The Wallabies are set for some revolutionary positional changes on next month’s four-Test European tour as they look ahead to next year’s Rugby World Cup in France.
Coming off a mixed domestic international season of five wins and four defeats, coach John Connolly is tinkering with a revamp of the backline to maximise Australia’s chances of challenging World Cup favourites New Zealand and France.
The Wallabies, who leave Australia on Friday without record-capped skipper George Gregan, take on Wales, Italy, Ireland and Scotland on successive Saturdays in November, complemented with three mid-week matches for its Australia A team.
Selectors have chosen a huge 37-man squad, mainly to develop new strategies and emerging players as Connolly seeks to broaden Australia’s player depth.
But it emerged at training this week that Connolly, who took over as head coach from Eddie Jones this year, is toying with new ideas, particularly in Australia’s backline.
The Wallabies are expected to source alternatives to established combinations when they take on the Welsh at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on November 4.
Inside-centre Matt Giteau is likely to be tried at scrumhalf in Gregan’s absence — a position he has never played in his senior representative career.
With Gregan’s decision not to tour and the late unavailability of Sam Cordingley, the most pressing selection question for the tour is who will be the first-choice scrumhalf.
Utility Mat Rogers is expected to slot in at flyhalf for the first time since the 2005 end-of-year tour, pushing 91-Test number 10 veteran Stephen Larkham to inside-centre, the only position in the backline he has yet to play.
Winger Lote Tuqiri is training at outside-centre, where he was used on last year’s European tour, and Scott Staniforth is pencilled in for a wing spot for the first time in four years.
At this stage only winger Clyde Rathbone and fullback Chris Latham will be named in their regular positions.
The Wallabies traditionally have problems in the forwards, especially in the scrum and set pieces, and they have had a tour-eve setback with first-choice loosehead prop Greg Holmes succumbing to a disc problem in his neck.
ACT Brumbies’ Nic Henderson has been called into the squad to provide further front-row cover.
Al Baxter filled in training at loose-head and is expected to hold that position against Wales.
”I believe around 25 or 26 players will play Test football on this tour and nowadays you really need a squad of 30 Test players who can step up to the mark to be competitive,” Connolly said on Thursday.
”We saw how Australia struggled during last year’s end-of-season tour because they had a few injuries. We have woken up to that now and realise we need depth. We need 30 good players.
”The forward pack has evolved pretty strongly, and we definitely need to broaden our horizons in the backs and have more flexibility. We really need some of those young backs to come through on this tour.” – Sapa-AFP