Italy v Wallabies: Jake Gordon relishing shot at half as Michael Cheika mixes it up after Wales loss

Debutant halfback Jake Gordon believes he can click with new five-eighth Matt Toomua against Italy this weekend despite the pair having only trained together for the last three weeks.

Jake Gordon has been given his chance in Wallabies colours against Italy.

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Debutant halfback Jake Gordon believes he can click with new five-eighth Matt Toomua despite the pair having only trained together for three weeks.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has overhauled his backline after the defeat to Wales, and the side to play Italy is experimental, with new halves, five-eighth Bernard Foley moving to inside centre, Kurtley Beale dropped to the bench, and two new starting wingers in Jordan Petaia and Adam Ashley-Cooper.

It is the Gordon-Toomua combination that will be crucial to unlocking the potency out wide against Italy this weekend, yet one is playing his first Test, and the other has not worn the No.10 Wallaby jersey in five years.

Jake Gordon has been given his chance in Wallabies colours against Italy.

“I have been with (Toomua) for the last three weeks in camp, he’s a really experienced guy, training throughout the week, he’s got that cool, calm head that leads us in the right direction,” Gordon said.

“I’ve enjoyed having that 9-10 combination with him and I’ll be excited for the weekend.”

Gordon will go from playing in the Shute Shield to making his Wallabies debut in 11 weeks.

The NSW scrumhalf was man-of-the-match in Sydney University’s 45-12 grand final win over Warringah in September, and while he has made compelling cases for a shot at a Test spot throughout the year he’s missed out until now.

“It was a childhood dream to play for the Wallabies, I look back now and I think playing all those minutes of rugby have probably been beneficial for me,” Gordon said.

“You’re always hungry to play for the Wallabies, that was always a dream of mine, I never looked elsewhere.

“At times it was frustrating but it’s all worth it now.”

Tolu Latu had a decent game against Wales but won’t feature against italy.

While Will Genia is Australia’s first-choice No.9 and is likely to return to the starting side next week against England, it’s unclear who will form the midfield between Toomua, Foley and Beale, and will depend on their performances against Italy.

Meanwhile, Cheika insists chopping and changing hookers is not having a negative impact on the lineout.

The lineout has been a source of great frustration this year with crucial throws lost, and there is still no clear indication as to who will be Australia’s starting hooker for the World Cup with just seven Tests remaining before the tournament in Japan.

Tolu Latu performed well against Wales last week, but overthrew his final lineout that proved costly. Cheika said his axing was not form related.

Cheika has brought Folau Fainga’a back into his starting team, with Tatafu Polota-Nau on the bench against the Italians,

Latu, Fainga’a, Polota-Nau and Brandon Paenga-Amosa have all started for the Wallabies in 2018, while Jordan Uelese was starting last year before injury, and all five will be competing for the No.2 jersey for the World Cup.

But Cheika dismissed suggestions his heavy rotation of hookers was causing lineout problems.

Folau Faingaa is back in the Wallabies squad to face Italy.

“No, they are throwing lots of lineouts in training,” Cheika said.

“It’s more about increasing consistency if anything because when your opportunities come along, as they do in a game, the more experience of taking opportunities when they arise, the better you will be.

“I feel like for a young group of hookers, two of them debutants this year, and the other with single digit hooking experience at the start of this year, I believe they have handled it pretty well to be honest. There has been a lot asked of them.”