Opinion
Returning Lolesio the conductor the Wallabies badly needed
Paul Cully
Rugby columnistThe Wallabies were unrecognisable on Saturday in a highly encouraging win against Wales: for periods of the Test in Sydney it was as if 2023 didn’t happen.
There was structure, there was purpose, there was grit when needed, and there was a much-underappreciated effort at No.10 from Noah Lolesio.
Some will fixate on a few individual errors, but that’s not what they should be looking at. Joe Schmidt’s style needs a conductor at No.10, and Lolesio actually looked more comfortable in that bigger role than he does at the Brumbies, who probably play a bit more off halfback and have Ryan Lonergan as a dominant figure.
Lolesio was a major voice on Saturday, bossing his forwards around and at times perfectly taking up his position at the back of that tight, four-man diamond shape in attack that was so reminiscent of Ireland. So much of the Wallabies’ good work came from the deception and short passing games of Lolesio and Hunter Paisami.
2. Cron has straightened Tupou up
NSW fans will be hoping that Taniela Tupou’s excellent first half was a preview of the Waratahs’ scrum next year. The big prop was dialled in and task-focused: another sure sign of Schmidt’s early influence. But the most impressive thing was the north-south shape of his scrummaging. It wasn’t so long ago that overhead cameras would reveal Tupou angling in from the tighthead position, a habit referees became aware of.
Cully’s Team of the Week
- Ethan de Groot (New Zealand)
- Gaetan Barlot (France)
- Taniela Tupou (Australia)
- Maro Itoje (England)
- Franco Mostert (South Africa)
- Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)
- Oscar Jegou (France)
- Caelan Doris (Ireland)
- Baptiste Serin (France)
- Noah Lolesio (Australia)
- Kurt-Lee Arendse (South Africa)
- Jordie Barrett (New Zealand)
- Jesse Kriel (South Africa)
- Sevu Reece (New Zealand)
- George Furbank (England)
However, every official in World Rugby reviewing the Wallabies’ win game would have seen the perfect picture: just awesome power and brilliant technique.
It was a major tick for new scrum guru Mike Cron, and should favourably affect the perception of the Wallabies scrum. There is a lot of grunt coming through that side with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto pushing behind Tupou.
3. Jeremy Williams was the pick of the debutants
This column is a long-time fan of Williams - he probably was in better form last year - and the second-rower did not disappoint against the Welsh. His workrate was outstanding, and he has that happy knack of winning the battle of inches at the gainline. At just 23 years old, a significant Test career lies ahead of Williams and the exit of some other second-row options in Australia didn’t look like such a pressing concern after his performance in Sydney.
4. Key roles for Jake Gordon and Hunter Paisami
Reds midfielder Hunter Paisami already looks like he’ll be the Wallabies’ Bundee Aki in Schmidt’s attacking plans. His ability to take the ball to the line before pulling back late passes was hugely effective against Wales, and his immediate importance was such that the Wallabies will be desperate to keep him healthy this year.
At No.9, Jake Gordon’s kicking was outstanding: it was hard to identify a single kick that either lacked distance or gave the chaser an opportunity to contest possession. The Waratahs halfback appears to have taken hold of the Wallabies No 9 jersey with that mature display.
Jake Gordon meets Wallabies fans after the win over Wales.Credit: Getty Images
5. Springboks confirm big style shift
The world champions always looked a step ahead of Ireland during their 27-20 win in Pretoria, but the big storyline out of the Test was the way they played. There were hints of a more expansive style against Wales a fortnight ago, and the Springboks showed that wasn’t a one-off. Against Ireland, they had flankers running down the wide channels and offloading, midfielders quickly shifting the ball wide, and a range of first-phase moves that showed the influence of new attack coach Tony Brown. South Africa are clearly evolving their game plan, and with Malcolm Marx rolling off the bench in the second half, their depth remains imposing.
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