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Wallaby flanker McReight ready to push All Black captain Sam Cane

By AAP
(Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

Fraser McReight says he’s committed to Australian rugby as the Queensland Reds flanker continues to ram home his case for more Test chances.

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Stuck behind Wallabies captain Michael Hooper in the pecking order, the ball-stealing, playmaking McReight has been devastating for the Reds this Super Rugby Pacific season.

The form has come after the 23-year-old, who has made two brief appearances for the Wallabies off the bench, wasn’t selected for last year’s Spring Tour.

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Instead, the man who skippered the under-20 Wallabies to the 2019 World Cup final was allowed a full pre-season to aid development and contribute to the form he’s currently showing.

He again led the way with a game-high three pilfers, 16 tackles and a line-break as they stormed to a 17-0 lead over the Hurricanes on Friday, only to blow it in a 30-17 loss.

A three-Test home series in July against England presents as McReight’s next chance for a Wallabies berth, with this Friday’s clash against Chiefs and All Blacks captain Sam Cane an ideal audition.

“I’ve made it clear I want to play for the Wallabies, it’s what I want to do,” he said in response to suggestions he was frustrated by his lack of Test opportunities and considering overseas options.

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“Everyone knows that who’s involved; it’s not like I don’t want to be here, I definitely do, it’s about pushing my case.

“Dave (Rennie) and the coaches, they want (to be making) a tough decision and I’ve been doing that on my end (by playing well) and hopefully I’ll get some more minutes.”

McReight admitted his battle with Cane would be timely given he’s missed the chance to duel with Hooper, who has only recently returned from his stint in Japanese rugby.

But he said their personal duel wasn’t the priority as the Reds looked to turn last weekend’s missed opportunity into a positive.

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“We can take a lot of confidence from that first half; we took it to the Kiwis in defence and attack,” he said.

“Game management, little crucial errors and key moments we lost either side of halftime.

“We wanted to play a bit of footy, which we did. But we wanted to win, which we didn’t.

“We don’t want to beat ourselves; if they’re better on the day congrats to them, but we can’t beat ourselves.”

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Trevor 59 minutes ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 5 hours 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.

29 Go to comments
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