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Overlooked Wallabies have 'something to prove' in 2022

By AAP
Liam Wright of the Wallabies walks out ahead of the 2020 Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup match between the Australian Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at ANZ Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Bullied by the Crusaders and overlooked by Wallabies selectors, there are many motivations for Queensland Reds players next season.

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The Super Rugby AU champions were crowing in May, but quickly crashed back to earth when towelled up by their New Zealand equivalent a fortnight later.

A record 63-28 loss to the Crusaders, who led 49-7 at one stage, was the low point of a dire Super Rugby Trans-Tasman campaign.

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It has inspired a brutal pre-season under coach Brad Thorn, built around improving physical strength and sharpening basic skills.

“We got a humbling this year; won the AU comp then went to the Trans-Tasman and got it handed to us, especially against the Crusaders,” back-rower and captain Liam Wright told AAP.

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“That pointed our pre-season a bit, gave us things to work on because from a physical standpoint we got bullied.”

Individuals have their own drivers too with the Super Rugby Pacific season kick-off in February, before three home Tests against England.

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Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight were both controversially omitted from the Wallabies’ Spring Tour squad to instead exploit a full off-season of development.

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was not re-selected after leaving camp for the birth of his child, while Angus Scott-Young opted for a domestic season in New Zealand when it became clear he wasn’t in coach Dave Rennie’s plans.

Halfback Tate McDermott impressed when given chances but still finished the year behind Nic White in the pecking order, while the game-changing Taniela Tupou remains in a prop rotation with Allan Alaalatoa.

James O’Connor was the leading five-eighth in Australia but watched on injured as Quade Cooper shone in his remarkable Wallabies return.

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How the highly rated Hunter Paisami is used by Rennie will depend on whether Samu Kerevi is eligible to play, while wingers Filipo Daugunu and Suliasi Vunivalu were hobbled by injury.

“Pretty much everyone here does have something to prove,” Wright said.

“As a group, we want to prove Queensland can be a powerhouse in rugby and personally there is a lot of guys that have missed out on selection.

“Look at our whole back five and forward pack … there’s a lot of guys here that are looking to put their names up.”

Wright himself was shunted down the back-row depth chart after an ankle injury meant he missed the start of the season, Scott-Young’s rise now leaving him with work to do to even make the Reds’ run-on side.

“That injury really disrupted things, so a pre-season (with the Reds) was best for me rather than being on Spring Tour to make some gains that they’ve been talking about for years,” Wright said.

“I’m trying to take it positively, knowing I’m going to have to earn a spot back there and here as well.”

– Murray Wenzel

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Bull Shark 31 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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