Wallabies turn to Jack-of-all-trades

IN the absence of Israel Folau, the Wallabies seek an X-factor attacking threat that can conjure miracles to end their 32year losing streak to the All Blacks in Auckland, and that man will be Jack Maddocks.

But the 21-year-old could have easily been fixing another hole in Australian sport — the top order of the men’s cricket team.

Maddocks, a two-time NSW cricketer of the year in his age group and former teammate of Ed Cowan in a Sydney first-grade side, was amused to hear comments by Shane Warne this week.

“I’m loving the path that footy is taking me but I did read an article the other day which was interesting, Shane Warne saying that there’s no batting talent coming through, because I was a young batsman five years ago when they were falling out of trees,” Maddocks said yesterday.

Instead, life took him in a rapid new trajectory when, from the third XV at school in 2015, Maddocks was picked to go on the Wallabies’ spring tour at the end of last year.

The rookie winger, who made an impressive Test debut off the bench last week and scored Australia’s only try, will now start on the wing at Eden Park, where the Wallabies have not beaten the All Blacks since 1986.

“I’ve played there once, we won this year with the [Melbourne] Rebels. So what hoodoo?” Maddocks quipped.

The Wallabies are expected to push Dane Haylett-Petty to fullback in place of Folau, with Maddocks and Marika Koroibete to form the back three.

Maddocks, who once floated the idea of playing in the Big Bash in between rugby sea- sons, can barely register how his dreams growing up of playing professional cricket has somehow turned into being Australia’s potential saviour in a Bledisloe Test in Auckland.

“No regrets, I’m absolutely loving what I’m doing at the moment, having so much fun and coming to cool places like this and I’m also loving the journey it’s taking, not only me but my friends and my family,” Maddocks said.

“Last Saturday was a really special moment so I’m just really happy to be doing what I’m doing at the moment.

“[The Big Bash] is a bit of a pipe dream but I wasn’t being too serious when I said that, but if anyone wants to take me up I’d love it. It would be ideal — miss pre-season.”