Wallaby code-hopping playmaker ready to haunt Jones

SPOTLIGHT: Five days after abruptly leaving the NRL, code-hopping Carter Gordon insists he’s ready for the deep end if thrown into the Wallabies’ Test side for the spring tour opener against Japan.

With Gordon and Tane Edmed the only two No.10s included in coach Joe Schmidt’s 34-man squad, the one-season Gold Coast Titan will almost certainly feature against Eddie Jones’ Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo on Saturday week.

“If that chance comes, then I’d be stoked to be able to do it again,” Gordon said on Friday.

“I’m just taking it day by day at the moment. Obviously, I’ve got a lot to work on and a lot to learn over the next few days.

“I’ll keep learning off Joe and Tane and, yeah, we’ll just take it day by day.”

After joining Leicester in the English Premiership, veteran James O’Connor will likely link up with the Wallabies upon their arrival in Europe for Tests against England, Italy, Ireland and France.

But Gordon and Edmed will be Schmidt’s go-to flyhalves to face Japan.

Ironically, it was Jones who handed Gordon his Test debut two years ago and thrust the young playmaker into the playmaking hot seat in the ill-fated 2023 World Cup campaign in France.

Now the 24-year-old former Rebels star will likely be charged with plotting Japan’s downfall as a second-half replacement in the Wallabies’ tour opener.

“What struck me about him when he was playing for the Rebels is he’s certainly brave enough,” Schmidt said ahead of the Wallabies’ departure on Saturday.

“He’s not going to hold back, and he’s going to throw himself straight in there.

“I didn’t see any hesitation [at training] today whatsoever, albeit not on a full-contact day at all.

“[So] Carter being the No.10 in the squad, there’s a pretty good chance that he may be involved [against Japan].

“If we don’t invest now, we’re not going to profit in two years’ time when that home World Cup is still a massive, massive opportunity for us to really demonstrate what we can do in the game here in Australia.”

Gordon admitted it was that 2027 World Cup in Australia and “unfinished business in union” that prompted his return to rugby after just one injury-ravaged season with the Titans.

“I was 22 when I last played for the Wallabies and at the World Cup,” said the eight-Test 24-year-old.

“I felt like I left a bit on the table, and that was eating away at me a little bit.

“So the opportunity to come back came up and, yeah, I’m very excited to be able to take it and get back on board.”

The Wallabies head off as world No.7 and need to climb into the top six by the end of the tour to secure an all-important top-six seeding for the 2027 World Cup.

If they don’t, the Australians will not be a top-seeded side in their pool at the global showpiece and at risk of facing one of the heavyweights like two-time defending champions South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland or France early in the knock-out stages.

Schmidt is acutely aware of the importance of racking up as many wins as possible on the five-Test, five-week tour.

“It’s certainly in the back of my mind,” he said.

“It’s a tough [rankings] algorithm to work out.

“All I know is that if you’re playing away from home and you beat a team that’s ranked ahead of you, that’s a good way to improve your ranking.

“That said, we’re playing two teams that are ranked below us, and that’s a good way to lose ranking points.

“So we’ve got to be good against Japan in eight days’ time and we’ve got to be good against Italy.”