Wallabies to unleash football player after longest route to Schmidt's squad
SPOTLIGHT: Late-blooming Declan Meredith has taken the longest of routes to the Wallabies squad and now wants to make the most of his opportunity.
Meredith is in line for a Test debut at age 26 after earning a dream and teary call-up for next month’s Nations Championship clashes in Australia with Ireland, France and Italy.
“It was definitely a daunting week, waiting for that email, but, yeah, very exciting to get my name on there,” Meredith said after assembling with coach Joe Schmidt’s 37-man squad in Sydney on Thursday.
Meredith’s father was particularly emotional when he heard the news – and for good reason.
While most who make the international stage have come through the representative junior ranks and Wallabies age-group sides, Meredith has taken a vastly different journey.
After being thrust into the sport as a 10-year-old for Barron Trinity in Cairns, he had to make a gut-wrenching choice between rugby and football at age 16.
“I wouldn’t say I was the most amazing soccer player, but whatever sport you play, you always want to put your hand up and have that dream of playing in that Australian jersey.” Meredith said.
“So, yeah, there were two codes there, but rugby was at the forefront of my mind and I’m glad to be in this environment now to hopefully secure that dream.”
The story continues below…
Even after ditching soccer, Meredith took a gamble by upping and leaving his family in north Queensland for Canberra to have a shot at making it at the Brumbies.
That was a slow burner, too, with Meredith biding his time starting a teaching degree while waiting for his Super Rugby chance, then spending years warming the bench before finally making the No.10 spot his own this season ahead of ex-Wallabies and Waratahs star Tane Edmed.
“I remember getting to the point and talking to my dad and my uncle and thinking I might just come home now, and they convinced me to stay, and it’s paid off a lot,” Meredith said.
“There were definitely times where I thought, ‘Oh this dream’s over, time to go back home’. That was about 2021, 2022, hit a roadblock and thought that was it.
“But the family convinced me to stay and it’s worked out.”
Thriving under the coaching of Stephen Larkham, one of Australia’s greatest-ever flyhalves, Meredith is even ready to burst through the revolving door and become Schmidt’s eighth different flyhalf if asked to start against Ireland at Allianz Stadium on Saturday week.
Schmidt has already tried Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, James O’Connor, Carter Gordon, Ben Donaldson and Edmed, plus Hamish Stewart off the bench.
Gordon and Donaldson are the other 10s in Schmidt’s squad.
“I think I’ll be able to do a good job,” Meredith said.
“There’s obviously class 10s in the squad as well, so for me, the main focus is putting in the hard work now in the three weeks and learning with these boys and under Joe.
“I’ve definitely learned to be patient. Definitely took a different route to a lot of the other boys, biding my time up in Cairns and not coming through a rugby school.
“But every road’s different. I’d like to try to show that there’s a pathway anywhere for anyone that wants to have a crack to get to the Wallabies squad, no matter where they come from, so I hope I can show that example for younger kids out there.”
Register your interest to receive priority updates on RWC27 ticket releases. Don't miss out, stay in the loop!
