Jock Campbell: 'If you don’t have that mindset, it’s the wrong mindset'

The Nations Championship kicks off next week, and between now and then, Wallabies players will have their final opportunities to impress coach Joe Schmidt for matchday selection.

A hallmark of the first Wallabies squad of 2026 was that it was mostly picked on red-hot Super Rugby Pacific or other club form, and Queensland Reds fullback Jock Campbell is no exception to that criterion.

Campbell was amongst the top 10 players for clean breaks, and was the outright winner for metres gained in the regular season.

Elsewhere, Campbell appeared to have added an extra yard of pace and some mongrel to his contact work; both made a clear difference to the potency of his running game.

However, it’s been a long time between drinks for Campbell at the Test level, with the elusive no.15 not sighted in Wallaby gold since the Dave Rennie era and that infamous end-of-year tour in 2022.

In that campaign, the strengths and weaknesses of Campbell’s game were on show: his elusive running and great support work earned him a try, but a poor tackle attempt on French winger Damien Penaud in the 75th minute saw the French win the game in the end, 30-29.

When asked whether he had made specific improvements to his game due to coach feedback, Campbell answered candidly.

“Little bits around feedback… a lot of it’s around your body feeling good,” Campbell said.

“I got a great physio… back at the Reds, and he really fixed not only my hammy, but a few other injuries, and I guess around other things it’s about confidence.

“It’s a bit of a snowball effect; the body is feeling good, you have a few good touches, and then you get a bit more confidence and things just start happening.”

Team Form

Last 5 Games

48 - 33

46 - 19

26 - 19

25 - 7

15 - 19

43 - 21

27 - 17

21 - 42

20 - 13

36 - 14

1

Wins

4

4

Streak

4

15

Tries Scored

20

-63

Points Difference

38

3/5

First Try

4/5

2/5

First Points

4/5

3/5

Race To 10 Points

3/5

There is no doubt that visually, Campbell has been more assertive and more dangerous with the ball in hand.

Still, his six dominant tackles, which are as many as fellow clubmate and Wallaby Filipo Daugunu, show that he’s making shifts on the stat sheets as well.

Campbell is one of two specialist fullbacks selected by Schmidt, alongside incumbent Tom Wright from the ACT Brumbies.

Wright is still on his journey back to peak performance after rupturing his ACL in South Africa in last year’s Rugby Championship.

Although he has been trusted entirely by Schmidt when fit, Wright was still making his way back to his incredibly elusive and game-defining form during the seven Super Rugby matches he played this season.

Campbell and Wright have played together before, but the gold jersey demands elite performance, and for players to put their best foot forward.

When asked whether he would like to start, Campbell didn’t shy away from the question. 

“Oh yeah, I would love to start, I think everyone here wants to start,” Campbell said.

“If you don’t have that mindset, it’s the wrong mindset to have.”

It is refreshing to hear someone entirely new to the Schmidt environment come out and say they are determined to start.

While individual form, skill, and potential are important for matchday selection, sometimes it’s about the cohesion and connection a certain player has with their teammates.

There is a heavy presence of Reds selected in the national set up, with seven of the 17 backs coming from the Queensland side, and this could very well aid Campbell’s bid for selection in game one against Ireland.

This is especially the case if Tate McDermott and Carter Gordon are selected in the halves.

Although rugby doesn’t necessarily place great credence in having a “spine” of a team in the same way that rugby league does, there still is some sense in having a no.8, no.9, no.10, and no.15 who all intimately know each other’s games.

This is because these players are often playmaking or are pivotal link men in securing points and driving the team forward.

Harry Wilson, the big-motored no.8 from Queensland, is a good shot of starting at the back of the scrum, seeing as he is the incumbent Wallabies captain.

The real benefit of Schmidt being the head honcho for these three games in July, instead of incoming coach Les Kiss, is that a majority of the players selected, regardless of their club sides, have been with Schmidt for the past three seasons.

Most of them are adept now at implementing Schmidt’s systems and structures, and now have genuine connections built at the Test level.

Even if Campbell does not get on the field with his Reds teammates, his experience throughout the years has put him in good standing to flourish with whoever is picked alongside him.

“I’ve played with a majority of the squad to be fair, over the past eight years in Aussie rugby, whether it’s been with the Reds, Australia A, or Wallabies for a time there.”

“So, I am comfortable with all the boys here.”

When all is said and done, and the coaches are at the selection table, they will be looking at Wright, knowing what he has done for the Wallabies on the biggest stages.

When they look at Campbell, they’ll see high rugby IQ, elusive pace and quick feet, as well as a calm head on a player who is in top physical and playing form.

Campbell’s rookie status in the Schmidt environment may count against him, but Schmidt has already paid Campbell a few compliments in the lead-up to game one against Ireland on July 4.

“He’s (Jock) had a really good season, his kicking out of hand has been really strong, he’s been taking further kicking responsibilities, he’s shown a real turn of foot, he’s been sharp,” said coach Schmidt at the Wallabies’ Nations Championship squad announcement press conference.

“He’s (Jock) very good and very committed in the air, and then again, some of the stats that sit underneath… about his coverage in the game, he is exceptional in how hard he works, on and off the ball.”

The biggest gap between Campbell and Wright previously has been that turn of pace and physical resilience; that gap has certainly narrowed, but Campbell, with his wealth of experience, has incredible rugby nous and could genuinely step into the playmaking role in a pinch.

Campbell confirmed that Schmidt has spoken to him about the need to be able to play no.10 over the years, and that is something Campbell says he feels comfortable in and capable of.

This diverse skillset, the scintillating form Campbell ended the Super Rugby competition with, as well as Schmidt’s acknowledgement of his turn of pace and high work rate, all point to a player who should start against Ireland.

Schmidt has been incredibly loyal to certain players throughout his tenure, but with so much on the line in July for the inaugural Nations Championship, he may need to take stock of the here and now with very little time to build into his last three Tests in charge.