect solution, but it meant that New Zealand had three excellent young playmakers on the park at the same time.
Eight years later, after all three had clocked up caps for either New Zealand or, in Anscombe’s case, the adopted home of Wales and across the ditch, Australia were suddenly faced with a similar problem to their neighbours.
Junior Wallabies coach, Jason Gilmore, named an Under 20 squad bursting with talent in the playmaker role, including ACT’s Noah Lolesio, New South Wales’ Will Harrison and Queensland’s Isaac Lucas.
Come the final of the 2019 World Championship, it was clear that all three had to be on the field. As such, Gilmore named Harrison at 10, Lolesio in the midfield and Lucas at fullback.
Despite only one of the four franchises being victorious, collectively the Australian performances indicate the @wallabies could field a strong side in 2020, writes @ArgyleSport. #SuperRugby https://t.co/KpB1tqcF4r
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 3, 2020
Australia didn’t quite have the same success as their neighbours did eight years prior, losing by a single point to France, but it was obvious that the trio of young playmakers were all destined for great things.
In the first round of Super Rugby for 2020, all three started at first five for their respective clubs: Lolesio for the Brumbies, Lucas for the Reds and Harrison for the Waratahs.
Lucas, the oldest of the group, will turn 21 next week.
Unsurprisingly, the Australian teams had the youngest 10s over the weekend of any Super Rugby nation, with 30-year-old Matt Toomua bringing the average age up to nearly 23.
New Zealand’s first fives, by comparison, were all in the range of 21 to 25-years-old while the South African sides’ playmakers averaged 27-years-old.
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That shouldn’t come as a massive surprise to anyone who has paid attention to Australia’s exodus of talent since the World Cup.
Bernard Foley and Christian Lealiifano, who battled it out for the starting Wallabies jersey last year, have left the Waratahs and the Brumbies for Japan – paving the way for Harrison and Lolesio to make their starts.
Quade Cooper, meanwhile, has departed the Rebels but Toomua has taken over at 10 with coach Dave Wessels saying that “Super Rugby is a place for men, it’s not a place for boys” to justify his selection.
The Rebels’ only other option at 10 is 24-year-old Andrew Deegan, who made his professional debut for the Western Force in 2018’s Rapid Rugby showcase.
Lucas spent the better part of last year with the Reds before heading to Argentina with the Under 20s but was mainly utilised at fullback. Now, Bryce Hegarty, the man who spent most of the year at first five has shifted into the outside backs, allowing Lucas to have a run at 10.
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It’s not an exaggeration to say these three young men have entered Super Rugby with the hopes of the nation resting on their shoulders. With so many experienced campaigners heading off-shore, the Wallabies are in desperate need of a first five to take them to the next World Cup and beyond.
Toomua, Kurtley Beale and James O’Connor have all worn the Wallabies 10 jersey in the past, but they’re all realistically better suited to other positions.
It would be entirely unfair to expect any of Lucas, Lolesio or Harrison to take charge of playmaking duties in Australian colours at this early stage of their careers but that appears to be the position that new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie may be forced to put them in.
Lucas, from what we saw of him last year, is a prodigious talent in the mould of Damian McKenzie and has the potential to set a new-age Wallabies backline alight – providing he has the right men around him.
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The success of the Wallabies in 2020 will be as much dependant on the players that Rennie chooses to utilise at 9 and 12 as it is on the former world champions finding a playmaker to take them forward.
Samu Kerevi, the Wallabies’ inside centre at the last World Cup, has also left for Japan, which could open the door for O’Connor to shift one position closer to the ruck and offer playmaking support from the 12 jersey. Beale or Toomua could also cover inside centre, but the former would probably be better utilised at fullback while the latter appeals as useful bench option.
The picture is even murkier at halfback now that Will Genia is also in Japan.
Nic White’s return for the 2019 Test season immediately reaped rewards with his playmaking from the 9 jersey causing massive problems for the All Blacks in Perth during the Rugby Championship. His impact lessened as the year went on, however, and he found himself on the reserves bench come Australia’s World Cup quarter-final loss to England.
The @BrumbiesRugby have made one injury-forced change in their team to face the @MelbourneRebels this weekend. #SuperRugby https://t.co/44rgwa8I0W
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 5, 2020
White will still be available for the Wallabies this year and Rennie may be inclined to sandwich a young 10 by experienced players – which bodes well for White, the only Wallabies-eligible halfback with more than a handful of Test caps.
Other options include Brumbies scrumhalf Joe Powell or Jake Gordon from the Waratahs. Last year’s Under 20 halfbacks, Michael McDonald and Henry Robertson, are also contracted to the Waratahs for this season.
There’s obviously still plenty of time for Australia’s young playmakers to stand up and be counted during this year’s season of Super Rugby. In the past, however, 20-year-olds may have just been playing for a contract renewal. This year, they may well be playing for a chance to represent their country on the highest stage.
The stakes have never been higher.
WATCH: New Wallabies coach Dave Rennie will be picking players on form, not reputation.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
65 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments