Fullback Tom Wright is the big casualty from the Wallabies’ winless start to 2023, with the Brumbies flyer dumped from Australia’s 34-man squad that will begin preparations to face the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup.
Wright has seemingly paid the price for two huge errors in Australia’s 34-31 loss to Argentina in Sydney last weekend, the fullback spilling a grubber kick and then throwing an awful pass to an unsuspecting Carter Gordon late in the gripping Rugby Championship encounter.
With Andrew Kellaway and Jordan Petaia once again fit, there is no place for Wright in Eddie Jones’ revised squad and the 25-year-old is now at long odds to feature in the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup campaign as a result.
Elsewhere, Wright’s Brumbies teammate Tom Hooper has shaken off a shoulder injury suffered on his Wallabies debut in South Africa to maintain his place in the squad, but the news is not as good for co-captain Michael Hooper who has been named in the rehab group. The veteran No. 7 picked up a calf injury at training last week, and while it is not serious it appears he requires at least another week on the sidelines.
Up front, Taniela Tupou returns to the squad after he came through Australia A’s loss to Tonga in what was his first game of rugby for 2023, while Waratahs No. 8 Langi Gleeson has also been included.
With Len Ikitau ruled out for 6-8 weeks with a fractured scapula, it appears Izaia Perese is in the box seat to start at outside centre against the All Blacks with Jones not adding another midfielder to his group.
While both Kellaway and Petaia have both played plenty of rugby at No. 13, it is unlikely that either player will be thrust back into the midfield after limited rugby in recent months.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Eddie goes Izaia Perese at 13, I reckon you need to find a 13, not a 12,” Wallabies great Tim Horan told ESPN when quizzed on the midfield dilemma.
“I just think Samu [Kerevi] got exposed a little bit defending at 13 [after Ikitau went off], and he’s not comfortable there you could see that, and he’d probably admit that. Unless he wants to go ‘well Carter worked at 12’ and leaves Samu at 13.
“I think you need to find a 13. Jordie Petaia, is he right yet? I’m not sure, he might be a bit underdone. I’d go Izzy Perese, because against the All Blacks you need someone who has the ability and the confidence to shoot out of the line and actually make ball-and-all tackles.”
There is also no place for Reece Hodge, after the utility back was left out of the 23 to face the Pumas in Sydney, having only a week earlier been entrusted with the No. 12 jersey in the 43-12 hammering by the Springboks.
Jones cut an optimistic figure at Thursday’s British & Irish Lions Tour announcement, the Wallabies coach adamant his World Cup preparations were still on track despite the fact that Australia is facing the very real prospect they may begin the tournament with an 0-5 record in 2003.
“100%. 100%. Yeah, these are important games, very important games. We’ve got the Bledisloe Cup, we haven’t won it for 22 years, but what you do at the World Cup, as compared to what you did before the World Cup, is two completely different things,” Jones said.
“Like I was involved with South Africa in 2007. We won one of our Tri Nations games. In Japan in 2015, we won one of five warm-up games. It’s how you use the games, and you’ve got to be strategic about using the games to get yourself right. And particularly coming in as a new coach at the moment. Every game is a learning experience for me. It’s a learning experience for me.
“And certainly we’d like to have much better results. We’d like to have two wins. But that’s not the case, but that doesn’t mean we’re not learning for the World Cup.”
AUSTRALIA SQUAD FOR BLEDISLOE CUP
Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Richie Arnold, Angus Bell, Pone Fa’amausili, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Jed Holloway,Tom Hooper, Rob Leota, Fraser McReight, Matt Philip, David Porecki, Will Skelton, Blake Schoupp, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Jordan Uelese, Rob Valetini
Backs: Quade Cooper, Lalakai Foketi, Carter Gordon, Andrew Kellaway, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Ryan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Izaia Perese, Jordan Petaia, Suliasi Vunivalu, Nic White
Utility: Ben Donaldson, Dylan Pietsch
Rehab group: Michael Hooper