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Joe Schmidt explains the Wallabies’ change at halfback before Bledisloe II
By Finn Morton
Coach Joe Schmidt has explained the decision to select Jake Gordon over Nic White in the Wallabies’ starting side to play the All Blacks and why Tate McDermott has once again been named on the bench.
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Seven days ago, it was a real surprise to see White selected in the Wallabies’ First XV to take on the All Blacks in Sydney. White is a veteran of international rugby and no one should doubt what the halfback can bring to the table, but Gordon was thought to be the first-choice.
Gordon started both matches against Warren Gatland’s Wales in July before returning to the starting side to play the world champion Springboks in Brisbane. The 31-year-old also started both Tests against Los Pumas in Argentina, which included a try in La Plata.
Other than those Tests, McDermott was given the nod to start against a valiant Georgian outfit at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium during the July window. White has also worn the No. 9 jersey on one occasion under coach Schmidt, performing well against South Africa in Perth.
But, with the Bledisloe Cup no longer up for grabs with New Zealand winning 31-28 at Accor Stadium last weekend, Schmidt has welcomed Gordon back into the starting side while White drops out of the matchday 23 completely.
“There’s certainly no one dumped. We were really happy with Nic White,” Schmidt told reporters in Wellington. “I explained last week, Nic White was the fresh legs. Jake had had a very big tour of Argentina, we had a very long trip back, and Nic was fresh and ready to go.
“I don’t know if you had too much of a look at some of the contacts he wore, (White) was pretty beaten up at the end of it and Jake is fresh.
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“We’ve got confidence in all three of our halfbacks. It’s very much a best fit for any given occasion. But, Nic did very well, previous to that Jake had done very well. He was particularly good in that game in La Plata.
“Those two guys bring real experience. They’ve both been leaders in their Super Rugby environments, Jake has been captain of the Waratahs for four years.
“When we’ve got, to a degree, a lack of experience in front and behind the nine, it’s good to have that experience from either of them.”
But, if Schmidt and the other Wallabies selections had named McDermott to start, that wouldn’t have come as a surprise to many fans. McDermott captained the national team under former coach Eddie Jones and has proven himself one of the best halfbacks in Super Rugby.
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McDermott, who is a co-captain with Liam Wright at the Queensland Reds, has featured in every Rugby Championship Test for the Wallabies so far. The scrumhalf has always been utilised as an impact player off the bench while one of the other two have started.
Last Saturday in Sydney, the 26-year-old came off the pine and impressed as the Wallabies ran riot with time running out at the Sydney Olympic Park venue. But, as Schmidt reiterated, the Wallabies are fortunate to have a talented trio to pick from at halfback.
“Tate’s had a start this season but he’s also been really effective coming off the bench,” Schmidt said when asked about McDermott.
“He’s also been a leader of his Super Rugby side, he’s captained the Wallabies before.
“We’ve got three really good nines and I thought Tate’s impact off the bench was really good and sometimes that maybe doesn’t play into your hand for starting when you’ve come off the bench and impacted the game really well like Tate did.”
I can't believe no one is talking about Nic Whites pathetic tag rather tackle attempt on Jordan for the first try. That type of effort is far short of what is required for a rugby game let alone a test match vs the all blacks. The effort carried over late into the game when 3 wallabies watched Sam Came dive on a loose ball leading to Dmac"s terrible blown try pass. You have to fight for every inch against the all blacks, not just mouth off to the ref.
Strategy: replace a nobody with a live body
Slow predicable service from Gordon. He loves to slow the play and pass to a static forward. Expect the Wallabies to get little gainline advantage with Gordon at 9.
I think there needs to be less talk of how coming off the bench is somewhat inferior to starting the game. It's a skills based game, and there are clearly attributes in Tate's skill set that suit him being the impact player, or settler, that the team needs depending on the circumstances. Look at the 'Boks and the 'Bomb Squad'. I don't think there has ever been a more purposeful use of the bench in the history of the sport, and rightly so are being praised for their impact at the back end of games. To be fair, Tate has been the one constant in the halves throughout the international season, so that has to mean something.