More playmaker woes for Wallabies with late team change on cards

The Wallabies will ponder eve-of-Test changes to their line-up after a late injury blow forced coach Joe Schmidt into a hasty rethink before their Rugby Championship opener in South Africa.

Schmidt is having to consider a rejig to his 23 after playmaker Ben Donaldson, who had been primed to share flyhalf duties with James O’Connor, suffered a leg injury in the penultimate training play of the day in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Schmidt has, for the moment, opted against bringing in a third playmaker, Tane Edmed, into his named team to replace Donaldson, preferring instead to name a sixth forward, Nick Champion de Crespigny, on the bench.

But the New Zealander later admitted that the one-cap Edmed could still feature in his plans for Saturday’s (Sunday AEST) daunting clash at Ellis Park after he has a last look at his options during Friday’s final training run.

The team he named on Thursday currently features no specialist cover for O’Connor, the 35-year-old veteran who’s been thrown into his first Test in three years in the face of a flyhalf crisis following Tom Lynagh’s concussion and first-choice Noah Lolesio’s absence with a neck injury.

Schmidt, who admitted he had originally been planning to use Donaldson as a halftime replacement for O’Connor on Saturday, added: “We’re still trying to probably work out what we do to best get that coverage (for O’Connor).

“(Scrumhalf) Nic White can maybe cover No.10 and is astute enough to do so, (outside back) Andrew Kellaway has the skill set to cover 10, but it does leave us a little bit light. We know that Tate McDermott covers the wing well.

“Tane’s in consideration, for sure, he’s one of the options” Schmidt added of the 24-year-old.

“Our intention was probably to potentially give Tane a run next week (for the second match against the Springboks in Cape Town) after having spent the week with us.

“Tane has only had two trainings with us. It’s a big ask, but we’ve got confidence in him.”

Edmed will be itching to play after his debut for the Wallabies last November against Ireland lasted only three minutes in Dublin when he came on as a 74th-minute sub and got kayoed while making a tackle.

“Nick Champion de Crespigny, Carlo Tizzano, and Hunter Paisani played No.10 in the under-20s and then shifted to 12, plus that gives us really good midfield cover. So there’s a few options we’re just going to try to get our best coverage and best confidence from,” added Schmidt.

Donaldson’s injury, after his fine 50-minute effort which helped the Wallabies seal a confidence-boosting third-Test win over the British & Irish Lions a fortnight ago, is a real blow.

“In the second to last play of the training, ‘Donno’ kicked the ball and pulled up short so we don’t know yet what the extent of the injury is,” reported Schmidt.

“He will get a scan now and we’ll have a definitive picture because we need to know for next week as well whether we need more cover.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

4

Draws

0

Wins

1

Average Points scored

32

18

First try wins

40%

Home team wins

40%

Otherwise, Schmidt has stuck by the same side that rose to the challenge, defeating the Lions 22-12, as he seeks to steer the Wallabies to their first win at Ellis Park in 62 years following their 11-9 win over the Springboks there in 1963.

Australia team:

15–Tom Wright, 14–Max Jorgensen, 13–Joseph Suaalii, 12–Len Ikitau, 11–Dylan Pietsch, 10–James O’Connor, 9–Nic White, 8–Harry Wilson (captain), 7–Fraser McReight, 6–Tom Hooper, 5–Will Skelton, 4–Nick Frost, 3–Taniela Tupou, 2–Billy Pollard, 1–James Slipper

Replacements: 16–Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17–Angus Bell, 18–Zane Nonggorr, 19–Jeremy Williams, 20–Langi Gleeson, 21–Nick Champion de Crespigny, 22–Tate McDermott, 23–Andrew Kellaway.