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Fourth choice prop and one Test hooker on the brink of Rugby World Cup selection
By AAP
Pone Fa’amausili and Matt Faessler stand on the brink of shock selections for Australia’s Rugby World Cup squad after being thrust into the Bledisloe Cup cauldron.
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Prop Fa’amausili made a first run-on start in Saturday’s 23-20 loss in Dunedin, riding out a pair of huge hits as the Wallabies took control early.
Hooker Faessler – who had never worn the gold jersey before – was ordered to put down his bacon at breakfast on match day when Jordan Uelese’s knee didn’t come up.
He was then thrust into battle in the 14th minute when Dave Porecki left with a shoulder complaint.
“It all happened so quickly I haven’t had time to process what’s occurred,” Faessler said after full-time, proudly wearing his Wallabies cap for media duties.
It wasn’t long ago the pair were bashing about in suburban parks playing club rugby: for Melbourne-raised Rebels forward Fa’amausili it was just last month.
Overlooked for Wallabies duty, Fa’amausili went back to the Moorabbin Rams, ditching his place in the front row for a number eight shirt.
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“Obviously I got dropped, I didn’t make the squad to go to South Africa but found a bit of love through playing with some good mates,” he said.
Faessler didn’t have a professional contract until last year, when he was plucked from club rugby to fill-in for the undermanned Queenslands Reds in a trial match.
At the time, the hooker called playing in that match being “thrown into the deep end”.
Showing his progression, the 24-year-old didn’t look out of place against the mighty All Blacks.
“I didn’t actually have time to sit and process what was occurring, what things could happen badly or go well, etc,” Faessler said.
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“I was actually pretty clear-minded going in and then I definitely wasn’t expecting to get on that early or play those sorts of minutes. Just grateful for that opportunity.”
What the Queenslander and Melburnian have in common is coach Eddie Jones, who backed them to come good in a gold shirt they both have coveted.
Faessler said Jones’ exacting standards had lifted the entire group.
“He’s huge on accountability,” Faessler said.
“There’s a lot of honest conversations that the coaches have with players, and players have with players.”
This week, those conversations will include Jones telling 33 players they’ll be heading to France for the World Cup, and the pair may well get a call – something unimaginable at the start of the season.
“Eddie’s been massive for me,” Fa’amausili said.
“Everyone knows that Eddie gets stuck into me on the field in training. He’s always giving me chat.
“He just wants the best for me. I know where the chat is coming from. He’s just pushing me to my limits and just really wants to see me change my mindset.
“I knew how big this opportunity was for me. I knew that this was … the opportunity I needed to make a statement to get into the squad going to France.
“Hopefully my performance has done that.”
Very few players look comfortable at test level straight away.
They both did.