Wallabies to attack Los Pumas with the boot?
SPOTLIGHT: Noah Lolesio is fine-tuning his short kicking game as the Wallabies prepare to attack Argentina by foot in Buenos Aires.
Australia will play back-to-back Tests against Los Pumas in the next fortnight, starting in the nation’s capital on Saturday.
In a touring party that includes Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson, the 24-year-old has emerged as the new coach’s first-choice playmaker after not playing a Test last year and slowly falling down the pecking order after his 2020 debut.
The jury remains out after tight wins against Wales and Georgia were countered by comprehensive back-to-back defeats to world champions South Africa.
Against the Springboks, the Wallabies were scoreless with Lolesio on the park in a 7-33 Brisbane loss and unable to score a try in a 12-30 Perth loss that followed a week later.
He said their offence was a work in progress and that Schmidt’s desire to attack with short kicks had left him sharpening a new set of tools.
“Joe’s a really big fan of the short kicking game so that’s a bit of an adjustment and something I’m developing really hard, to manipulate the defence with ball on foot,” he said.
“Instead of going contestable, or work our way into territory [with long kicks], it’s more attacking, low, flat cross-field kicks.
“We tried to do it a few times in the second Test [against the Springboks]. Some we got good pay, some we didn’t execute.
“I’ve been working really hard on that and it’s the adjustment on how Joe wants to play.”
Lolesio was not part of former coach Eddie Jones’ World Cup plans, instead playing for Toulon in a French rugby stint that sparked arguably his best season for the Brumbies.
He finished second for points (150) and goal-kicking percentage (85 percent) behind Damian McKenzie and fifth for try assists (seven), the most by a flyhalf, as the Brumbies were again Australia’s best-performed team.
“Playing flyhalf for the Wallabies is up there, pressure-wise,” he said.
“What I’ve gotten right this year is getting away from footy as well.
“Refresh, fill the tank. The last few years I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself, as young 10s do.
“I’ve gone with that approach that rugby’s what I do, it’s not who I am.
“But when I’m in, I’m all in and when I’m away I really try to switch off.
“I know we need to be better and hopefully these next few weeks we can show that improvement.”
