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'I don't just want to be a Wallaby, I want to be a winning Wallaby' - Fraser McReight's aspirations for emerging golden generation

By Finn Morton
Fraser McReight. (Original photo by Javier Escobar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

After four rounds of Super Rugby AU, a number of last year’s history-making Junior Wallabies squad have stood up and made their presence known on the national stage.

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With the competition pitting the next generation of Australian talent against the incumbent Wallabies, one of the competition’s standouts has been last years under-20s captain, Fraser McReight.

McReight has held his own in what is arguably the most dangerous and promising backrow in Australian rugby, packing down alongside 22-year-old Reds captain Liam Wright, and 20-year-old Harry Wilson.

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The flanker starred in the first three matches of the Australian-only competition for the Reds, currently topping the charts for turnovers won, with six, despite last weekend’s bye.

The two-time Australian under-20s player of the year is pleased with how he’s performed since the COVID break, but admitted that there’s still plenty of work to be done within his game.

“Obviously it’s a lot different starting than coming off the bench. Actually getting a full 80-minutes to test yourself against fresh players and grow your game and learn about your game is something I’ve done,” McReight told RugbyPass.

“There’s a lot of room for improvement but I’ve been pretty happy in terms of what I’ve done and what I’ve added to the team so far.

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“I haven’t really solidified my position yet but that’s something that I definitely want to do.”

McReight became the 1338th player to represent his state after coming off the bench in March of 2019, but had to wait until round one of Super Rugby AU against the Waratahs to make his starting debut.

Lining up against Michael Hooper, the 21-year-old won four turnovers for his side including a vital penalty at the breakdown late in the match that all but secured the historic victory.

While his starting debut drew plenty of attention from fans and pundits, he said that he felt comfortable just playing his game against some of rugby’s best.

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“I worked really hard during the COVID break and during the preseason, so I was ready to handle whatever the Waratahs threw at me and threw at us.

“Going up against the Wallabies captain, it was pretty special, to be honest, but I was just trying to do my job and do it as best as I could.”

McReight’s elite work rate and his leadership is nothing new to those who saw the flanker impress for Brisbane Grammar in Brisbane’s GPS high school competition, and representative sides including the Junior Wallabies.

After playing for the Australian under-20s in 2018, McReight was named as captain for his second spell with the squad last year.

He led the Junior Wallabies to their first Oceania under-20s title on the Gold Coast, which included a momentous 24-0 victory over New Zealand.

McReight ended all hopes of a miracle Baby Blacks comeback late in the match, crossing over for a try in what he described as being a “massive” win for Australian rugby.

“I played the year before and we got beaten by a quality New Zealand side. Coming through that year in 2018, we didn’t really have much confidence about it, no one was really wanting to win I suppose.

“Last year was completely different, we had a great team and we knew exactly the sort of backs and forwards we had, we complimented each other really well.

“We knew that we were going to bash them up front. Our forward pack laid the platform for our silky backs and you could just look at what that did for us: we beat a New Zealand team 24-0 and I don’t think that that’s ever happened at that level or any junior level.”

Keeping New Zealand to nil set the tone for what promised to be an exciting Junior World Championships campaign for Australia in Argentina.

In a pool with Italy, England and Ireland, Australia snuck through to the knockout rounds despite a loss to the English.

After defeating hosts Argentina 34-13 in the semi-finals, Australia faced defending champions France.

They lost the final by one-point, with Will Harrison and Michael McDonald only converting three from seven set shots.

Still, McReight took plenty of positives out of the record-equalling performance, matching Australia’s runner up finish from the 2010 instalment of the competition.

“They’ve been my favourite part of rugby that I’ve ever been in, especially last year where it was such a tight group, everyone got along.

“It wasn’t what we wanted to do in the final, the French side were really quality, and if we could go back, there’s definitely some things we’d change.

“I know for me that I would’ve loved to have won that and done something that no other Australian under-20s side has done, but on the flipside of that, we’re still so proud of what we were still able to achieve.”

The Australian Schools and under-18s side also broke another hoodoo against their Trans-Tasman rivals last year, defeating New Zealand schools 18-14 in Hamilton to break a seven-year streak.

It’s the start of what could be a golden generation for Australian rugby, with McReight aiming for future successes on the back of the nation’s emerging talent.

“My goals personally is that I want to play for the Wallabies and I’m not shying away from that, that’s something that I really want to do.

“I want to win a Bledisloe and I want to win a World Cup. I don’t just want to be a Wallaby, I want to be a winning Wallaby.

“There’s a lot of hard work to get there, and a new coaching set-up at the Wallabies that I think is going to be something pretty special. The new group that we’ve got coming through is also going to be really exciting.

“I’m really keen to see what’s happening in the future and work my way there to play and put the gold jersey on.”

But to reach those higher honours, McReight is going to have to continue to impress when given the chance to represent his state.

Before the coronavirus suspended Super Rugby, the Reds were made to rue their goal kicking woes, losing tight games including a match against the Crusaders in Christchurch.

Even though the Reds appear to be clicking now with an undefeated record in Super Rugby AU, McReight is still expecting more improvement from his side.

“When you come back into the Super Rugby AU season, it’s not going to be what it was like when we left. It was two, three months ago, so you have to start fresh.

“For us, our attack hasn’t been on song yet but the scary thing for us is we haven’t lost a game, we’re two wins and one draw, and we’ve probably been playing at 60 per cent.”

The Queensland Reds face the ACT Brumbies in Canberra in what will be a decisive match in the context of Super Rugby AU.

The Reds haven’t won in the capital in six-years, with McReight clear in saying that it was a piece of history that it’s “definitely something that we’re coming for.”

After starting the first three matches of Super Rugby AU, McReight has been named on the bench in what is expected to be a close contest between the competition’s top two sides.

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Jon 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 12 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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