Cameron Munster took a deliberate backseat to Nathan Cleary as the halfback delivered a memorable 28-point Test debut, but plans to drive him up the wall as Kangaroos roommates to fast-track their potential World Cup halves partnership.
Cleary and Munster marshalled Australia’s 84-0 carve-up of Scotland superbly in Coventry, with the Penrith star rattling up three assists and a try of his own in the first half an hour before falling just short of Andrew Johns’ all-time record for most points on debut.
Cleary’s five-star showing has him in pole position to partner Munster when the whips start cracking later in the tournament.
Daly Cherry-Evans is expected to return for the Kangaroos’ final pool game against Italy next Sunday (5.30am AEDT), potentially partnering Cleary as Mal Meninga still sorts through his first-choice 17.
Munster is one of few certainties at five-eighth – ironically wearing the No.7 jersey in Australia’s revamped player numbers system – and in the meantime one of the NRL’s great extroverts will room with Cleary as the Kangaroos take a three-day trip to Scotland.
“I’m giving him a little bit of stick here and there to try and warm him up a little bit,” Munster said.
“Funnily enough we’re rooming together in the next couple of days. I’ll try and get him out of his shell a little bit, get under his skin as much as I can.
“I feel like he’s a very calm and collected kid and not much fazes him but I’ll see what I can do.”
Rather than taking charge in Cleary’s Test debut – albeit against a Scotland side impacted by illness – Munster consciously told his rookie teammate to take the reins from the outset.
“I thought the way Nath plays, he obviously loves structure and is really good at organising,” Munster said.
Cameron Munster is tackled by Scotland’s players during Australia’s big win.Credit:AP
“I thought if I let him do his thing, he’ll be a lot more comfortable coming into his game. If I took on more ownership he might’ve been a bit more hesitant with his game.
“I told him just ‘be comfortable, I’ll let you lead the team around and I’ll inject myself when I need to’.
“He’s done a lot at State of Origin and NRL level where he’s led his team around and I feel like I can do both – play a little bit of structure and play a little bit of ad-lib off the back of what he wants to do.
“I was watching him do some things and thinking ‘Jesus, I need to jump in the game here soon’.”
Munster eventually did, and finished with five try assists himself.
Nathan Cleary took control of the Kangaroos in his Test debut.Credit:Getty
He is happy to front up once more against Italy – possibly at fullback if captain James Tedesco is given a rest – but doesn’t expect to be consulted on his preference as a halves partner.
“When you start asking me for guidance you know we’re going backwards,” Munster quipped.
He did concede that D-Day will come sooner rather than later for Cleary and Cherry-Evans given Australia are on track for a semi-final clash with New Zealand while England, Tonga and Samoa await on the other side of the draw.
“Mal’s going to have to sit down with us as a spine and decide pretty quickly who he wants to go with,” Munster said.
“We’ve got Italy next week but looking further [ahead] we need to make sure we’ve got our spine cemented in those bigger games.
“He’ll probably put names in a hat and pick one out. That might be the best way to do it. I’m sure there will be a little bit of disappointment for one of those guys for sure, everyone wants to play for Australia.”
