Uelese’s chance to mix with big boys
Cheika takes courageous punt on young hulk for Springboks clash
THE brave gamble to throw untried hooking hulk Jordan Uelese into a Wallabies debut against South Africa tomorrow night is aimed at a bigger payoff at the Rugby World Cup in two years.
Uelese is just 20 with the meagre experience of 28 minutes of Super Rugby, yet coach Michael Cheika yesterday commissioned him to play off the bench against the might of the Springboks pack at Perth’s nib Stadium. It’s a call as bold as throwing the unscarred Phil Kearns into a Test debut against the All Blacks in Auckland in 1989 when Kiwi rival Sean Fitzpatrick sneered at him as a baby thrown to blackjerseyed wolves.
In 12 months, Kearns was famously giving the forks to Fitzpatrick in a wonderful Wallabies victory in Wellington and Cheika will hope 120kg Uelese grabs this chance with equal relish.
Uelese will at least have protection as a bench player but the flow of Test rugby these days is that he can expect 10-15 minutes as a replacement in the second half should experienced starter Tatafu PolotaNau help guide the Wallabies to a lead at that stage.
Uelese was a dominant figure with his ball carries and front-row influence against young men at the Under-20 World Championships in Georgia this year but this step up is a different ball game against imposing Boks like 92Test prop Tendai Mtawarira.
Playing out of his comfort zone is nothing new for the impressive youngster, who had his first rudimentary run in rugby as a two-year-old for Oriental Rongotai’s under-6 team in Wellington.
“When I was in the 11s, you had to be under 60kg to play under-12s, so I had to go and play under-13s,” Uelese told Foxsports.com.au.
“I’ve always played up a grade and had to mix it with the big boys, which is good.”
Cheika has made four changes to the starting side.
The Wallabies play South Africa at 8pm tomorrow.