Bold and bizarre: Wallabies World Cup winners and losers

9 months ago 83

You should ever expect the unexpected with Eddie Jones and the Wallabies manager didn't disappoint with a stack of genuine surprises successful his Rugby World Cup squad.

The squad has an mean property of 26 and an mean of 20 Tests per player, the lowest for an Australian World Cup squad since the victorious 1991 campaign.

Here are six of the biggest winners and losers from Thursday's large uncover successful Darwin.

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‘Shocked’ Skelton connected Eddie’s large call

WINNERS

Will Skelton

The 31-year-old elephantine has played 28 Tests for Australia but has ne'er led the country.

He was not adjacent mentioned as being portion of the enactment radical arsenic Jones cycled done Michael Hooper, James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa and Tate McDermott earlier handing Skelton the World Cup reins.

"Very shocked, nervous, conscionable a fewer emotions I had erstwhile helium gave maine the call," Skelton told Stan Sport's Rugby Heaven.

Will Skelton of the Wallabies acknowledgment the fans. (Getty)

"I was precise reluctant astatine archetypal but erstwhile the large antheral calls you, you travel his pb and I spot his guidance too. He asked maine conscionable to beryllium me. The captaincy was ne'er successful my thoughts."

Jones said Skelton had the capableness to marque the squad "tighter."

"He's got each those attributes, he's a truly bully squad antheral and with Tate determination and guys similar James and Nic White to enactment them, we consciousness that's the champion mode to instrumentality the enactment of the squad forward. He's a feline that's utilized to winning, a batch of this squad aren't utilized to winning. And truthful helium brings that to the table."

Wallabies manager Eddie Jones talks with Max Jorgensen. (Getty)

Max Jorgensen

The 18-year-old Waratahs sensation was lighting up Super Rugby Pacific successful his debut play earlier suffering a people 3 rupture of his MCL and an ACL strain against the Crusaders successful May.

Those superior genu setbacks looked acceptable to cruel his World Cup hopes but Jones had different ideas arsenic Jorgensen softly went astir his rehab.

"I thought during the Super Rugby play helium was 1 of the standout players," Jones told Rugby Heaven.

"So we ever had our eyes connected him. At 1 signifier helium was going to person an ACL reconstruction, but he's travel done a beauteous rigid rehab and helium should beryllium acceptable to play successful 2 oregon 3 weeks."

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Jorgensen volition present combat for playing clip connected the helping oregon astatine fullback.

"It was unreal, it was a imagination travel true," helium said of the call.

"I was astatine location by myself truthful benignant of celebrating by myself for a spot there. I ever had hope, but it was a pugnacious decision, betwixt the non-surgical and the surgical. I honestly did what was champion for my knee, by not getting country connected it. And present I americium today.

"I cognize I'll beryllium ready, particularly coming disconnected the backmost of my archetypal Super season. I cognize I person the skill. I'll backmost myself and I'll beryllium ready."

Issak Fines-Leleiwasa of the Force passes the ball. (Getty)

Issak Fines-Leleiwasa

The Force halfback is yet to marque his Test debut and Ryan Lonergan had been preferred arsenic the 3rd No.9 down Tate McDermott and Nic White.

But Jones decided to instrumentality the plunge connected Fines-Leleiwasa's attacking X-factor and his quality to screen helping successful an exigency is different plus.

"Yeah, brainsick astir apt 24 hours," Fines-Leleiwasa told Rugby Heaven.

"I'm astir to caput into a squad gathering astatine the Force and past I had the call. A small astonishment and fto the household cognize ASAP and past benignant of had to propulsion myself unneurotic earlier the squad meeting. But yeah, it was, awesome.

"I conjecture you ever support the hope, support the faith. It was a existent surprise, but I did support successful interaction with a fewer of them to conscionable benignant of enactment acceptable and yeah, I conjecture present it is. I'm conscionable stoked to beryllium present and hopefully I tin beryllium myself to the coaching unit and this team."

Wallabies axe co-captain Hooper

LOSERS

Michael Hooper

A unusual and sad mode for Hooper's Test vocation to perchance extremity though a call-up could beryllium conscionable 1 wounded away.

There were informing signs erstwhile the seasoned was dominated physically successful Pretoria and past a seemingly innocuous calf wounded during the Rugby Championship turned into a World Cup killer.

"He's not acceptable astatine the infinitesimal and we don't cognize erstwhile he'll beryllium fit," Jones said.

"Like there's a accidental helium could beryllium acceptable for the France warm-up crippled (on August 28 AEST). But we conscionable decided successful the champion interests of the squad, we haven't selected him.

"It's a pugnacious call. He's been an outstanding servant for Australian rugby. And yeah, we consciousness for him."

Quade Cooper of the Wallabies talks to teammates successful a huddle aft losing. (Getty)

Quade Cooper

Like Hooper, this was an incredibly swift autumn from grace aft Jones spoke astir the returning seasoned arsenic a World Cup saviour to rival New Zealand's Dan Carter.

Cooper started successful the mediocre losses to the Springboks and Pumas earlier Jones handed the keys to Carter Gordon.

But the determination to punt the 35-year-old retired of the squad entirely, and prime the unproven Ben Donaldson, is brave astatine champion and bizarre astatine worst.

Ben Donaldson of the Waratahs passes astatine Bankwest Stadium. (Getty)

"We've gone for a younger feline successful Donaldson," Jones said.

"We conscionable consciousness that's our champion enactment going forward. Quade's travel backmost from a superior Achilles tendon injury, astir apt not arsenic crisp arsenic he'd similar to be. He could inactive diagnostic successful the World Cup further down the track.

Certainly that Australian A programme is going to beryllium important for us. We've seen the Rugby Championship, of the archetypal squad we named, astir apt 7 of those driblet retired during the people of the title and the World Cup's going to beryllium similar."

Ikitau hurts enarthrosis successful opening Wallabies try

Len Ikitau

It's not astatine the aforesaid level arsenic the Hooper and Cooper bombshells but Ikitau's omission was inactive astonishing fixed his world-class potential.

The centre broke his enarthrosis against Argentina but was expected to beryllium acceptable for the commencement of the World Cup.

Instead, Jones has opted for the certainty of a acceptable Lalakai Foketi, who is blessed astatine either No.12 oregon 13.

Samu Kerevi's breached manus mightiness person outgo Ikitau, who is Australia's champion antiaircraft midfielder.

Wallabies Rugby World Cup squad

Forwards: 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

Backs: 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

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