Charlie Cale talks dream All Blacks showdown as Wallabies verdict looms

If you look across any international rugby side in the world, the most stacked position talent-wise is usually the backrow, and Australia is no exception.

Throughout history, the Wallaby backrow has been home to internationally renowned talent: George Smith, Toutai Kefu, Michael Hooper, David Pocock, and most recently, two-time John Eales Medallist, Rob Valetini.

Other Test sides across the globe also hold elite talent in the No.6, No.7, and No.8 jerseys, and coach Joe Schmidt must pick his very best for the incoming, inaugural Nations Championship in July.

This is where Charlie Cale enters the discourse. The 25-year-old Brumbies No.8 had a barnstorming start to 2026, but has had a horrid run of injuries over the past couple of years, and this season was no exception.

However, he nonetheless managed a little over half the season’s matches, and in those games, he managed some extraordinary stats: nine tries, 427 running metres, five line breaks, 10 defenders beaten, made 89/91 tackles at a 97 per cent tackle success rate, and stole 6 lineouts, the fifth most in the comp.

A lot of these stats are rather flashing for a forward hoping to make it in the brutal arena of Test rugby, and it’s something Cale himself is aware of.

He has taken his long and interspersed injury run over the last 18 months as a moment to reflect and understand his game fully, so he may once again reach higher honours.

“I’ve added to my tight game over the last 12 months; being injured, I tried to take a little bit of a ‘blessings in disguise’ approach and learn where I can when I am not on the field.”

“I’ve worked hard on being a balanced backrower, not just being one-sided. I feel a lot more confident. I’ve put on a little bit more size, which helps.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

0

Draws

0

Wins

5

Average Points scored

17

25

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

60%

At 196cm and tipping the scales at over 105 kg, Cale is a formidable attacking threat when given some space, as he is as quick as most backs, as evidenced by his many tries this year.

There has been lingering concern that he may still be too light for Test rugby. However, the counterargument has always been that he has unique speed and agility attributes, which give him a point of difference from other stockier, less mobile options.

As he has acknowledged, he knows he must round out his game and prove to Schmidt he can do the tough stuff on either side of the ball when a game is in the balance, if he hopes to get picked for the July Tests. 

Make no mistake, Cale wants nothing more than to make it back into a Wallabies jersey after getting a taste for it back in 2024.

“The goal is to get back in there (into the Wallabies)… I’m a bit older now and feel like if I got that opportunity, I would get more out of it and be more prepared for what’s to come,” Cale said.

“I would love to get back in there and make my family proud again.” 

Cale debuted against Wales in Sydney in the first year of Schmidt’s tenure as coach, and then he went on to get his starting debut against the Welsh in Melbourne a week later.

When asked about what drives him, he says playing in a Bledisloe Cup is the pinnacle of what it would mean to him to pull on the gold jersey again.

“I’d love to play against New Zealand. When I was a kid, I used to watch the Bledisloe games. I even used to load them up on Rugby 08, and I reckon that playing them in Sydney or New Zealand would be pretty cool.”

Everything, all the opportunities, and game time, are ahead of Cale, and with all the Super Rugby Pacific now played and done, all there is to do is wait and see if Schmidt and incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss will pick him.

As mentioned earlier, there is a plethora of talent to pick from in the backrow.

The almost certain picks are Wallabies incumbent captain Harry Wilson, Queensland Reds captain Fraser McReight, Western Force’s Carlo Tizzano, and the aforementioned two-time John Eales Medalist Valetini.

Nick Champion De Crespigny has added a powerful running game to go along with his brutal defensive efforts, and Pete Samu has been one of the most consistent performers in the Waratahs’ sky blue jersey all season.

Across the other side of the world, the former Brumby, Tom Hooper, has been excelling in the English Prem for the Exeter Chiefs, and he will head into the competition’s grand final this weekend in roaring form after suffering a mid-season MCL injury.

The likes of Rory Scott at the Brumbies, Clem Halaholo at the Waratahs, and Joe Brial at the Reds have all been impressive and have had standout moments across the season. They are also part of the chasing pack alongside Cale.

Where Cale doesn’t have the brutal carrying style of Halaholo and Brial, and not quite the defensive starch or breakdown prowess of Scott, he certainly has them all covered for explosivity and as a threat at the lineout.

It is this sort of equation that faces Schmidt and Kiss at the selection table, and it means they are stuck with the unenviable task of cutting a group of 11 down to a possible six or seven.

While Wallabies fans hold their breath for the squad to be released in the coming days, Cale will be searching for a new hobby to keep himself preoccupied until the team is announced.

“I am a bit of a gamer, but I am getting a bit older now and losing interest, so I am looking for some new hobbies.”

So, ahead of the Wallabies squad being announced, Cale will be hoping to stave off the need to land on a new pastime as he hopes to pull on the gold jersey as soon as July 4, when the Wallabies play Ireland in Sydney.