End-of-year Tour: Rennie explains Beale and Vunivalu omissions
SPOTLIGHT: Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has explained some of his selections for his team’s upcoming end-of-year tour.
Rennie named a 36-man squad on Sunday that included Michael Hooper, but said prop James Slipper would continue as captain for the five-Test tour.
There were also some notable omissions from the squad.
Code-hopper Suliasi Vunivalu was probably the biggest omission after failing to take his chances in Australia A’s recent matches against Japan, casting doubt on his participation in next year’s Rugby World Cup.
Veterans Kurtley Beale and James O’Connor as well as young No.8 Harry Wilson were also left out.
“I think with Suli [Vunivalu], he had some nice touches over there but if we looked at the players who had the biggest impact and played the best on that ‘A’ tour – Tom Banks, Jock Campbell and Mark – they were three stand-outs and in the end they’ve played better than Suli,” Rennie told reporters.
Rennie said it was a difficult call to leave Beale out of the squad.
“We just want to make sure his body’s right back to where it needs to be,” the Wallabies coach explained.
“He’s close. He’s dropped lot of kilos, maybe one or two still to go. We think he needs to be absolutely sharp.
“He’s just had a baby boy, and so we want him to have a really good off-season, have a big Super Rugby tournament and then look for a place from there It will be good for him to get some decent footy under his belt next year.”
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#ICYMI: Veteran flank Michael Hooper was included in Australia’s squad for their five-Test tour of Europe #Australia #Wallabies 👇https://t.co/Phm72vLbTZ
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) October 17, 2022
Rennie has chosen two overseas-based players in the squad, with La Rochelle lock Will Skelton recalled after appearing in all three games off the bench in last year’s November tour.
“He’s had a massive impact at La Rochelle and when they won the European Cup last year it was on the back of Will playing the house down,” Rennie said.
“He’s a big man who bullies other big men, and 140-odd kilos behind your tight-head prop’s handy at scrum time … we’re really excited to get him in.”
Japan-based flyhalf Bernard Foley, who made his return to the Test arena in the Bledisloe Cup series last month, is the other foreign-based player chosen.
Rennie elected five uncapped players, with Melbourne Rebels prop Sam Talakai and Waratahs flyhalf Ben Donaldson and outside back Mark Nawaqanitawase included for the first time.
The side will kick off their campaign with a Test against Scotland in Edinburgh before their first match against France in Paris since 2016.
They then face Italy in Florence before Tests against Ireland in Dublin and Wales in Cardiff to round out their 2022 season.
The squad will assemble in Sydney on Tuesday before embarking on the five-game tour the following day.
Sources: AAP & theroar.com.au
