Crunch decisions
Key positions Wallabies must settle on for RWC opener against Fiji
FOR the makeup of the back-row, who plays in the halves, what man wears the No 14 jersey, and the configuration of the bench?
These are four key areas that Australia’s trio of selectors will debate when they gather on Tuesday afternoon to select their side to face Fiji in Sapporo tomorrow afternoon.
Ahead of Thursday’s team announcement, we preview the key selection questions Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, director of rugby
Scott Johnson and independent selector Michael O’Connor will be debating.
There are probably only two Wallabies at present that would press for a spot in a World XV — Samu Kerevi and David Pocock.
Yet, Pocock is no certainty to start for the Wallabies.
Ever since his two season-ending knee-injuries in 2013 and 2014, Michael Hooper has been the firstchoice openside flanker, with Pocock forced to shift to the No 8 position.
Hooper’s ascension to the captaincy has only clouded the configuration of the back-row and who wears the No 7 jersey.
But it’s considered that Hooper is a lock at No 7, meaning the Wallabies must consider either returning to the ‘Pooper’ combination for the first time this year, or stick with the more traditional combination of Isi Naisarani at No 8 and one of either Lukhan Salakaia-Loto or Jack Dempsey to join their captain in the back-row.
Earlier this year, O’Connor raised doubts about the effectiveness of playing the two shorter openside flankers in the same back-row.
Naisarani’s strong start to his Test career, the effectiveness of the lineout throughout The Rugby Championship and the Wallabies’ record win over the All Blacks in Bledisloe I last month, where the physicality of the side was a feature, supported the argument of having a more traditional back-row which included just one specialist fetcher.
But with the Wallabies having so few genuine world class players in their XV, the reasonable question is can Cheika afford not to play one of his best for as close to 80 minutes as possible?
Undoubtedly the lineout has improved in 2019 from last year with just one shorter back-rower in the starting side.
The lineout is operating at 93 per cent this year, which is an eight per cent increase from 2018. Interestingly, in 2017, when Pocock was on one-year sabbatical, the Wallabies’ lineout success rate was also up at 93 per cent.
But there are other factors at play with regards to the lineout, including a change in who is coaching it with Simon Raiwalui taking over the responsibilities, a change in how the Wallabies approach the lineout, and the greater experience in the second-rowers and at hooker. Pocock’s own fitness and how the Wallabies ensure he’s fit until the last second spent in Japan is another factor at play.
While the Wallabies can’t afford to look ahead of the opener against Fiji, their second encounter against Wales, who less than a month ago held top spot on World Rugby’s rankings, looms large just seven days later on September 29.
The other key factor that will be considered is what is Fiji’s biggest threat?
The answer is probably their ability to play unstructured rugby and unleashing their flying outside backs, including Semi Radradra, Josua Tuisova and Vereniki Goneva.
So what better way to slow their ball down than to have the world’s best onballer in Pocock?
That’s Pocock’s great strength and his effectiveness on the ball means he’ll always be considered to start. If Australia’s trio of selectors opt for Pocock to come off the bench, Dempsey could act as a hybrid at No 6 and give the Wallabies another onball threat and some more mobility in the back-row to cope with the Flying Fijians.
Then again, Cheika has long considered Salakaia-Loto a No 6 and favours his physical approach.