Wallabies insist No.10 merry-go-round not 'disruptive'

Joe Schmidt will make yet another change of starting fly-half against France, but his Wallabies don’t believe the revolving door of 10s is disrupting them.

The Wallabies’ merry-go-round of number 10s continues to whirl to the very end of 2025, as Joe Schmidt’s ailing outfit prepare to make a change to the starting fly-half controller for the ninth time in 15 internationals this year in their Paris finale.

But despite suggestions that the constant switching of the seven playmakers they’ve used in 2025 can only have contributed to the evident uncertainty in Joe Schmidt’s teams during their dreadful end-of-year run-in, key Wallabies are adamant the rapid turnover has not disrupted them.

James O’Connor being released from camp for the France international on Saturday caused some surprise, especially after he’d been praised for bringing in  freshness and direction after defeats by England and Italy.

But the 35-year-old veteran was let go after the heavy defeat by Ireland, leaving Schmidt to turn back to his recent NRL returnee, Carter Gordon, fit again after another injury setback, or Tane Edmed to take the reins at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Gordon had a mixed afternoon in his first rugby Test for two years against Italy and is set to be thrust into arguably the Wallabies’ most important contest since the end of their dismal World Cup campaign under Eddie Jones.

For though it’s a very long shot against the champions of Europe, Schmidt’s men, currently seventh in the world rankings, could still gain a crucial top-six seeding for the upcoming World Cup draw if they could beat France by 16 points.

Team Form

Last 5 Games

48 - 46

50 - 40

33 - 8

12 - 54

36 - 14

48 - 33

46 - 19

26 - 19

25 - 7

15 - 19

4

Wins

1

1

Streak

4

30

Tries Scored

15

81

Points Difference

-63

4/5

First Try

3/5

4/5

First Points

2/5

5/5

Race To 10 Points

3/5

That may sound like a pipedream, especially in light of their recent sluggish, weary-looking efforts, but didn’t everyone believe the same when they went and won by 16 points against the world champion Springboks at Ellis Park, their first win at the Johannesburg citadel for 62 years?

The 35-year-old O’Connor was the man in the hot-seat that day but he’s now been jettisoned just when another miraculous effort was needed, a puzzling decision from Schmidt but one that didn’t seem to faze at least a couple of key members of his team.

Schmidt has been really unlucky with injuries over the year to some of his No.10 contenders, but asked if he felt the constant changes had become disruptive, Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii was insistent they hadn’t.

“No, we have a great group. Boys come in and out that just fit in, and once they go, they go,” he said. “We have a tight group, we all lean on each other, but I don’t really see this as a negative thing for the group.”

Asked how they adjusted, forward Tom Hooper added: “Foundationally, they’re all there to play the same role. Obviously, James (O’Connor) brings that experience, but we certainly know that Tane and Carter bring that kind of flair that we’re looking for.

“Ultimately, they’re all just trying to find their feet and get settled in that saddle, at the helm of a team that needs to make sure that they’re getting go-forward ball.

“It’s not fair to put it on just one guy or one position; we know once we start getting our forwards’ game going, then it’ll definitely help (the flyhalves) go to a new level.”

AUSTRALIA’S STARTING 10s FOR THEIR 2025 TESTS (Reserves used in brackets)

v Fiji (W 21-18)- Noah Lolesio (Ben Donaldson)

v British & Irish Lions 1 (L 19-27) – Tom Lynagh (Donaldson)

v British & Irish Lions 2 (L 26-29) – Lynagh

v British & Irish Lions 3 (W 22-12) – Lynagh (Donaldson)

v South Africa 1 (W 38-22) – James O’Connor

v South Africa 2 (L 22-30) – O’Connor

v Argentina 1 – (W 28-24) – Tom Lynagh (O’Connor)

v Argentina 2  – (L 26-28) – Tane Edmed (O’Connor)

v New Zealand 1 (L 24-33)  – O’Connor

v New Zealand 2 (L 14-28) – Edmed

v Japan – (W 19-15) – Edmed (Hamish Stewart)

v England – (L 7-25) – Edmed (Stewart)

v Italy – (L 19-26) – Carter Gordon (Edmed)

v Ireland – (L 19-46) O’Connor (Edmed)

v France – ?