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0 Newly-appointed Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt wants to strike a balance between experience and youth in a move inspired by his stint working with a young Johnny Sexton.
Schmidt is just a few days into his tenure at the helm of Australia’s national team and already has his eyes on some star up-and-comers.
Equally, he sees value in experienced exports like Will Skelton and Marika Koroibete who are based in France and Japan respectively.
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Schmidt’s predecessor Eddie Jones was heavily criticised for fielding the youngest Wallabies side in Rugby World Cup history, a decision that saw them bomb out before the quarter-finals for the first time.
He controversially left big-name players Quade Cooper and Michael Hooper out and gave the captaincy reins to Skelton, who had largely plied his trade overseas and never led the Wallabies until the tournament.
Speaking on Stan Sport’s Rugby Heaven, Tim Horan noted stand-out performances from Tane Edmed, Tom Lynagh, Noah Lolesio, Ben Donaldson, and Carter Gordon in the latest round of Super Rugby Pacific.
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Schmidt said he’s excited by the next wave of players coming through but concedes they need experience around them.
Schmidt referenced his time at Leinster when he worked with a young Sexton under veteran Felipe Contepomi.
“I’ve been really impressed with them. I think they’re a really good crop of 10s,” said Schmidt in response.
“The one caveat I’d offer is that 10s often need time in the saddle. I had that luxury of joining Leinster with Johnny Sexton who had about three years behind Felipe Contepomi who was world-class at the time – and Johnny became world-class, it didn’t happen overnight though.
“I think there’s a couple of elements to it. They need time in the saddle in Super Rugby but it’s very different in timing and physicality when you get to the next level. It is a very crowded 70 by 100-metre pitch that you live on.
“The time you get is less and it doesn’t necessarily correspond Super Rugby form straight into Test form. I think I have to be patient and our supporters have to be patient around the transition time that might have to occur.”
Schmidt was asked whether he would entertain bringing back the likes of Cooper, Hooper, and Bernard Foley.
Although he didn’t address them at length, he noted the need for experience to support those young players – something the Wallabies didn’t have at the Rugby World Cup.
“I think I’d be a big fan of not just those 10s but guys like (Marika) Koroibete, Will Skelton,” said Schmidt.
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“There are players around the world that are of Australian origin that are right up in the top echelon – but I’d love to be able to pick a Wallabies team from those players that we see here in Australia itself.
“The door is definitely not closed and I think too much of those players that I just mentioned to rule them out, but as Tim (Horan) just said, there are some good kids coming through and if you don’t invest in them then it’s hard for them to come through.
“One of the ways to invest, as I mentioned with Jonny Sexton who is an outstanding player, is to put them behind someone with experience like Felipe had. That allows them to grow because coaches don’t do all the coaching, at all.
“There is a player-to-player coaching that’s continuous.”
