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'He's not throwing much chat with his s*** haircut': Jack Goodhue's former midfielder partner relishing potential Bledisloe Cup reunion

(Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

It’s been seven years since new Wallabies midfielder Irae Simone last played alongside All Blacks star Jack Goodhue.

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The pair could be in line to meet again in about two-and-a-half week’s time, though, with the former Mount Albert Grammar School 1st XV teammates set for a Bledisloe Cup reunion, albeit while playing for different teams.

Born and raised in Auckland, Simone was Goodhue’s midfield partner at the esteemed rugby nursery, which has produced previous All Blacks such as Sonny Bill Williams and Steven Luatua, as well as current newbie Caleb Clarke.

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The Aussie Rugby Show | Episode 18

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The Aussie Rugby Show | Episode 18

However, the 25-year-old – who was part of the Super Rugby AU title-winning Brumbies side on Saturday – revealed he had no ambition of joining that list while growing up.

“My parents, they got an old video, they asked me what what team I wanted to play for, and I said the Wallabies,” he said on Tuesday.

“I looked up to a lot of players in the All Blacks, but I’ve never wanted to play for the All Blacks. My family’s huge Wallabies supporters, so they’re pretty stoked about this.”

He credited his allegiance to Australia to his childhood hero Matt Giteau, a five-eighth with 103 test caps to his name and two Super 12 championships with the Brumbies.

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“I just loved watching him, in terms of his skills, mindset, just how he approached the game. He’s a player that I’ve always looked up to,” Simone said.

“Then you have the greats like [George] Gregan, so back then, the Wallabies were at their peak. It’s probably fair to say that’s dropped down a few the last couple of years, but I’m with a special group here.

“There’s something special that’s brewing within this group, and hopefully we can turn that into a winning mindset in a few games.”

An uncapped prospect who has flourished since moving to the Brumbies from the Waratahs earlier this year, Simone may get a chance to realise his long-held dream after being named in Dave Rennie’s 44-man Wallabies squad a fortnight ago.

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That opportunity to don the green and gold jersey might come earlier than first expected after rising Reds star Jordan Petaia suffered a hip flexor injury in his side’s 28-23 Super Rugby AU final defeat to Simone’s Brumbies.

Many tipped the three-cap Wallabies utility to slot into Rennie’s midfield alongside either franchise teammate James O’Connor or Rebels playmaker Matt To’omua, but he is now in serious doubt to make the cut for Bledisloe Cup opener on October 11.

Petaia’s misfortune could pave the way for Simone to earn his maiden Wallabies cap against his nation of birth in what the latter said would be “a dream come true”.

“There’s a process and there’s a lot of hard work that needs to be done before that,” he added. “But, if the opportunity comes, I’ll definitely be looking forward to that.”

Should Simone be named in Rennie’s first-ever Wallabies team, there’s a fair chance he will be tasked with marking Goodhue, who he said hadn’t given him much banter leading into the clash.

“He sent me a message a few days ago, but no chat at the moment. He’s not throwing much chat with his s*** haircut at the moment,” Simone joked, referring to Goodhue’s recent decision to part ways with his famed mullet.

The Wallabies are expected to fly out of Australia on Friday to undergo a two-week quarantine period in New Zealand leading into their first match.

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O
OJohn 1 hour ago
Will overseas selection make the difference for British and Irish Lions?

The trouble with appointing a coach from one state that is not the Tahs, is that the p.... at the Tahs will start weedling away immediately on ways to undermine the non Tah coach.


It's what the private school toffs do. They have a born to rule mentality, even tho they are complete failures. That is why they will only tolerate Tah coaches or weak kiwis they know they can control. A kiwi on a million Australian dollars a year will do anything the largest franchise in Australia tells him to do. He's only here for the money.


That's why Ewen McKenzie was the ideal candidate, even tho Hooper and Beale still set out straight away to undermine him to get Cheika installed but the next best alternative is to have a group of coaches from some of the franchises, except the Tahs, (not the Western Force with kiwi Cron - who is hopeless), to keep the Tahs in their place. The Wallabies must also not have more than 3 Tah players in the squad. Otherwise they will start scheming again under instruction from the NSW administration. The Tahs have spent the last 20 years undermining the Wallabies to get more players than they deserved in the squad. Their NSW egos are more important to them than the Wallabies.


I can't see why a triumverate of Super Rugy coaches can't coach the Wallabies too. I could include MacKellar in there as well but he has shown himself to select on favoritism rather than ability based on the ridiculous number of sub standard Brumbies who got a game under Rennie. He's not much of a Queenslander but the Tahs will stab in the back in a flash too eventually.

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