Cheika eye on Slipper and Wright
REDS skipper James Slipper has been given a late shot at a Wallabies tour call- up beside a kid who was still at school when he made his Test debut.
Two hit- outs for Queensland Country since his return from achilles surgery prompted Wallabies coach Michael Cheika to usher in the 86- Test stalwart for this week’s training camp in Sydney.
Cheika was upfront that he wanted to assess the bulked- up Slipper’s progress while also grabbing a first- hand look at young Reds squad flanker Liam Wright.
Wright, just 20, is on board as a development player in this 28- strong squad that is minus the 13 Wallabies being rested for Saturday’s clash against the Barbarians in Sydney.
He is the only player in the squad yet to make his Super Rugby debut which is a measure of the very different make- up that the 193cm Wright brings to the role of openside flanker.
He is 13cm taller than classic openside George Smith, this year’s Pilecki Medal winner at the Reds. The Australian Under- 20s standout is a genuine lineout winner, ball- carrier and off- loader as well as providing those traditional openside traits as a fetcher who works hard on the ball.
“It’s a serious ( tour) audition for Slips because you get credit for 86 Tests and his experience in the northern hemisphere,” Cheika said.
“He might not even have to play. I want a look. We’ve had a great tradition with out- andout fetchers as opensides but a guy like Liam Wright has something different because he’s a lineout operator and has other parts to his game.”
Lock Rob Simmons will be rested.
Jermaine Ainsley, Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Jack Dempsey, Kane Douglas, Folau Fainga’a, Tetera Faulkner, Ned Hanigan, Ben McCalman, Stephen Moore, Tom Robertson, James Slipper, Lopeti Timani, Lukhan Tui, Jordan Uelese, Liam Wright.
Israel Folau, Kyle Godwin, Jake Gordon, Karmichael Hunt, Samu Kerevi, Billy Meakes, Duncan Paia’aua, Izaia Perese, Nick Phipps, Joe Powell, Curtis Rona, Henry Speight. Scott Sio, Tatafu Polota- Nau, Sekope Kepu, Rob Simmons, Adam Coleman, Michael Hooper, Sean McMahon, Will Genia, Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale, Reece Hodge, Marika Koroibete, Tevita Kuridrani.