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Ex-Wallaby discusses Fraser McReight’s Test captaincy potential
By Finn Morton
Two-time Rugby World Cup winner Tim Horan has named two leading candidates and a “bolter” to make Joe Schmidt’s Australia squad for the upcoming Test series against Wales.
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Horan named Brumbies wing Corey Toole and Reds flanker Fraser McReight as two players who would certainly be on the Wallabies’ radar, as well as Waratahs enforcer Lachlan Swinton.
Toole, who burst onto the international rugby scene on the now-called SVNS Series, has been phenomenal for the Brumbies with the speedster scoring tries for fun in Super Rugby Pacific.
The 24-year-old is equal-first along with Reds hooker Matt Faessler for tries scored this season with six, and is also among the leaders for defenders beaten, metres run and line breaks.
Toole travelled with the Australia A squad to France to play Portugal before last year’s Rugby World Cup but now appears destined for even higher honours in Wallaby gold.
“I’m going to give you three players, two you’ll know very well and the third one is probably a bit of a bolter,” Horan said on Stan Sports’ Rugby Heaven.
“I think what Joe Schmidt’s now seen over the last five rounds is this player here, Corey Toole, six tries in the competition – so equal try scorer with Matty Faessler. But I think what he does off the ball, he’s really taken from what he’s learnt last year and he’s got players around him now.
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“He’s happy and confident to come off his wing but also knows when to stay on his wing.
“Corey Toole has to be in the conversation now about that first Test match against Wales. Joe Schmidt, you’d think, would put him in his squad.”
From the opening four rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, there’s a justified argument to be made that Wallaby Fraser McReight was the best player in the entire competition.
McReight, 25, scored some memorable five-pointers during those fixtures, registered four try assists in the win over the Rebels in Melbourne, and has been a menace at the breakdown.
With the Wallabies set to usher in a new era under coach Joe Schmidt, Horan questioned whether McReight could be the next man to captain Australia in rugby union battle.
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“The second player, of course, Fraser McReight,” Horan continued.
“What he’s done over the first five rounds, yes he probably had a bit of a quieter match against the Western Force and that probably came down to the gameplan that Simon Cron put in place.
“Leadership also, we don’t know who’s going to be the Wallaby captain, does that change? Does Allan Alaalatoa get a go at it? Does Fraser McReight? Does an Angus Bell? What does Joe Schmidt do?
“Certainly Fraser McReight in the likening there.”
Finally, the third player that Horan mentioned was Waratah Lachlan Swinton. Swinton, who has played for the Wallabies before, “has only played about 51 minutes” this season.
But coming off the pine in two matches, including the loss to the Fijian Drua in Lautoka last Saturday, Swinton made a noticeable impact with some hard hitting and nonsense carries.
“Then you look at the third player,” Horan added. “I really like what Lachie Swinton has done.
“He’s come two games off the bench for the Waratahs… but I think this is the player that the Wallabies need.
“If he’s in the squad, get an opportunity to play off the bench in one of those two Test matches against Wales, I think he can add a lot.
“Lachie Swinton, for mine, is what the backrow and also the squad need for the Wallabies moving forward.
“Only five rounds in but those three players would certainly be in Joe Schmidt’s likening for the first Test match against Wales.”
