Twickenham triumph casts doubt on necessity of overseas Wallabies

The Wallabies are off and running in their bid to win their first grand slam since 1984, and it’s all thanks to a massive team effort, which is a trademark of a Joe Schmidt coached side.

The fingerprints of the Wallabies coach and his experienced assistants are finally beginning to show from players 1-through-to-23 and that’s when coaches begin to have the good kind of headaches at the selection table.

Schmidt has taken a group of inexperienced players, with the lowest average age in the Rugby Championship and got them playing like a team of professionals.

Focused on the detail, fixated on the process, thinking about the next job.

The performance at the weekend was by no means perfect, but it showed growth in all the right areas, execution, patience, and maturity in decision-making.

Two key takeaways can be drawn from the weekend’s result, first, the Wallabies proved they are a side with big points in them, after a poor try tally in the Rugby Championship.

Second, the Wallabies won without a single overseas player in the matchday-23.

For years, Australian pundits have been calling on Wallabies coaches to have a carte blanche overseas selection policy, and on Saturday night the Wallabies proved they can win big matches, on the biggest stage without them.

It’s a pertinent discussion point because Schmidt and his band of coaches will be thinking of how, or perhaps even if, they include their two overseas picks, Will Skelton and Samu Kerevi this weekend.

Had it been any other coach, there’d be no doubt the pair of internationals would be on the team sheet against the Welsh in Cardiff, but Schmidt has always maintained a desire to prioritise and select domestic talent.

This is not a suggestion the pair, particularly Skelton, wouldn’t value-add to a Wallabies side, merely it’s positing suddenly the Wallabies are now at a stage where they don’t need ‘rescuing’ from OS players, and can rather welcome them as augments.

Captain and no.8 Harry Wilson suffered a concussion against England and will not be available for selection, this opens the door for Skelton to return.

Second rowers Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams were aggressive, industrious, and largely accurate in all their key roles at Twickenham.

Their speed across the ground and Williams’ great kick-off receipts were vital elements to the Wallabies win and should not be understated.

At the risk of breaking up their partnership, Schmidt could look to shift Lukhan Salakaia-Loto to blindside flanker, a position he has played for the Wallabies before, and play Rob Valetini in his traditional Wallabies spot at no.8.

Otherwise, Schmidt could put Williams on the flank and keep LSL in the row, both options give the pack speed across the ground as well as another big ball carrier.

Either way you slice it, Schmidt only has four specialist locks in the squad, and by shifting one of them to the backrow, Skelton is the obvious choice to come onto the bench.

Skelton is an excellent mauler on either side of the ball and will give the Wallabies a dominant ball carrier.

Wales run a rush defence, similar to England’s, so bringing him on later in the game, against tired legs, could see him wreak havoc and get the Wallabies well over the gainline in-tight.

“At La Rochelle we’re very set-piece dominated, French rugby is very physically, confrontation as well, which I really enjoy,” Skelton said.

“It’s when I come into camp with the speed I’ve got to catch up on. The physical stuff I back myself there. It’s just trying to get the calls and details right.”

Wales is the lowest-ranked side the Wallabies will face on this tour and it’s the game where mistakes like poor positioning, late alignment, and growing pains have the lowest chance of attracting grave consequences.

Skelton value-adds considering how thin the Wallabies’ locking stocks are, he’s an exceptional talent, his selection now and moving forward to the British and Irish Lions series is not only a good option, but a crucial one.

Integrating him into the systems during this tour is vital, so he knows how fit he must be to help the team next year for the Lion’s tour.

The next big selection headache for Schmidt comes in the backs with Kerevi.

There’s no denying Len Ikitau and debutant Joseph Aukuso-Sua’ali’i shone in the midfield together.

During the Rugby Championship, the forwards shouldered the bulk of the workload to get the Wallabies over the gainline, but that dynamic changed at Twickenham thanks to this midfield combination.

One of the biggest equalisers was the masterstroke of shifting Ikitau to no.12.

His ability to beat the first defender wasn’t impacted, as matter of fact, it appeared to be enhanced, he was afforded more time with the ball in-hand at inside centre.

His strong performance was also accompanied by debutant Joseph Aukuso-Sua’ali’i, whose first foray into professional rugby at the ‘home of rugby’ proved to be everything Australian rugby fans had hoped for.

JAS, as he is affectionately being called across the social media platforms, didn’t bowl players over with his large frame, rather he looked like a man with all the time in the world.

He could always free his arms for an offload and put his teammates into space.

Sua’ali’i’s ability to get the offload away bypassed the need for a bullocking midfielder, a fact which only adds difficulty to Schmidt’s calculations regarding Kerevi.

The 49-capped Kerevi would be running out for a milestone game if he was to be selected, but his current form is far less obvious than Skelton’s, having played only one warm-up match for his Japanese club side, Urayasu D-Rocks.

However, like Skelton, Kerevi has form as being one of the best in his position on his day, and the 108kg centre would add bulk to the backline.

Kerevi’s inclusion may depend on how winger Dylan Pietsch is fairing after coming off in the second half with a badly corked calf.

Schmidt remains optimistic about his health but nonetheless, if a player is not showing signs of being at 100 per cent for ‘Test match Tuesdays’, then he has often erred on the side of caution, omitting them for the sake of clarity of the team.

Kerevi is certain he can regain the form that made him a global star of the game, his teammates are sure of this too, but can he do enough in just two games to convince Schmidt of this?

“I’ve played over 40 caps now (49) at Test level – I know what it feels like to be in that arena and what your body needs, but also the mindset that you need,” Kerevi said.

Schmidt is shaping this side nicely, but the clock is against him with only three more Tests before the Lions tour, this creates pressure on every decision he makes.

So Kerevi’s potential aside, the most pressing question is: is the Ikitau-Sua’ali’i axis the centre pairing for the Lions, and if so; does this mean they must play the three remaining games to foster that connection?

The answer to this question appears to be yes.

However, the Wallabies depth at centre is also thin, perhaps as thin as it is at second row.

With Hunter Paisami injured and Australia XV options Josh Flook and Hamish Stewart being good without being great, the 31-year-old Kerevi may yet have a hand to play in Wallaby gold.

Kerevi’s club coach is former Scotland international Greig Laidlaw, who has said Kerevi is the fittest he’s seen him, an element to Kerevi’s game that was lacking last year.

Schmidt needs time to mould and improve the Ikitau-Sua’ali’i axis and he can do that and have Kerevi coming off the pine, to help nurture young Sua’ali’i in his transition back to rugby.

However, if Kerevi was to be selected, he must deliver a performance as eye-catching and as impactful as the other centres did at Twickenham.

Schmidt cannot afford to be nonchalant with the few minutes he has left before the Lions tour, and with only two Tests remaining in the World Rugby Reg-9 window, Kerevi is racing the clock as well.

The Wallabies’ win at the weekend has put players plying their trade abroad on notice, only the best-of-the-best can hope to attract the selection of Schmidt.

The game against Wales at ‘the Principality’ is the only fixture where the Wallabies go in as favourites, having beaten them twice in July and because they suffered their ninth consecutive loss to Fiji at the weekend.

If there’s a game where Skelton and Kerevi can show their wares and show they can get across the detail in the game plan and execute, it’s this one.

John Ferguson’s 23 to play Wales:

1. Angus Bell
2. Matt Faessler
3. Taniela Tupou
4. Nick Frost
5. Jeremy Williams
6. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
7. Fraser McReight
8. Rob Valetini
9. Jake Gordon
10. Noah Lolesio
11. Max Jorgensen
12. Len Ikitau
13. Joseph Aukuso-Sua’ali’i
14. Andrew Kellaway
15. Tom Wright

Reserves

16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa
17. Isaac Kailea
18. Allan Alaalatoa
19. Will Skelton
20. Langi Gleeson
21. Tate McDermott
22. Ben Donaldson
23. Samu Kerevi