1. Has Suliasi Vunivalu been an expensive mistake?
The absence of the Reds winger from the Wallabies squad does not bode well for his Rugby World Cup hopes. It’s not just that Mark Nawaqanitawase has taken his Australia A chances better, or that Marika Koroibete will come back into the calculations: Vunivalu may even be behind Dylan Pietsch.
The Waratahs winger has an underappreciated physical presence combined with a good rugby brain. He may in fact consider himself a touch unlucky on Sunday. That means Vunivalu is well down the pecking order and while the Wallabies might still say the door is open, Vunivalu looks out of this race. He did not come cheaply to rugby after an outstanding few years in the NRL. The wisdom of that decision by Rugby Australia must now be up for debate.
2. The two Tests that really matter
The Wallabies’ five-Test program is a revenue-raiser, with the first and fifth Tests, against Scotland and Wales respectively, outside the World Rugby window. That means neither of those teams will be at full strength, and it would be a surprise to see Scotland’s France-based No.10 Finn Russell against the Wallabies.
Suliasi Vunivalu has played just three minutes for the Wallabies since switching to rugby in 2020.Credit:AP
However, the Tests against France (November 6, Sydney time) and Ireland (November 20, Sydney time) are inside the window. If the Wallabies want to make a statement, it will be in one of those two Tests. The French are battling a big injury list – fullback Melvyn Jaminet was the latest to go down this weekend – but Antoine Dupont is still fit and they have been building their depth for years. Paris and then Dublin will define the tour.
3. Wallaroos’ discipline a major concern
The Wallaroos-Scotland game was a cracker, if not a classic in terms of quality. The wind in Whangarei was a leveller between the sides, and the Scots used it smartly in the first half. With brilliant winger Bienne Terita more involved in the second half, the Wallaroos were worthy of the win.
However, they’ve got to get the tackle height down. There were two red cards on Saturday and Terita flirted with a yellow card in the second half, again for a high shot. You could argue that Ashley Marsters was unlucky for her red, but that’s still five high-contact incidents in two games (Shannon Parry was yellow carded against New Zealand). They will cruel their own hopes if they don’t address this issue.
4. Another jackal, another injury
Pone Fa’amausili looked to be in some discomfort as he left the field in Australia A’s loss to Japan on Friday night. The incident did little to dampen the view that the jackal is too frequently putting players in a vulnerable position. It’s effectively David Pocock’s fault.
The Senator was so good at the practice that coaches around the world wanted to build a Pocock of their own in every jersey. However, the cost has come to the modern player’s ligaments and muscles, not to mention the volume of ‘hits’ raining down on their neck/head area.
5. Will Skelton’s big chance
Darcy Swain’s absence from the 36-man Wallabies squad was something of a surprise, but it creates an opportunity to have a proper look at Will Skelton in the tests against France, Italy and Ireland (he may not be available in the other two Tests).
There is a school of thought that says the Wallabies are denying themselves a world-class second-rower by limiting their Giteau Law picks, but Skelton was uninspiring at the end of season tour in 2021. Since then, he played the full 80 minutes as La Rochelle beat Leinster in the European Cup finals – signalling his fitness has improved.
However, there are still question marks about his ability to replicate his club form at Test level. If he wants to be part of the Rugby World Cup next year, November will be a huge month for him.
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