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‘An experienced 10 would have helped’: Wallaby opens up on World Cup disaster

Will Skelton of Australia speaks with teammates as they huddle after defeat to Wales during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Wales and Australia at Parc Olympique on September 24, 2023 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

In the wake of the Wallabies’ woeful Rugby World Cup campaign in France, prop Taniela Tupou has admitted that the squad could’ve used “an experienced 10” as they fought to avoid a first-ever pool stage exit.

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Going back to that fateful night on August 10, coach Eddie Jones shocked the rugby world by picking just one fly-half in the 33-man squad. With just four Tests to his name at the time, Carter Gordon was given the immense responsibility.

The Wallabies had collected the wooden spoon during The Rugby Championship, and despite their efforts in Dunedin, they’re unable to avoid a sweep in the Bledisloe Cup series.

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    Coach Jones wanted change. There was no room for veteran playmakers Quade Cooper or Bernard Foley, with ‘utility’ Ben Donaldson the only member of the squad with Test experience at No. 10.

    Australia started their World Cup with a promising win over Georgia, but the men in gold were left to rue what could’ve been after historic defeats to Fiji and Wales. The Wallabies were later bundled out of the tournament in the pool stage.

    Those players and coaches will have to “live with” some fans considering them “the worst Wallabies team ever.” But it didn’t have to be this way.

    “When Eddie named the team, what I was thinking at the time was that Eddie has been in the World Cup (before). He knows what he’s doing. I’m going to trust him” prop Taniela Tupou said on the BallCarrier Rugby podcast.

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    “Then I went to the World Cup and it didn’t happen. When the pressure was on, you needed guys who could handle pressure. We had guys who couldn’t do that.

    “I don’t want to sit here and moan that it could have been this or that but an experienced 10 would have helped… or anyone who could have sat in the driver’s seat.

    “When the team was named and I looked at the squad… we knew how to play with each other.

    “People will say we are the worst Wallabies team ever in a World Cup and whether we like it or not, it’s something we’re going to have to live with. It’s up to us to try and change that.”

    Following long-lasting rumours and speculation surrounding coach Jones’ position with the Wallabies, the 63-year-old officially resigned two after the Rugby World Cup final.

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    But that led to an awkward reunion on the other side of the world. Jones coached the Barbarians along with incoming All Blacks boss Scott Robertson, with the team including players from the Wallabies’ disastrous campaign.

    Jones had branded former Australia captain Michael Hooper a poor “role model” for the young Wallabies, but ended up picking the flanker in the No. 7 for the Baa-Baas.

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    Along with the likes of Len Ikitau, Rob Leota and Angus Bell was Wallabies enforcer Taniela Tupou. Tupou was asked about Jones, and clearly, there is no bad blood there.

    “Everybody’s different. He’s been good to me,” Tupou said.

    “Eddie came in… he gave me a call and said, ‘Look I want you to work hard and try to be in the team for the World Cup.’ For someone like that to have faith in you when I didn’t at the time, it means a lot to me.

    “To see him around here, I’ve got nothing against him. If he’s doing what’s best for him, I’m happy for him. I’ve enjoyed my time with him.”

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    Comments

    4 Comments
    B
    Billy 500 days ago

    The wallabies would have gone further if they didn’t rely on a prop that was ‘accident-prone and didn’t have to waddle around the paddock. The big pedestrian props of yesteryear have no place in the modern mobile game of today.

    s
    sam 502 days ago

    Not exactly putting his faith in Carter Gordon for the Super Rugby season is he…

    P
    Pecos 502 days ago

    Yeah, but rocket science is hard though.

    K
    Kara 503 days ago

    An experienced 10 ?
    Now that’s a novel approach.

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

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    1 Go to comments
    J
    JWH 4 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    Do you hear yourself? Do you have any concept of world view? Have you tried looking into why people call Ireland ‘arrogant’? Obviously not.


    We started calling you arrogant when you called our captain a ‘shit Richie McCaw’. In New Zealand. On our turf. Don’t think that kind of behaviour really calls for respect, does it.


    NZ don’t really talk ourselves up, if anything the rugby does it for us. No kiwi goes in the media and says: ‘We are gonna win the RWC’. However, I have found many instance of IRISH media saying that the Irish should win, without a doubt. THAT is disrespectful.


    The All Blacks have played good rugby, even some of the best rugby ever, at many points in history, but I don’t think you could find a single instance of one of those players, or the NZ media, saying that they should whitewash their opponents. Ever.


    Now, onto your analysis. Ireland DID choke the QF. They beat the champions, they were ranked first coming into it, a lot of players at the peaks of their powers. Its hard to say that they didn’t choke. Obviously, their preparation was just not as good as NZ, and thats all there really is to it.


    If Ireland had repsected that ABs team and that QF more, maybe they would’ve prepared properly for it and won. But they didn’t.


    Maybe if Ireland had won their QF last RWC, they wouldn’t have to be in the same pool as SA and Scotland. I mean, its called a draw for a reason. NZ got third last RWC, so of course they should get a reasonable pool, and they were ranked pretty highly too. If you want to talk about easy pools, look no further than Pool 3 with England, Australia, Fiji, and Georgia I think?


    Now, obviously you don’t remember how that QF ended, so I’ll go ahead and rectify that. Ireland reclaimed the ball off kickoff and marched for 20ish phases into the opposition half. Savea then won a turnover, but the referee refused to give it, so play went on. Finally, at the NZ 22, after not giving up a single penatly in 25 phases of hard defense, Sam Whitelock, the most capped All Black of all time, wins the game with an incredible steal.


    Now, NZ players having a go at Ireland. Do you cry when you get hit after making the first swing? We all know Sexton is a prick on the field, its just the truth. And Ioane never backs down from a clash, so he thought he should humble a player who has never won an international knockout game who thought he was all that. Don’t really see the issue, its poetic justice really.

    83 Go to comments
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