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'He's a big man': Dave Rennie backing X-factor rookie in Italy Test
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has named two rookies among eight players with less than 10 Test caps each for Saturday’s tour clash with Italy in Florence.
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Dave Rennie doesn’t believe he’s rolling the dice after picking the least experienced Wallabies line-up of his 32-Test tenure for a hiding-to-nothing showdown with Italy.
Rennie will blood X-factor Mark Nawaqanitawase in Florence on Saturday while the winger’s NSW Waratahs teammate Ben Donaldson could also earn his first cap after being named on the bench as the reserve five-eighth.
All up, Rennie’s 23-man squad features eight players with less than 10 Tests each under their belts.
Under pressure to improve on an unflattering 39 per cent winning strike rate since succeeding Michael Cheika in 2020, Rennie risks becoming the first Wallabies coach to lose to Italy in 19 Tests against the Azzuri, who impressed when beating Samoa 49-17 last weekend.
But the New Zealander is bravely laying his reputation on the line for the greater good of the Wallabies, intent on building depth ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup in France – come what may.
“Every game is a challenge over here. We knew that,” Rennie said when asked if he was making a selection gamble with his relatively greenhorn outfit.
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“We were playing five Tests, which no one else is doing. You can’t churn out the same side five weeks in a row and expect to be at our best late in the tour so we’ve got confidence in the group.
“We’ve got really good depth. When you look at the team, it’s a good side. We expect them to front. They’ve prepared really well so far.”
To be led by first-time Test skipper Allan Alaalatoa, who will become the Wallabies’ 85th captain, Rennie’s side also includes first starts this tour for playmaker Noah Lolesio, halfback Jake Gordon, flankers Ned Hanigan and Fraser McReight, France-based lock Will Skelton, hooker Folau Fainga’a and prop Matt Gibbon.
McReight is deputising for champion former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, while outside back Jordan Petaia, and back-rower Langi Gleeson, hooker Lachlan Lonergan and lock Darcy Swain – who only earned a call-up after Matt Philip suffered an ACL tear the day the Wallabies flew out for Europe – will don the gold jumper for the first time on the tour after winning bench spots.
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But Nawaqanitawase has the best tale for his grandchildren.
The 22-year-old had just landed in Auckland last month for a holiday with his girlfriend when he received a call from Rennie asking him to return to Sydney to join the spring tourists.
Now Nawaqanitawase is making his Test debut with a chance to press his claims for a World Cup berth.
“He’s had a hell of a season, was excellent for Australia A in Fiji and Japan,” Rennie said.
“He’s a big man so aerially outstanding going forward and under the high ball.
“Has got the ability to beat defenders, got post-tackle presence, made big shifts defensively, kicks the ball well.
“He’s a big man and generally we’ve got a small backline so it gives us a point of difference.”
WALLABIES: Jock Campbell, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Tom Wright, Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon, Pete Samu, Fraser McReight, Ned Hanigan, Will Skelton, Nick Frost, Allan Alaalatoa (capt), Folau Fainga’a, Matt Gibbon. Reserves: Lachlan Lonergan, Tom Robertson, Taniela Tupou, Darcy Swain, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Jordan Petaia.
Comments on RugbyPass
This just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
16 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
16 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
16 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
16 Go to commentsThe 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….
84 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!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
16 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
14 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.
16 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.
16 Go to comments