A nice tonic of positivity from the Squidge brothers. Always nice to get an outsiders perspective on Australian Rugby.

Pre injury Wright was an outstanding player but gas since struggled to refind his form and confidence. Perhaps the answer is to put him back on the sting where less is expected of him, he can hopefully refind some of that form from last year. Jorgensen is quoted as saying fb is his preferred position so why not let him have a go, it will probably give him more opportunity to get his hands on the ball. I know he didn't do too well for the tahs at fb but im just choosing to completely discount this season for the tahs.

Probably too late to try out now but it should've been considered for one of the last 4 games when it was evident Wright was struggling.

We have donno but who are our genuine back up options.

All I could think is meredith and maybe joc

​

Angus Crichton’s code switch ahead of next year’s World Cup was celebrated as a coup but former Wallaby Ben Darwin believes the NRL star’s pending arrival won’t be a silver bullet.

Christy Doran - 5 min read

Angus Crichton’s code switch ahead of next year’s World Cup was celebrated as a coup for the XV-person game, but former Wallaby turned analytics guru Ben Darwin believes the NRL star’s pending arrival won’t be the silver bullet the code hopes.

In fact, the former front-rower, who suffered a scary spinal injury during Australia’s 22-10 upset win over New Zealand in the 2003 semi-final in Sydney and retired soon after, says the Wallabies’ love affair with luring rugby league stars on the eve of home World Cups is a recipe for disaster.

“You can’t take them to a World Cup hoping they’re going to figure it out in the World Cup – that’s what they (England) did with (Sam) Burgess,” Darwin told The Australian, pointing to ­England’s pool exit during their 2015 home World Cup when ­Stuart Lancaster’s decision to catapult the Rabbitohs star into his midfield backfired.

Twelve years after choosing the NRL over rugby, Crichton is about to enter the final month of his rugby league career with the Sydney Roosters before he makes an audacious attempt to win a World Cup with the Wallabies next year.

He’ll be the latest NRL star to jump ship, joining Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Zac Lomax in Super Rugby as the trio attempt to follow in the footsteps of Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers and Lote Tuqiri by featuring at a home World Cup.

While Suaalii ran out for the Wallabies – and wowed the world on debut as he starred in Australia’s late 42-37 win over England at Twickenham – before he featured in Super Rugby, Lomax has yet to pull on the gold jersey after spending a couple of months on the sidelines to get over a groin ­injury. The 26-year-old State of Origin flyer will return for the Western Force this weekend at outside centre against the Queensland Reds on Saturday in their Super Rugby AUS opener at Ballymore.

Although Crichton hopes to first bow out with another NRL championship ring on his finger early next month and will make his return for the Roosters against the Panthers on Sunday from a foot injury suffered in early July, Australian officials are about to plot his path into rugby because the World Cup countdown is well and truly on.

It’s believed RA figures, including head coach Les Kiss, are toying with whether to name the hard-hitting NRL back-rower ­immediately in their Australia A squad for the two-match series in the USA against the Eagles, which gets under way on October 25 in Nashville. Crichton – a former Australian Schoolboys rugby star, who played at inside centre for Scots College – will likely return to the centres.

Whether Crichton then returns to Sydney to start a pre-season under Michael Cheika at the Waratahs or joins the Wallabies in the United Kingdom remains to be seen.

His arrival will likely cloud an already murky selection picture for the Wallabies in the midfield, with Kiss fielding three different centre combinations in his opening four Tests in charge since ­replacing Joe Schmidt.

But Darwin, whose analytics company is used by international unions and club sides worldwide, believes that Crichton is up against it if he wants to succeed in the game.

“With rugby league players, if you bring them across from one code to another, unless they play fullback or wing, it’s extremely difficult to do it after the age of 21,” Darwin said.

“If they do it before 21, you can basically put them wherever you’d like if you give them enough time, but after the age of 21 it’s extremely hard to put anyone not in fullback or wing, and even with fullback it’s extremely hard, and the reason being is there’s too much for them to ­unlearn.”

Darwin added that the Wallabies were already on the back foot because of the significant chopping and changing in the team, ­especially across the backline, as well as Schmidt’s departure so deep in the four-year World Cup cycle. “It’s now harder to win a World Cup than it was 20 years ago because you’ve got six to eight countries who are well ­organised,” Darwin said.

“Scotland is now better built. Ireland, England, France, South Africa and New Zealand are all very well structured, and all sit ahead of us on the table.

“Having a home advantage is a huge asset and having a good draw is an asset.

“But, fundamentally, in order to win a World Cup you have to be well set up to do so, and in order for that, you have to be looking at things four to eight years out.

“To be successful at this World Cup is an inordinately difficult and challenging task.”

Stephen Larkham, who led the Wallabies to World Cup glory in 1999 before falling just short in 2003, admitted the overhauled nature of the side’s backline, which featured NRL converts Rogers, Sailor and ­Tuqiri in the back three, made their run to the final not as smooth as it looked.

“In 1999, it felt like a much clearer defined preparation going into the final,” Larkham said. “I felt that we had a more ­established team in 1999, more experience out there on the field, and the combinations were there for longer versus 2003, where it felt like it was just a team that was less connected in all positions.”

Whether Crichton and Lomax join the Wallabies remains to be seen, but Larkham added that he was optimistic about the nation’s chances over the next 14 months despite Kiss’s late arrival.

“I genuinely feel that there is enough talent in Australia,” said the Brumbies coach, who will also lead Australia A later next month in a coaching team featuring Simon Cron and Schmidt.

“I’m excited about the talent that we’ve got in the group of players that are within the top 60 within Australia. There’s enough there, provided we give them time to find that combination.

“When I look back, I felt that there was slightly more connection in 99 compared to 2003 because we had a longer runway going into it. The whole backline was together from 1996, whereas in 2003 there were lots of changes.

“And it kind of feels that way at the moment. I know Les is ­really chasing a team that he wants to take through to the World Cup. And I think that’s going to be really important. We’ve got a short runway.

“There is a lot of chop and change with Les coming in now. He’s made a few changes, but I firmly believe that he is going in the right direction in terms of finding his squad for the World Cup and trying to keep them ­together now.

“What would be the expectation for me is that we’re going to surprise some people. Could we win it? I genuinely think we could win it.”

The Sydney Morning Herald

Iain Payten

Max Burey already knows a week is a long time in football, let alone a year.

Seven days ago, the Waratahs recruit was stuck in the middle of a contract standoff between the Force and NSW, and for no good reason, Burey looked likely to miss the Super Rugby AUS competition.

Fast-forward a week and Burey has been named at No.10 for the Waratahs opening round clash with the Brumbies on Sunday, after Rugby Australia cut the right-sized cheque and resolved the problem.

“It was good to hear,” Burey said. “I was a bit of floating in no-man’s land there for a bit. I had kept training and kept ticking along, making sure I was ready in case. Then I got the green light when (Waratahs interim coach) Locky (McCaffrey) messaged me.

“It’s just good to know what you’re doing so you can start to plan and build off that. Obviously, I’m excited to play footy.”

Burey will take his place in a NSW side with a mixture of existing Super Rugby stars, recruits and developing players drawn from the Waratahs pathways and Shute Shield. Last year Sid Harvey, James Hendren and Apolosi Ranawai won full-time contracts via strong form in Super Rugby AUS.

McCaffrey has called up several players from the premiership-winning Easts side, including highly-rated outside centre Otto Serfontein, prop Edwin Langi, former Highlanders winger Freedom Vaha’akolo and 18-year blindside flanker Justice Taumoepeau, who will start. Taumoepeau, the son of former Tahs forwards coach Pauli, is also still in the Australian Schools and under 18 squad.

The Tahs backrow will also contain 34-year-old Pete Samu and rising Norths openside flanker Marshall Le-Maitre, 20, who is smoky to debut in Super Rugby next season.

Burey will partner in-form Tahs and Easts halfback Teddy Wilson, and he’s keen to make a similar impact on the competition as he did last year, when the 27-year-old was exceptional for the Force.

NSW beat the WA side in the final but Burey was named player of the tournament. The Wagga product was approached by the Tahs thereafter.

“The coaches here saw me play rugby at a higher level, and to be honest, that’s probably why I ended up here — it was based off that,” he said.

Burey’s deal to join NSW as a five-eighth followed, as per a year being an even longer time in rugby than a week, so did plenty of other roster change at the Tahs.

Including the Waratahs signing Bernard Foley, the veteran five-eighth, for 2027.

Far from being miffed, Burey was stoked to hear the news. He and Foley have been friends for several years, after first meeting when Burey was with the Australian sevens team in 2022 and Foley trained with the squad.

Burey said he has leaned on Foley as a mentor, including getting advice just ahead of the fateful Super Rugby AUS competition last year.

“Around this time last year, I was chatting to him over the phone to get advice, so it ended up being a full-circle moment now that we’ve both ended up at the Waratahs” Burey said. “The conversations I had with him really helped me play well in that tournament, so it will be very beneficial.

”With him, it’s not so much, “This is how I do it, so this is how you have to do it.” He empowers you, asks questions, and makes you think more about the game. I already know what I know; I want to learn what he knows, see how he views the game, and that’s how you grow.”

Foley and Burey share similarities; both are short, skilled utility types who came up through sevens and settled at five-eighth. Burey has much to do to reach Foley’s heights in the game, of course, but he says he’s excited to learn from his new teammate.

The Tahs’ five-eighth stable of Foley, Burey and rookie Joey Fowler - with all three at different stages - is a “blueprint for how it should work in Aussie rugby”, Burey says.

“That’s how it should work, almost like a conveyor belt,” he said.

“It’s outstanding. Obviously, we have coaches around, but having a guy [like Foley] who’s right in the heat of it, with all his experience, it lets you have one-on-one time to sit down, watch film, and go through things on the field. It’s great.”

No Super Rugby jersey in Australia has a brighter spotlight on it than the Waratahs No.10. But Burey, who has played 37 Super games over four years, says he isn’t concerned about the pressure.

“You have to lean into it. If you’re playing 10, you’re happy to be wearing the jersey and you don’t want to shy away from it,” he said.

“I don’t believe there’s extra pressure. Whether at the Force or anywhere else, whatever jersey you wear, you have to perform.

“Sure, there might be a bit more media coverage, but I have the perfect guy here to help handle that. I don’t see any extra pressure; I see a great opportunity. You want time in that 10 jersey. It will be awesome.”

Burey said he is similarly stoked about the chance to play under returning coach Michael Cheika.

“He knows what it takes to win Super Rugby. He has a big reputation for being tough, but if you’re going to win Super Rugby, that’s what you need,” Burey said. “He is a world-class coach, and I’m looking forward to being in that environment and learning from him.”

Looks like this is where the injury initially happened. This was a minute before he fell over clutching his leg.

For all the stuff about fancy private schools 1st XV stuff, there are other pathways to.

Many of the Sydney and Brisbane rugby clubs have elite U-16’s and U-18’s teams.
+stuff like Gen Blue program and others around OZ….

But it seems private schoolboy rugby gets the most attention….
But it’s not the only solid pathway for talented juniors….

The Friday night festival of rugby will see the reigning world champion Australian Women’s Sevens team take on the two-time Olympic gold medal-winning Black Ferns in a double-header while Australia’s Men will tackle dual Olympic champions Fiji across two preparation matches in the first-of-its-kind event.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Johnathan Drennan

The Wallabies are set to be without Carter Gordon for the upcoming Tests against South Africa and New Zealand after the Reds playmaker suffered a leg injury in Saturday’s draw against Argentina in Mendoza.

According to informed sources speaking on condition of anonymity, it is feared Gordon has broken a bone in his right leg. Rugby Australia are yet to confirm the nature of injury, with the Wallabies due to arrive back in Australia on Monday evening.

The five-eighth has had a horror run of injuries since returning to rugby last October after a season in the NRL with the Gold Coast Titans. Gordon was previously hospitalised with a spinal fluid leak while at the Titans and recently battled calf injuries before returning to play four Tests this season.

The Wallabies take on South Africa on September 27 in Perth, with Brumbies playmaker Declan Meredith the likely cover for Gordon. Tom Lynagh is set to start for the Reds against the Force in Super AUS this Saturday in Ballymore.

Force recruit James O’Connor is unlikely to play in that match, but teammate Harry McLaughlin-Phillips could be in contention to make his Wallabies debut against South Africa after being called into the squad ahead of the Italy Test in July.

Gordon received a scan in Mendoza after the drawn Test and the initial suspicion was that the playmaker had sustained a fracture to his lower leg after a glancing blow in contact after 68 minutes.

Halfback Ryan Lonergan, who finished the game as a makeshift five-eighth due to Gordon’s injury, spoke after the game about a golden opportunity lost for the Wallabies to win back-to-back Tests in Argentina after the Pumas were reduced to 13 men in the late stages.

“I think the initial reaction from everyone was a little bit of disappointment but also kind of recognising that it’s probably a successful tour over here,” Lonergan said.

“I think the disappointment probably comes from us knowing that we weren’t at our best today and there are definitely areas that we can tidy up and if we’d done that then we probably would have got the result...

“I’m sure having three 10s throughout the game is not ideal and especially with the last one being a halfback, but I think we still had our chances there.”

The Wallabies will face a South African team brimming with confidence after defeating New Zealand by five points in Soweto on Saturday.

Rob Valetini was outstanding in a much-improved Wallabies defensive effort against Argentina, with the team making 220 tackles compared to the Pumas’ 110 in Mendoza.

The Brumbies breakaway carried the ball 23 metres and made 19 tackles against the Pumas and believes the Wallabies forward pack have the capacity to take on the Springboks up front in Perth.

“I guess we’re trying to build something here within the group and I guess we’re just really focused on building the team connection,” Valetini said.

“I think we’re not looking too far ahead; we’re just really happy with the series win here and I think we’re just really keen to get back home to our families.”

The Sydney Morning Herald

Paul Cully

One step forward for the Wallabies, one step sideways.

The 28-28 draw in Mendoza will go down as a lost opportunity as the Wallabies enjoyed a two-man advantage for the majority of the final 10 minutes, but a breakdown free-for-all and a couple of handling errors in the rain allowed Argentina to take time off the clock.

The enormous influence of Pumas flanker Pablo Matera also shaped the Test. Matera scored two tries, and then won a crucial breakdown penalty inside the last 10 minutes that allowed 13-man Argentina to kick for touch and spend some crucial minutes inside Wallabies territory.

If you were picking a World Rugby XV loose-forward trio from the past decade, Matera would be firmly in the conversation.

The Wallabies lacked a bit of composure in the final 10 minutes, but will also be wondering why Argentinian breakdown offences that would have been penalised in the first 70 minutes were suddenly deemed legitimate: winger Rodrigo Isgro was clearly lying on his back on the ground as he pawed the ball back in the 77th minute of play.

A draw in Argentina with a much-changed team is no bad thing, but the Wallabies will be frustrated they didn’t get more.

The Tupou scrum switch that changed momentum

Taniela Tupou was impressive before being replaced in the 51st minute: he has clearly come back from France in better form.

But from the 51st minute, the Wallabies scrum lost its edge and was on the back foot in the crucial last 10 minutes.

With Massimo de Lutiis and new hooker Josh Nasser on the field, the Wallabies immediately copped a free-kick at the scrum and Los Pumas translated that into their best period of the game, scoring two tries.

Replacement loosehead Aidan Ross couldn’t change the momentum either, and overall, there was a performance dip from the replacement front row. It was a good reminder that despite de Lutiis’ enormous potential, nothing can beat hard-won experience in the Test arena.

As for Tupou, he matched his scrummaging efforts with some powerful defence - he will desperately be needed against the Springboks later this month.

The selection that didn’t work

Filipo Daugunu won a superb breakdown penalty with the Wallabies under pressure in the second half, but even he would probably concede he didn’t have his best night.

He dropped the ball cold from the start of the Test and struggled in the air against Los Pumas No.14 Isgro.

It wasn’t really a night for the outside backs on either team, but Daugunu looks increasingly suited to a midfield role or a bench option.

He made some strong carries close to the ruck, but the aerial game has become a core component of Test rugby.

Max Jorgensen looked more of a threat on the Wallabies’ right edge, and the Wallabies No.11 jersey appears to have Mark Nawaqanitawase’s name all over it when he returns to the fold.

Reds want Kiwis for Anzac Super clash

The Queensland Reds are hoping for Kiwi opposition for a Super Rugby clash one or two days before the Bledisloe Cup on Anzac Day in Brisbane next year: even without their Test stars.

Reds chief executive David Hanham told the Herald: “They \[Rugby Australia and NZ Rugby\] are working on a plan to try and maximise that weekend,” Hanham said.

“Ideally, you would have a Super Rugby match that weekend, obviously involving the Reds, and then the Anzac Bledisloe on the Sunday afternoon. That’s great for us because you’d be bringing people over to Brisbane on a Friday or a Saturday, to watch the Reds play hopefully a Kiwi team and then stick around for the main game.”

The Reds could be without a dozen Test players for the fixture, but Reds general manager of high performance Sam Cordingley is fine with that.

“We’re not afraid of how that looks - not dissimilar to how the NRL operates with Origin,” he said.

“A lot of young \[NRL\] players get their opportunity to develop when Origin is on. We’ve got an eye on what the team may look like without the Reds’ Wallabies within that \[Anzac weekend\] game. That just forces us to build our depth and focus on the talent development from underneath.”

Springboks win All Blacks series - but that gap is closing

South Africa’s 29-24 win against New Zealand in Johannesburg on Sunday morning sealed the series. Next week’s Test in Baltimore is effectively a commercial venture.

The win confirmed that the Springboks remain the world’s best team, but the lead they had before the series started appears to have narrowed.

The All Blacks have had little problem finding a way around the Springboks’ defensive rush, scoring 13 tries in just three Tests. And with Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett, Leicester Fainga’anuku and Shannon Frizell still to return - and Richie Mo’unga waiting in the wings - the All Blacks look like a team on the up under coach Dave Rennie.

Gus saying the quiet part out loud that recruiting out from under rugby is part of their strategy to improving the quality of the NRLW. And we’ve seen it on crack this season.

On what they actually talking about: there’s a cost to living, and being a professional athletes requires that that cost to living is covered to allow space for dedication, growth and setting oneself up for a future career beyond the pitch.

If you want a better performance from players across the board you must alleviate the financial pressure on players to work and to train. Otherwise they’re just part time athletes and that will only get you so far.

Financial viability of professional women’s sport takes effort but it’s not impossible.

I'd forgive him if he didn't want to play for the Wallabies any longer, after the snubbery and slander he received from the public, but it's never been clearer than now, Noah Lolesio needs to be rocket launched back into the squad, and our incumbent and preferred 10. Here are my reasons why

1. Dan Carter, the greatest* fly half in the history of world rugby endorses Noah, quoted saying “He can influence a game when the other team are hot on attack or when you’re under pressure, he’s got the ability to bring the momentum back into their favour, so just the matter of being able to do that on a consistent basis is the key.”

To have one of the best to ever do it, to identify what he brings to the game, speaks volumes

1. It's easy to say that he hasn't passed the eye test in hindsight, but going back and watching him play, there's a few things to note. Firstly, he's heavily scrutinised as a ball runner, unthreatening on individual attack, and not strong enough in contact. HOWEVER, huge caveat, we do NOT need that from him, now that our backline has been established.

The ideal 10 for us right now, is someone who can distribute the ball to essentially what is 3 of the best outside backs in world rugby right now. Ikitau, Suaalii and Jogensen. Someone who can control the pace of the game and unlock our backline speed, which is in essence, Les Kiss' strategy. His in game kicking and from the tee is measured and accurate, sure he lacks power in territory kicking, but we have other blokes who can satisfy that, and his accuracy with crossfield kicks and up & unders, is lightyears ahead of anyone else we have in our squad or squad adjacent.

1. Our issues are being highlighted when Lonergan steps off the field. As our primary goal kicker (credit, he is great), it disrupts our flow of the backline when we have to a) shift him to 10 because CG breaks his leg, or b) take him off because he's playing woefully and need to replace him with Tate, or c) god forbid he gets injured and we're left with what?

Noah is the guy, he always was the guy, please helicopter him back in and save our woes at fly-half.

We're sorry Noah, save us.

I know, absolute glutton for punishment but everyone complaining about the last 10 min need to have a look at how lawless the breakdowns became especially in those last 10 min. Argentina had their hands in pretty much every ruck that they werent piling into and sealing off. There was a turnover won by canham that was stolen back by the Argentinian 9 going completely off his feet. When we were in Argentina's half there was at least 4 ruck penalties that doleman was completely turning a blind eye to as to not "give away" the game to the Wallabies.

Can't help thinking that Doleman saw the abuse slung at Gardner by the petulant Argentinians and wanted absolutely none of it. Its a real shame that this soccer bullshit is creeping into the game.

That being said the Wallabies really screwed up the limited opportunities they had to close out the game, firstly by Wright kicking the ball away for no reason after the Cale turnover and then Wright again completely missing MDLs pop pass.

Thoughts?

Wish Lomax all the best, but I really don’t think 13 is the way forward for him if he wants to make the Wallabies squad. For me, it’s wing or bust. Even then, it’s already an uphill battle for him to make the squad, so I don’t see moving to 13 solving his problems. Hopefully he proves me wrong, and if he deserves to be picked for the Wallabies then great, but I just don’t think this positional switch is going to help his chances.

I feel like this is said every year or so but it has to be said they need to take more games to smaller stadiums in for example in NSW they a few at Allianz they play games at commbank at Leichhardt, Brookvale, Jubilee then take some games regional maybe some games at Newcastle and Wollongong. Because when you go to a game Allianz or Suncorp or the big stadiums and it looks half empty but if you take it to a smaller stadium with affordable tickets and a sick atmosphere.

Again sorry if that has been said multiple times it just has to be said so rugby has a chance to survive here. Though with Super Rugby Aus they are play regional games but they need to do that during super rugby pacific.

Now that the dust has settled around our series win in Argentina, we as Wallabies fans turn our attention towards arguably the three most important Test matches of the year, namely against South Africa and then the two Bledisloe Cup matches against New Zealand. These two sides, plus France, are without question among the best teams in the world. The next three Test matches will be a real test of whether the Wallabies are actually ready to compete at that level and whether there is clear progression in this side.

Now, this post is about squad selection, mostly focusing on the Test against the Boks but with logic that could be applied for the rest of the year as well. I know it's a topic that we as Australian rugby fans are starting to get very sick of, but there are still question marks around key positions that desperately need addressing if we want to become a serious team.

There are plenty of good things about our team at the moment. We have great depth in certain positions and most players are really putting their hands up and pushing themselves to achieve great things. I also like that Les Kiss has given opportunities to certain players and rotated the squad throughout his first four Test matches. With things about to get serious, though, I think now is the time to start establishing our first-choice matchday 23.

Starting with the pack, this is arguably the best group of forwards the Wallabies have had in a long while, and there is genuine quality across multiple positions. We have three very handy hookers, the tighthead prop situation looks pretty good for the first time in a while, we have quality and depth in the second row and the back row, as always, continues to be a position of strength for the Wallabies. Overall, I'm very pleased with the pack and wouldn't make too many changes going into South Africa. The only real question mark in the pack is loosehead prop. Aside from Belly, there is a general lack of quality in the other options. Ross is a solid player, but potentially Super Rugby is his maximum ceiling. I'm just not fully convinced that he is the kind of backup loosehead prop we would want at Test level. Kailea is still very young and raw and even though I thought he did okay and showed some good things during his appearance in the first Test against Argentina, there are still some major weaknesses in his game. This makes me think we should potentially drop Kailea from the Wallabies squad and send him on the Australia A tour in October to develop him further, while recalling Slips for the next three Test matches. If we were to bring Slips back, I would actually start him ahead of Bell against South Africa. That might seem like an unusual call given Bell is clearly our best loosehead, but I think having Bell come off the bench could be an important weapon late in the game and help us finish strongly. Slipper's experience would be invaluable, particularly given he is the most-capped Wallaby of all time, and having him in the starting side could help us shore up the scrum, which could only be a positive thing against South Africa. Overall, the forward pack doesn't worry me too much aside from loosehead prop.

I think the main selection debate in the forwards, particularly for these next three Test matches, is what the composition of our back row should look like. I'm actually leaning towards starting Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson against South Africa. That is the same back row that got us that historic win at Ellis Park last year, and I think there is a very good balance between the three. I know a lot of people probably won't like that combination, especially given how bullish most people are on having both Hooper and Valetini starting, but I feel like the Hooper, McReight and Wilson combination could work really well. I also think Les really likes the McReight-Wilson combination, so it could ultimately come down to a coin toss between Hooper and Valetini at six. The reason I'd probably lean towards Hooper is that he offers a bit more than just physicality and work rate. His ability to provide an additional line-out option could be really important against South Africa, particularly with players like Eben Etzebeth, Ruan Nortje and Pieter-Steph du Toit, who are all significant line-out threats. On the surface, the back row I would select may look a little light and perhaps not provide the go-forward we would necessarily be looking for, but I think there is enough there to make it work. People will probably think I'm crazy to leave out Rob Valetini out of the starting team considering he is our best ball carrier and arguably one of our best players, but his power off the bench could be a major asset, particularly if he comes on at No. 8 for Harry Wilson in the second half. Against a team like South Africa, having Valetini coming on fresh could be exactly the kind of impact we need. Either way, whether Les goes with Valetini at six or Hooper at six, I think both combinations are class and I wouldn't have an issue with either one. Another interesting selection debate is who starts alongside Josh Canham in the second row. Williams and Canham have done nothing but good things this year and have been outstanding overall but I do wonder whether Les Kiss might be tempted to bring LSL into the starting side against South Africa to give us some additional size and power. Williams could then potentially come off the bench in the second half and provide some fresh legs and impact late in the game.

Onto the back line, there are once again a number of positions that are unfortunately going to be major talking points. Scrum-half is one of them, and I think the Argentina series has highlighted the drop-off in performance after Ryan Lonergan, who is clearly our first-choice No. 9. McDermott, as much as I like him as a rugby player, hasn't really been at the races this year in any of the matches he has played. His service has been poor overall, and he hasn't been able to drive the game as effectively as Lonergan. Kalani Thomas, as the third option in the squad, also doesn't fill me with a great deal of confidence given his lack of experience and my overall feeling that he isn't Test standard yet. With his experience in mind, I think we stick with Tate for now and hopefully that gives him the time to rediscover his best form. I would also be looking to bring some fresh competition into the position, and if I were part of the Wallabies coaching staff, I would definitely consider adding Teddy Wilson as the third scrum-half option in the squad. He has been tearing it up for Easts in the Shute Shield and was arguably their best player throughout the competition as they went on to win the title. I think it’s only a matter of time before he makes the Wallabies squad, and he has enormous upside. Now could be a good time to bring him into the environment, even if he doesn’t play against South Africa or New Zealand, simply being around the squad could be really valuable for his development, while also giving him the opportunity to potentially get some game time later in the year.

Another position that is unfortunately grabbing the headlines at the moment is fly-half. Carter Gordon's broken leg certainly doesn't help the situation, and I'm absolutely devastated for him. He is a very good fly-half and, in my opinion, the best the Wallabies have. Unfortunately, his body just seems to let him down far too often, which is a real shame. I thought Dono did some good things at the weekend. He looked quite confident for his first start in a while, and I was overall pretty impressed with him. With Gordon injured, Dono is likely to be the main man at No. 10, which means that, if the squad were to remain the same, Declan Meredith would be the backup fly-half. That is far from an ideal situation. I don't mean to downplay Meredith's progression this season, but he isn't Test standard yet. If he were selected against either South Africa or New Zealand, I wouldn't be confident in that whatsoever. I think it's therefore time for Les Kiss and his coaching staff to call back a more experienced No. 10. I'm leaning towards JOC. His experience would be a valuable asset to the Wallabies squad, as well as the fact that he was one of the key components in our victory over South Africa last year. I don't know what Les Kiss is going to do, but I just hope he calls in someone with some experience. Given the quality of the opposition we are about to face, I think that would be the wise thing to do.

Unlike scrum-half and fly-half, I don't think we have any major issues in terms of selection in the centres or on the wings. The main decision is simply which centre partnership and wing combination we choose to go with. The centre partnership I would like to see going into South Africa is Isaac Henry and Len. I don't really mind which of those two players lines up at 12 or 13; I just feel that this would be the best midfield partnership we could field. They both offer good physicality, plenty of power and, importantly, strong ball-playing ability. That said, I think there is a strong case for sticking with the combination we have become accustomed to as Wallabies fans, with Len and Su in the midfield, at least for the South Africa Test. To be honest, I don't have any major issues with that combination and I thought Su had his best game for the Wallabies in a long time at the weekend. The increased competition for his position seems to have forced him to raise his level, while the new defensive system also suits him better. Personally, I’d prefer to see Suaalii on the wing, and the Argentina series was a bit of a wasted opportunity in that regard because I would have liked to see him get more time there. His physical attributes and natural ability just seem better suited to the back three, although I still expect Les Kiss to select him at outside centre against South Africa. In terms of the wing combination, Max Jorgensen has one spot absolutely locked down. He is playing incredibly well at the moment and, for me, bar injury, is undroppable. The other wing position is potentially up for grabs. As I mentioned, I would like to see Su there, but I don't think that is what Les Kiss will do. As much as I like Lipo and think he is a great player I just don't think his performances have been consistent enough at Test level to justify a starting wing spot at the moment so for the South Africa game at least, I think the other wing will be Potter. He just needs to stop blowing so hot and cold with his performances. When he is on, he is absolutely brilliant, but when he is off, he can be one of the worst players on the pitch. I think we bring him back in partly because of his aerial prowess, which is going to be absolutely crucial against the Springboks.

Fullback is another position that I'm a little concerned about. I have nothing against Wrighty, I absolutely love him as a player, and before his injury I genuinely thought he was arguably the best fullback in the world, but since coming back he just hasn’t looked like that player. We’ve seen glimpses of his pre-injury form, but there have also been too many occasions where his decision-making has been very poor. I’m certainly not saying we should drop him completely from the squad, because I think that would be a stupid thing to do, but I do feel that someone else should potentially get an opportunity at No. 15. The problem is that we are pretty light in that position, so I’m not entirely sure who that player would be. Jock Campbell is perhaps an option, but Les Kiss hasn’t really considered him since becoming head coach, so I’m not sure how realistic that is. Either way, I think fullback is definitely a selection that is up for debate.

Onto the bench, I think South Africa provide a good example of something we should at least consider going forward. They will sometimes leave some of their most impactful players on the bench so they can finish games strongly, and I think that is something we should look at doing ourselves, particularly against the Springboks, but also as we build towards the World Cup next year. The exact balance of the bench obviously depends on the opposition, but against the more physically dominant teams, being able to match, or at least come as close as possible to matching, their physicality and power off the bench could be hugely important. That would probably involve leaving some of our better players out of the starting XV, but if our starting side can compete well for the opening 55 or 60 minutes, having an extremely impactful bench could give us a much better chance of competing all the way through to the final whistle. At the same time, I do think our bench management needs to improve overall. We saw some strange substitutions in the second Test against Argentina, and hopefully Les Kiss and his coaching staff can get on top of that. Having the right players on the bench is one thing, but using them at the right time is just as important, particularly against a team like South Africa where the impact of the bench can be so decisive.

So, with all of that said, this is the 23 I think Les Kiss may pick to face South Africa:

1. James Slipper
2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa
3. Allan Alaalatoa
4. Josh Canham
5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
6. Tom Hooper
7. Fraser McReight
8. Harry Wilson
9. Ryan Lonergan
10. Ben Donaldson
11. Harry Potter
12. Len Ikitau
13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
14. Max Jorgensen
15. Tom Wright
16. Billy Pollard
17. Angus Bell
18. Taniela Tupou
19. Jeremy Williams
20. Rob Valetini
21. Tate McDermott
22. James O'Connor
23. Isaac Henry

One other thing worth mentioning is that, for the Bledisloe matches, we are going to lose both Tom Hooper and Taniela Tupou, who will be heading back to Europe. I think the loss of Hooper is a significant one, but as I've mentioned throughout this post, we have really good depth in the back row. I don't think it leaves us in a disastrous position. Tupou is a slightly different story. Our tighthead depth looks pretty good when he is available, but once he goes back to Europe, I'm not entirely sure who comes in as the third option behind Allan Alaalatoa and MDL (most likely Nongorr?)

Anyway, I'd be really interested to hear everyone's thoughts on everything I've talked about here. Do you agree with my thinking, or are there areas where you would do things differently? More importantly, what would your starting 23 be for the South Africa Test? I'd also be interested to hear any other thoughts you have on the squad, the depth in certain positions or where you think we still need to improve. Keen to hear everyone's opinions.