Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Lealiifano must start at 10 for Wallabies according to former skipper

Former Wallabies captain Andrew Slack believes Christian Lealiifano deserves to wear the No.10 jersey against the All Blacks in Perth on Saturday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Lealiifano and Bernard Foley are in the mix as coach Michael Cheika prepares to name his line-up on Thursday for the Rugby Championship match, which doubles as the opening Bledisloe Cup Test.

The pair have shared the duties this year with the Waratahs’ ice man Foley getting first crack in Australia’s opening loss to South Africa and Brumbies ace Lealiifano steering the ship in the win over Argentina in Brisbane.

Slack, who led the Wallabies on the triumphant 1984 Grand Slam tour and to a Bledisloe Cup series victory on New Zealand soil two years later, believes the call on who plays five-eighth is “single most difficult decision” facing Cheika.

Slack says the Wallabies don’t have the attacking brilliance of Kiwi playmaker Beauden Barrett or defensive starch of Ireland’s Johnny Sexton but they should back Lealiifano to guide them through to the tournament in Japan later this year.

“On the back of the two games and form throughout the year I would go for Christian because I thought he was better than Bernard,” Slack told AAP.

“In the 2015 World Cup Foley reached the absolute peak of his ability and was brilliant and I’m not sure we’ve seen it since.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It’s an area where we’re not really fantastically blessed – they’re both good, solid international players but they’re not what some of the other teams have.”

With his line-busting prowess, Wallabies vice-captain Samu Kerevi appears to have a hold on the No.12 position but Slack would change his centre partner from Tevita Kuridrani.

“We need another ball player,” Slack said.

“You could arguably put James O’Connor at outside centre but I would probably go with Reece Hodge.”

A former selector, Slack believes Hodge has more ball-playing skills than Kuridrani, so better complemented Kerevi.

ADVERTISEMENT

Kurtley Beale, who starred off the bench against the Springboks and started in the win over the Pumas, is Slack’s preference at fullback ahead of Tom Banks.

“I think you’ve got to pick Beale as we’re limited on game-breakers, as against the Boks he showed what he can do when he came on late,” Slack said.

“I just don’t think we’ve got the game-breaking quality in the backs at the moment to use him at our leisure with half an hour to go; he’s got to be there from the kick-off.”

While they offered different skill-sets, Marika Koroibete and Dane Haylett-Petty were Slack’s choices to play on the wing.

“Koroibete is a weapon and needs to be there and I’m a Haylett-Petty fan,” Slack said.

Slack says the Wallabies needed to make the most of their ball if they were to have any chance of upsetting the All Blacks.

“Against the Pumas in the second half we had all the ball but couldn’t do much with it and if we repeat that k ind of performance we won’t give ourselves much chance,” he said.

“We need to play very, very close to our best to be realistic about beating them.”

– AAP

Video Spacer

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 41 | Investec Champions Cup final preview

Hong Kong China vs Kazakhstan | Asia Rugby Emirates Women's Championship | Match Highlights

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 11 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ New Zealand hails the 'Ardie effect' New Zealand hails the 'Ardie effect'
Search