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.
Continue reading below…
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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B79fFbyAZeS/
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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8KscWHAu07/
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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8DKTlWgkZN/
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
you know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
19 Go to comments