Dave Rennie explains wholesale changes to the Wallabies
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has turned over almost half of his run-on side ahead of Thursday night’s Bledisloe Cup encounter against the All Blacks, with halfback Nic White the highest profile casualty.
Rennie made a whopping seven changes to his starting XV for the Marvel Stadium match following the disappointing 24-8 loss to South Africa in Sydney earlier this month.
Bernard Foley returns to the side for the first time since 2019 after young playmaker Noah Lolesio was ruled out with concussion.
Rennie’s hand was also forced by centre Hunter Paisami’s concussion and Rory Arnold’s return to Japan to be present for the birth of his child.
But with both the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup up for grabs over the next fortnight, Rennie has rolled the dice with a series of unforced changes.
His biggest decision was handing 14-Test halfback Jake Gordon a start in place of White, giving the Wallabies a completely new-look 9-10 combination.
“I think Whitey wasn’t at his best last week,” Rennie said.
“He’s started every Test this year and had a massive load, and I thought Jake was excellent off the bench last week.”
Flanker Fraser McReight was axed in favour of Pete Samu, while Jed Holloway moves from the No.6 jersey to lock for the first time in his Test career.
David Porecki replaces Folau Fainga’a at hooker, with flanker Rob Leota another new face in the starting line-up.
Andrew Kellaway has been named at fullback in place of Reece Hodge, while Lalakai Foketi fills the void left by the concussed Paisami.
Powerful prop Taniela Tupou is expected to return from a calf injury next week.
Rennie said some of his changes were based around his team’s need to improve in the physical stakes.
“It’s got a bit to do with collisions,” Rennie said.
“I think Fraser (McReight) has been excellent, especially from a continuity point of view. In the two Tests we’ve gone forward, he’s played a big hand … but maybe not the same impact defensively in the contact areas where we’ve struggled.
“Pete Samu –we’ve toyed with starting him a number of times. He’s been excellent for us off the bench and delivers every time.”
Foley has spent the past three years playing in Japan, departing the international scene after the 2019 World Cup.
But Rennie was keen to tap into his experience after losing fellow veteran Quade Cooper to a ruptured Achilles tendon and with James O’Connor out of favour and now injured again.
Foley joined the squad before the two Rugby Championship Tests – which resulted in a win and a loss – focusing on getting up to speed with the team machinations and sharpening his skills.
The 32-year-old, who has played 71 Tests, is key to the Wallabies’ chances of victory against their arch enemy.
The Wallabies are looking to snap a 19-year Bledisloe Cup drought.
The Thursday night game is the first midweek trans-Tasman fixture since 1994, when Australia beat the All Blacks via George Gregan’s famous try-saving tackle on Jeff Wilson.
Wallabies: Andrew Kellaway, Tom Wright, Len Ikitau, Lalakai Foketi, Marika Koroibete, Bernard Foley, Jake Gordon, Rob Valetini, Pete Samu, Rob Leota, Matt Philip, Jed Holloway, Allan Alaalatoa, David Porecki, James Slipper (c). Reserves: Folau Fainga’a, Scott Sio, Pone Fa’amausili, Darcy Swain, Fraser McReight, Nic White, Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia.
– Justin Chadwick and Melissa Woods
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments