Why Carter Gordon is once again knocking on the door to Australia's number 10

I think there are plenty of prospective 10s. They are just all a little inexperienced. Lynagh and Edmed and Donaldson could all develop into something if they get a few seasons in Super Rugby. It seems though that we have missed a generation. At the time of the 2019RWC in we had Foley, Cooper, Leilifano and Toomua and JOC was a similar vintage (though not seen as a 10). Cheika, I think, favoured Foley but had a “selection panel” forced on him by the CEO after Larkham was sacked as attack coach (by Cheika possibly) and they seemed to use all of them in the lead up. All those blokes were around 30 at the time (JOC a little younger). But we didn’t seem to be working on anyone in their mid 20s at the time to take on from those blokes and we lost them all at once basically and were left with blokes in their early 20s. I think someone like Lolesio should only perhaps just be making a debut now at 25. Hamish Stewart was possibly being considered, maybe Jake McIntyre who is now playing in France (played for Agen, Clermont and Perpignan and came back to the Force for a couple of years).

Isaac Lucas was another that was seen as having potential and younger ones like Reesjan Pasitoa (though he is the same age as these other young guys).

I like the look of Tom Lynagh but I wonder if he would be better with a couple of seasons running the Reds backline. Seems to have a good head on his shoulders but others seem keen to knock it off, which hasn’t helped. All of these blokes just need more reps I think.

I am not as big of a Cooper fan as others. He had a great few games during COVID but he was pretty patchy in the 5-8 years after the 2011 RWC. A bit of injury within that and a bit of ‘tude to perhaps. (I know a lot of people are much bigger fans than I and I know what you see but it is just not my preference).

Thanks Nick

This is THE ISSUE for the Wallabies.

I don’t mean Edmed alone, I mean 5/8 the position.

In Gordon's break-out year of 2023, he was streets ahead of the other “passer” style 5/8s. He was (as we know) sacrificed at the RWC.

Back in 2005, in junior coaching circles in Sydney there were mutterings that the days of a running 5/8 were ending, …we needed a passer to the new threat position which would be 12. In Australia, this actually happened….to some degree.

The passer Foley replaced Cooper.

It's been happening ever since.

Cafter Gordon will certainly take the pressure off the centres,…not because he’ll give them a better pass, but because there will be some uncertainty in the defence, …

Nice surprise this week to get the news of Gordon returning. Good write up Nick.

One thing I would wonder about regarding his playing this EYOT is that, far as I can see, he has only played the one game for the Titans, the last game of their season in Sept. He sustained that injury in pre season training in 2025. Looks like he had not played a game for them at all in 2024. So he has probably not played any rugby at all since leaving the WB’s post RWC France ? Big ask to step in now and play a leading role against the likes of England, Ireland etc on their home turf.

I don’t see Edmed as being as poor as some do. And for sure “people in glass houses” and all that…….seem to recall one Quade Cooper kicking the ball out on the full starting an RWC game against the AB’s a few years ago !

When the Rebels finished up, it was well known that Carter Gordon wanted to move back to Queensland where its beautiful one day, perfect the next. His first choice was to go the Reds but they needed another flyhalf under the age of 25 about as much as David Flatman needs a bottle of shampoo, and you could still make that point now with Tommy, Harry and now Carter all at the Reds next season.

I was really disappointed with what the Wallabies served up on attack in Perth apart from the disallowed try, which was probably the best piece of play from either side in Bledisloe 2.

Tane Edmed is set to get a full season of super rugby at the Brumbies next year and hopefully he’ll shoot the lights out in all bar the games against the Reds

Hi Nick. Interesting and insightful as always. Just a thought. There have been some successful code switchers Jason Robinson and Sonny Bill are the standouts for me but has there ever been a successful No 10 who played both codes? I don’t know enough about the technicalities of league but could the No10’s play in each code be fundamentally different?

When was the last time Australia actually ran deep at 10? Quade Cooper himself, hardly a spring chicken at that point, was steering the backline just a couple of years ago. Before that Foley and Cooper used to operate the 10 Jersey for a while. I suppose at that point they had some depth but for me 10 has looked rather thin over the last 10 years. So why is that happening? Why cant they find any ballers to fill the gap? 10 is the most coveted Jersey on the field yet nobody seems to be lining up to fill that spot for the Wallabies

Gordon is a great signing! But I do agree that similarly to tane, the pressure on Aussie 10s can be immense. They often cop the blame for everything. In saying that Tane did make some major errors.

Looking ahead, across the 4 super teams next year the following 10s should be thriving: Gordon, Donno, Lynagh, McLaughlin Phillips, Bowen, Creighton, edmed and burey and Meredith. It could be worse!

Given how crucial the 10 is, how about a game plan that suits their skills/avoids their deficiencies? Rather than the square peg and round hole spiral we have been in.

A failed cross field kick is a high risk option for some. It often provides an open field return, coughs up a lineout or scrum. The if it succeeds argument is no different to chosing red or black in casino

JAS, and what to do with him is the big issue? Getting Marky Mark and Carter Gordon helps, but JAS is out of his depth at 13, and it shows in his D or lack of it.

We need to get our backline working, and Carter will be a part of that, but we need a 13 who can complement Lenny. Another issue is the work the forwards are not doing, we are only a couple of games away from Lenny getting injured, as he is doing a lot of work that guys like Nick Frost should be doing. I am losing faith in Frost (and Topou) until he starts doing what a lock should be doing, ie getting us over the ad line, taking on the big tackles of big runners, we are going to struggle. He is a big unit playing like a small one, and the opposite for Williams.

I’m confident about the Wallabies, but it is time for some of the guys to step up. The win/loss stats are no better than over the last 20 years.

It’s a contrast with ABs 10 scenario where it pings between 2 well established candidates with a lack of investment in newer players.

Nice one Nick. I don’t think C Gordon will necessarily be a saviour, but aus need any and all options available because as you show, the cupboard is pretty bare. I thought edmed was ok in that game in taking the ball to the line and looked semi-threatening himself as a runner. But, he (and J Gordon) couldn’t organise the attack and I noticed it lost all shape after about 3 phases. This I think is what JOC brought much more of - was just organisation of others and option taking even if he wasn’t threatening as a runner himself. This is also something I think noah is better at (not amazing). But, I will also say I think J Gordon helped tane very little in this regard and I would’ve rathered white or tate (i know they werne’t available), as I think they are more used to running the ship. Jake did not have a good game imo and played like his old self. Harry Jones still sees something in tane and im hoping he kicks on at the brumbies, but tbh i still see the RWC 10 jersey as being Noah’s to lose, and carter’s if noah isn’t enticed to come back. I don’t see tane making up the gorund to being first choice, and I think T Lynagh’s concussions will continue. From memory, Carter had some similar kicking woes both from hand and the tee but he is no doubt the best attacking 10 of the young crop. The question is, can he manage a game and the others around him which tane failed at in his 2 recent games.

I am a huge fan of Carter Gordon and I dislike what Eddie Jones did to him. Great to have him back with a logical adviser in Schmidt.

Regarding Edmed, I think his time at Brumbies will be important. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him show up in the Wallabies in a couple of seasons as a full back or centre. He is gutsy, has many basic talents and can play the game. Maybe not at 10.

To be fair on Australia they have most positions pretty well covered. Ten is their obvious area of weakness and no other major rugby nation has a bigger oval ball code, let alone two.

Now that the Hamish and Eddie show has folded and sensible adults have steadied the ship it's great to see their best ten return. Now either he has to improve his goalkicking or someone in another position needs to step up.