{"id":322665,"date":"2023-08-10T11:45:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T11:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=322665"},"modified":"2023-08-10T11:58:47","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T11:58:47","slug":"bold-and-bizarre-wallabies-world-cup-winners-and-losers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=322665","title":{"rendered":"Bold and bizarre: Wallabies World Cup winners and losers"},"content":{"rendered":"

You should always expect the unexpected with Eddie Jones and the Wallabies coach didn't disappoint with a stack of genuine surprises in his Rugby World Cup squad.<\/a><\/p>\n

The squad has an average age of 26 and an average of 20 Tests per player, the lowest for an Australian World Cup squad since the victorious 1991 campaign.<\/p>\n

Here are six of the biggest winners and losers from Thursday's great reveal in Darwin.\ufeff<\/p>\n

Watch the 2023 Rugby World Cup and Summer Nations Series on the home of rugby, Stan Sport.<\/strong><\/em> All matches streaming ad free, live and on demand<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\u2018Shocked\u2019<\/p>\n

WINNERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Will Skelton<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 31-year-old giant has played 28 Tests for Australia but has never led the country.<\/p>\n

He was not even mentioned \ufeffas being part of the leadership group as Jones cycled through Michael Hooper, James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa and Tate McDermott before handing Skelton the World Cup reins.<\/p>\n

"Very shocked, nervous, just a few emotions I had when he gave me the call," Skelton told Stan Sport's Rugby Heaven<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Will<\/p>\n

"I was very reluctant at first but when the big man calls you, you follow his lead and I trust his guidance too. He asked me just to be me. The captaincy was never in my thoughts."<\/p>\n

Jones said Skelton had the capacity to make the squad "tighter."<\/p>\n

"\ufeffHe's got all those attributes, he's a really good team man and with Tate there and guys like James and Nic White to support them, we feel that's the best way to take the leadership of the team forward. He's a guy that's used to winning, a lot of this squad aren't used to winning. And so he brings that to the table."<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Quade Cooper axed as Wallabies name shock World Cup skipper<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:\ufeff<\/strong> All Blacks unveil World Cup squad as unlucky rookie misses<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:\ufeff<\/strong> Bombshells dropped in England's World Cup squad after upset loss<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Wallabies<\/p>\n

Max Jorgensen\ufeff<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old Waratahs \ufeffsensation was lighting up Super Rugby Pacific in his debut season before suffering a grade three rupture of his MCL and an ACL strain against the Crusaders in May.<\/a><\/p>\n

Those serious knee setbacks looked set to cruel his World Cup hopes but Jones had other ideas as Jorgensen quietly went about his rehab.\ufeff<\/p>\n

"I thought during the Super Rugby season he was one of the standout players," Jones told Rugby Heaven<\/em>.<\/p>\n

"So we always had our eyes on him. At one stage he was going to have an ACL reconstruction, but he's come through a pretty rigid rehab and he should be fit to play in two or three weeks."<\/p>\n

NEW PODCAST! Sean Maloney and Stephen Hoiles welcome Nick Phipps back to the panel to reflect on more Bledisloe Cup heartbreak, this time via Richie Mo'unga<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/omny.fm\/shows\/between-two-posts-1\/bledisloe-belter-in-dunedin\/embed?style=Cover<\/a><\/p>\n

Jorgensen will now fight for playing time on the wing or at fullback.<\/p>\n

"It was unreal, it was a dream come true," he said of the call.<\/p>\n

"I was at home by myself so sort of celebrating by myself for a bit there. I always had hope, but it was a tough decision, between the non-surgical and the surgical. I honestly did what was best for my knee, by not getting surgery on it. And here I am today.<\/p>\n

"I know I'll be ready, especially coming off the back of my first Super season. I know I have the skill. I'll back myself and I'll be ready."<\/p>\n

\"Issak<\/p>\n

Issak Fines-Leleiwasa<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Force halfback \ufeffis yet to make his Test debut and Ryan Lonergan had been preferred as the third No.9 behind Tate McDermott and Nic White.<\/p>\n

But Jones decided to take the plunge on \ufeffFines-Leleiwasa's attacking X-factor and his ability to cover wing in an emergency is another plus.<\/p>\n

"Yeah, crazy probably 24 hours," Fines-Leleiwasa told Rugby Heaven<\/em>.<\/p>\n

"I'm about to head into a team meeting at the Force and then I had the call. A little surprise and let the family know ASAP and then sort of had to pull myself together before the team meeting. But yeah, it was, awesome.<\/p>\n

"I guess you always keep the hope, keep the faith. It was a real surprise, but I did keep in touch with a few of them to just sort of stay ready and yeah, I guess here it is. I'm just stoked to be here and hopefully I can prove myself to the coaching staff and this team."<\/p>\n

\"Wallabies<\/p>\n

LOSERS\ufeff<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Hooper<\/strong><\/p>\n

A strange and \ufeffsad way for Hooper's Test career to potentially end although a call-up could be just one injury away.<\/p>\n

There were warning signs when the veteran was dominated physically in Pretoria and then a seemingly innocuous \ufeffcalf injury during the Rugby Championship turned into a World Cup killer.<\/p>\n

"He's not fit at the moment and we don't know when he'll be fit," Jones said.<\/p>\n

"Like there's a chance he could be fit for the France warm-up game (on August 28 AEST). But we just decided in the best interests of the squad, we haven't selected him.<\/p>\n

"It's a tough call. He's been an outstanding servant for Australian rugby. And yeah, we feel for him."<\/p>\n

\"Quade<\/p>\n

Quade Cooper<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like Hooper, this was an incredibly swift fall from grace after Jones spoke about the returning veteran as a World Cup saviour to rival New Zealand's Dan Carter.<\/p>\n

Cooper started in the poor losses to the Springboks and Pumas before Jones handed the keys to Carter Gordon.<\/p>\n

But the decision to punt the 35-year-old out of the squad entirely, and pick the unproven Ben Donaldson, is brave at best and bizarre at worst.\ufeff<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

"We've gone for a younger guy in Donaldson," Jones said.<\/p>\n

"We just feel that's our best option going forward. Quade's come back from a serious Achilles tendon injury, probably not as sharp as he'd like to be. He could still feature in the World Cup further down the track.<\/p>\n

Certainly that Australian A program is going to be important for us. We've seen the Rugby Championship, of the first squad we named, probably seven of those drop out during the course of the championship and the World Cup's going to be similar."<\/p>\n

\"Ikitau<\/p>\n

Len Ikitau\ufeff\ufeff<\/strong><\/p>\n

It's not at the same level as the Hooper and Cooper bombshells \ufeffbut Ikitau's omission was still surprising given his world-class potential.<\/p>\n

The centre broke his shoulder against Argentina but was expected to be fit for the start of the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Instead, Jones has opted for the certainty of a fit \ufeffLalakai Foketi, who is happy at either No.12 or 13.<\/p>\n

Samu Kerevi's broken hand might have cost Ikitau, who is Australia's best defensive midfielder.\ufeff<\/p>\n

Wallabies Rugby World Cup squad<\/strong><\/p>\n

Forwards:<\/strong> Will Skelton (c), Angus Bell, Pone Fa'amausili, Zane Nonggorr, Blake Schoupp, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Dave Porecki, Jordan Uelese, Richie Arnold, Nick Frost, Matt Philip, Langi Gleeson, Tom Hooper, Rob Leota, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Josh Kemeny<\/p>\n

Backs:<\/strong> Tate McDermott (vc), Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Nic White, Carter Gordon, Lalakai Foketi, Samu Kerevi, Izaia Perese, Jordan Petaia, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Marika Koroibete, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Suliasi Vunivalu, Ben Donaldson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You should always expect the unexpected with Eddie Jones and the Wallabies coach didn't disappoint with a stack of genuine surprises in his Rugby World […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":322667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322665"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=322665"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":322672,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322665\/revisions\/322672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/322667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=322665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=322665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=322665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}