Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has given a firm indication of where James O’Connor sits in the No.10 pecking order a year out from the Rugby World Cup by leaving the 32-year-old out of Australia’s Bledisloe Cup squad despite playmaker Noah Lolesio being no guarantee to play in the series opener in Melbourne.
A week out from Australia’s final Test on home soil this year, against New Zealand on Thursday at Marvel Stadium, Rennie has announced a relatively stable 36-man squad following the Wallabies’ 24-8 loss to South Africa in Sydney.
As reported by the Herald, Kurtley Beale is back in an official Wallabies squad after weeks of training, while second-rower Rory Arnold won’t feature in the two upcoming Bledisloe fixtures either side of the Tasman – on September 15 and 24 – due to the birth of his first child.
However, the Wallabies will offset the loss of Arnold with the return of Brumbies second-rower Cadeyrn Neville, who injured his knee in the second Test of the England series – just one week afte his Test debut.
But the big talking point remains the conundrum the Wallabies face at No.10, with Bernard Foley now back in the frame to play his first Test since 2019.
After a poor performance in the final match of Australia’s tour to Argentina last month, O’Connor was dropped from the wider squad.
He was sent back to club rugby in Brisbane and , despite being injury-free, has missed selection again.
With Quade Cooper set to miss the rest of the year through injury, O’Connor was expected to play a major role for the remainder of the international calendar.
However, his omission from two squads in a row suggests he is against the odds to get back in a gold jersey, at least for this year.
Given Lolesio is recovering from a concussion he suffered in the Springboks match, the Wallabies could easily have recalled O’Connor as cover at No.10.
James O’Connor training with the Wallabies in Mendoza.Credit:Rugby Australia/Andrew Phan
Instead, Foley looms as Lolesio’s replacement should the 22-year-old not recover in time for the Thursday evening kick-off. If Lolesio shows any lingering concussion symptoms, he won’t play.
Beale is most likely to be used as a bench utility or even at No.12. He could also slot into No.10 if needed, but Reece Hodge is capable there and has done the job at Test level before.
Lolesio had a debut to forget in Australia’s 43-5 loss to the All Blacks in Sydney two years ago before Hodge steered the Wallabies to a win in Brisbane a week later at No.10.
The reality is that with a year to go before Australia’s first World Cup match against Georgia, who will wear the No.10 jersey for Australia is anyone’s guess.
Noah Lolesio came off early in the second half of Australia’s 24-8 loss to the Springboks at Allianz Stadium.Credit:AP
Foley has been training with the squad and probably would have played in Sydney against South Africa had Australia gone with three backs on the bench instead of just the two.
As expected, regular skipper Michael Hooper has ruled himself out of both Bledisloe matches. Jock Campbell and Langi Gleeson are the only two uncapped members in the squad.
The Wallabies will base themselves in Queensland before travelling to Melbourne on Tuesday, two days out from a match against a New Zealand side full of confidence after their 53-3 victory of Michael Cheika’s Argentina side.
“It’s great to be able to keep the core of our group together and welcome Cadeyrn back to the mob,” Rennie said in a statement. “We wish Rory all the best for what’s an incredibly exciting time for him and his family.
“Kurtley is a welcome return to the squad after recovering from a long-term injury and will bring his passion for the jersey along with his wealth of experience at Test level.
“We know how important these next two Tests are with silverware on the line and we’ll be expecting a response after the disappointment of last weekend’s loss.”
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