Wallabies great names All Blacks, Springboks stars in call for key change

Wallabies great Matt Burke has called for Carter Gordon to replace Declan Meredith in the starting side at fly-half, believing Australia needs a number 10 capable of controlling a game like Damian McKenzie and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Meredith featured in the run-on XV against the All Blacks in Bledisloe II, with coach Les Kiss later highlighting the playmaker’s efforts as a “really good positive” despite the 43-21 defeat in Sydney, and retained that role against England.

The Wallabies started their Spring Tour with a 45-22 loss to the old foe at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, in the fourth Nations Championship round. Meredith played about 53 minutes before coming off for Ben Donaldson, with Gordon not named in the matchday 23.

Gordon was selected in the First XV for the opening Nations Championship Test in July, but injury has sidelined the Queenslander for long periods. The 25-year-old fractured his leg in a 28-all draw with Los Pumas, which saw him miss Tests against the Springboks and All Blacks.

But as the Wallabies look to snap a three-game losing streak, conceding at least 44 points in each of those matches, Rugby World Cup winner Burke believes the Aussies will continue to “struggle” unless there’s a change.

“[Gordan is] a player that can offer some kind of width with his passing. We know he’s got a passing game,” Burke said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.

“Declan Meredith, he’s tried hard, done well. That back stanza against New Zealand a couple of weeks ago, he’s started to find a little bit of play, a little bit of go-to.

“But I think Australia needs someone in there that can control the game perhaps just that little bit more. We need to see more of a number 10. We need to see a Damian McKenzie-like, a Sacha-like; be able to catch the ball, take the ball and control. [Marcus] Smith tonight was exactly the same, understanding what to do.

“Australia not manipulating enough ball to go to number 10. Until they do that, I think we’re going to struggle.”

The nine-point difference between England and Australia seemed to flatter the visitors in London, with a Max Jorgensen intercept reducing the deficit just before the break. England had scored two tries of their own earlier in the contest, and regained complete control in the second term.

Scrum-half Jack Van Poortvliet was first to strike, before backrower Henry Pollock crossed for two tries after coming on as a replacement winger. Filipo Daugunu and Jeremy Williams hit back for the Wallabies, before England capped off the dominant display with another five-pointer.

England led for 94 per cent of the match, seeing them lead the possession and territory battles, and complete more tackles. Australia conceded more turnovers, conceded more penalties and missed more tackle attempts.

“Of the top 10 issues the Wallabies had in that game, who was wearing the 10 jersey probably wasn’t one of them,” former Wallaby Morgan Turinui added.

“Carter Gordon is the one, he is the guy but there’s no 10 that can really dominate a game off the back of what was provided to them tonight.”