COMMENT: These 40-man training squads picked in March are a great disguise for what Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is really thinking.
When you pick so many certain Test starters, fringe performers and project players, rugby fans can jump at decoy themes that don’t exist.
Fans will study Sunday’s squad through the prism of Super Rugby Pacific form because that’s been the feast on the table for the past five weekends.
Rennie isn’t trying to win Super Rugby. He’s already done that with the Chiefs. He has picked this squad for a major event nearly three months away.
There’s only one game in his mind and that’s beating nemesis England at Suncorp Stadium on July 9.
What’s important to him is how England play the game and how the Wallabies will play better. Eddie Jones’ team may have lost to France 25-13 in the big Six Nations finale in Paris but their strong DNA as a rugby nation was as obvious as it was in the tumble to Ireland earlier in the tournament.
“It’s a very good French side in fantastic form. It’s a really tough comp and maybe far tougher than some people appreciate,” Rennie said of the Six Nations.
“The quality of the French and Irish is excellent. England are right up there as well.”
WHAT IT MEANS: Underrate England at your peril. Being beaten by the new No.2-ranking team in the world (France) and the No.4-ranked team (Ireland) is nothing to be ashamed about. England still sit at No.5 ahead of Australia (No.6) and are on a landslide 8-0 winning streak against the Aussies.
What Rennie expects from England will necessarily dictate some of his selections.
Just where will they try to throw their weight around in Australia on the same turf that produced a historic 3-0 series sweep in 2016?
"England are very big on (playing) territory and set piece dominance and trying to turn the screws down the right end of the field,” Rennie said.
“They defend really well and their kick sprint (when chasing) is probably the best in the world.
“They are ‘fit as’ and will work really hard for each other. Their ability to kick and apply pressure to force errors is really strong and they bring a lot of line speed to it.
"I don’t think they’ll go too far away from that.
“When the time comes we will have to diffuse those things. Our set piece will have to be really good, we’ll have to do a good job in the air and try to win the kicking battle to play at the right end of the field.”
WHAT IT MEANS: Rennie has picked four hookers in this squad. Ink in NSW Waratahs hooker Dave Porecki for a Test debut against England. He's a powerful scrummager and Rennie revealed he would have played for the Wallabies last year but for injury.
You need some controlled aggression against England so Jed Holloway isn’t as far away from Test rugby as some might think. He has aggression, good hands, deceptive footwork, is comfortable with lineout responsibilities and he’s experienced. Rennie sees him as a lock and likes his edge. There are six locks in this squad and Rory Arnold might yet be called back from overseas under the “Kerevi Clause.”
The kicking game?
Reece Hodge’s form for the Melbourne Rebels has been poor but his boot is a weapon the Wallabies need, even if just on standby. That’s one reason he’s there.
Rennie emphasised that one off-season work-on for Brumbies flyhalf Noah Lolesio was finding more power to turn into “more from his 10m speed and more from his kicks.” He is showing more penetration from his running and gaining more metres from the boot. Waratah Ben Donaldson is in good form but more the project player.
Veteran flyhalf James O’Connor has worked on finding more distance with his kicks as well as tuning the variety of his kicks like that super dab for the Josh Flook try for the Reds recently.
Rennie was upbeat about some promising signs from Jordan Petaia’s first Super Rugby outings at fullback.
However, that experiment unfolds, Petaia will play against England somewhere in the back three because he’s one of the biggest and best high ball diffusers that the Wallabies have.
Rennie likes the way Jock Campbell plays fullback, rather than wing, and so often beats the first defender. This is the first time Rennie will judge him in Wallabies camp so there may still be a long way for him to go. He deserves this nod though.
Who has really missed out?
When 40 names are selected, you have to decode who has missed out.
Halfbacks Jake Gordon and Tate McDermott have been picked for next month’s camp while injured.
Lock-flanker Lukhan Salakaia-Loto has been left out while injured.
“I’ve spoken to Lukhan. There are areas (of his game) we asked him to make shifts in. I thought he was playing reasonably well so it’s unfortunate he got injured as soon as the © went next to his name at the Reds,” Rennie said.
“His job over the next 10 or so weeks is to put performances on the park to show us he’s changed and earn the right to wear a Test jersey again.”
There’s no spot in this squad for Wallabies regular Matt Toomua and there still might not be in July. He has a lot of ground to make up after being unconvincing in 2021 and 2022. Rennie sees him as an inside centre.
No spot for Brumbies winger Andy Muirhead is a sign that Tony Pulu is higher in the pecking order after his injury in 2021.
There are many more storylines in an upbeat squad that can be topped up by Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Rory Arnold in July or some variation on that trio.
Like Rennie stressed, put performances on the park and change the thinking.
