Rennie to mix it up after agonising loss
DAVE Rennie is set to ignore calls of building on continuity and instead make sweeping changes for this weekend’s must-win Test against Italy in Florence, with Will Skelton in-line to make his first start since 2016.
The Wallabies pushed World Cup favourites France in Paris until the final whistle but ultimately fell short, with Damian Penaud’s 76th-minute try proving the difference as Les Bleus snuck home 30-29 at the weekend.
The one-point loss was a heartbreaker for the Wallabies, who were $6 outsiders after yet another inconsistent year but defied the odds to once again show that they cannot be written off in next year’s World Cup.
Despite missing a number of first-choice players, Rennie’s Wallabies matched up superbly against Fabien Galthie’s Six Nations champions, and off the back of a strong set-piece and defensive maul kept themselves alive in the contest.
But a poor attacking breakdown and a clumsy error in the midfield, where a set-piece play once again broke down, allowed France to stay in the contest and eventually pinch the victory.
In his return to the starting line-up, tight-head prop Taniela Tupou had his best performance in the No.3 jersey, while Jock Campbell showed he is more than capable as an international fullback.
The admirable performance, which former Wallabies star Drew Mitchell was quick to point out was still a loss, led many to suggest that Rennie should give the side that played France another chance to build on combinations when they take on the Azzurri next weekend.
“I think we need to start getting closer to settling (on) a team,” Mitchell said on Stan.
“It doesn’t have to be the exact team that we’re going to be playing in the first pool game of the World Cup, but they need to start giving time for combinations.”
But with one eye on Ireland, as well as a “significant” injury to centre Lalakai Foketi, Rennie is expected to make a number of changes.
Shortly after finishing off an incredible, coast-to-coast team try, Foketi was forced off with a shin injury. His injury will likely see Hunter Paisami return to the starting side, while Clermont-based centre Irae Simone could yet join the squad after leaving Australian rugby following
the Wallabies’ loss in Argentina in August.
Rennie also said Skelton was in-line to make his return to the starting side after the La Rochelle lock had a strong return via the bench.
“He’ll probably get a start next week,” Rennie said.
“It was good to get him off the bench. I thought he had a really big impact as we’d expected, and I look forward to getting more minutes out of him next week.”
Should he start, it will be the first time the giant lock is on the field from the outset since starting against Eddie Jones’ England in Sydney in 2016.