Injuried Rebel Reece Hodge has thrown his support behind young flyhalf Carter Gordon as he prepares for his maiden Super Rugby start.
After their 50-3 drubbing, interim coach Kevin Foote has opted to blood Gordon and English import George Worth in the starting side for Friday's clash with the Hurricanes.
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Speaking at the launch of Rugby Australia's 2027 Rugby World Cup bid, Hodge was glowing in his assessment of the 20-year-old.
“Two things that stand out for me: his kicking game, especially the length he has out of hand and off the tee is a massive asset and he also probably has one of the most beautiful passes that I’ve seen from any kid coming through at his age,” he told Rugby.com.au on Gordon.
“I think training with him pre-season he was playing ten and I was a bit of fullback or centre and the service he gives you, it’s really up there with some of the best that I’ve received from my backs.
“Hopefully he gets some front-foot ball from our forward pack this week and he can be the key to unlocking our outside backs like Marika who haven't had much time and space.”
The push to start players like Gordon reflects the code's focus onto the future, with the '27 World Cup seen as the cornerstone for their development.
Having been inspired by the last World Cup to be held in Australia Hodge believes the event would be massive towards inspiring players like Gordon to ensure they stay in rugby union.
“It’d mean the world. I spoke before about my fond memories of 2003 when I was 8 or 9 years old about the fanfare and the whole experience of the World Cup on Aussie soil was one of the fondest memories of my childhood and ultimately inspired me along with the golden era to pull on the gold jersey,” he said.
“I don’t remember who we played but I remember a game at Stadium Australia. I remember watching every Wallabies game where if it was the one at Adelaide Oval against Namibia…just watching Australia do well was beyond expectations.
“To see us make it all the way through to the Final was a special for me growing up and have that opportunity to host would be special for the next generation to want to pull on the gold jersey instead of playing AFL or League.”
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It's clear the Australian clubs have had one eye on the future given the emergence of talent in Super Rugby that will hit their prime in six years' time.
For Hodge, blooding these players and allowing them to learn from their mistakes will be crucial to their development.
"It’s massively important. For me, I look back on my first year in Super Rugby and there were some ok performances but there were mistakes so learning from those experiences have allowed me to develop as a player,” he said.
“It’s crucial to be able to know how you are going to develop and unfortunately, make those mistakes and learn from the tough times as well as the good times on the field.
“To be able to give Carter an opportunity over the next four rounds if he plays well this weekend to be able to experience the intensity of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman is going to be invaluable for his development.”
