‘Success is coming’: Baby Wallabies to build on All Blacks thumping
Junior Wallabies leader Fraser McReight wants the statement shutout of New Zealand’s crack Under-20s side to signal a successful turnaround for Australian rugby.
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Junior Wallabies leader Fraser McReight wants the statement shutout of New Zealand’s crack Under-20s side to signal a successful turnaround for Australian rugby.
Like all good captains, flanker McReight could see a broader picture than just the superb 24-0 victory over the Kiwis on the Gold Coast last Saturday night.
“With everything going on in Australian rugby right now, I think it was huge that we won to show that success is coming,” McReight said.
“I can’t remember anyone keeping a Kiwi side to zero and it was a real focus in those closing minutes after the big defence through the game.
“I’d lost my three previous games against NZ at Under-20s and schoolboys level so I could really appreciate it taking a special, tight group of lads to win like that.”
McReight’s forced penalty when he latched onto a Kiwi ball at the breakdown led directly to three points and he timed his short run perfectly for his try.
Lineout dominator Michael Wood, headgeared tyro Harry Wilson in the backrow, prop Josh Nasser and hooker Lachy Lonergan were other high performers in a commanding pack.
The win started with superior planning for more camps and more access to leading players so the youngsters weren’t meeting as strangers at the Oceania Under-20s championships last week.
Having a core of Super Rugby players in McReight, Isaac Lucas, Trevor Hosea and Semisi Tupou made a big difference as well as classy guidance from Michael McDonald and Will Harrison.
McReight and Lucas are now available for the Queensland Reds’ tough assignment against the Melbourne Rebels in Melbourne on Friday night.
Utility back Lucas is sure to be named in the Reds reserves and his try-saving tackle to end the 55m run of Kiwi winger Lalomilo Lalomilo is just one more good reason.
McReight too may bring his energy to the bench instead of Adam Korczyk because slowing down the Rebels’ ruck ball is so pivotal to limiting Will Genia and Quade Cooper.
“Being around Samu Kerevi, Scott Higginbotham and Bryce Hegarty at the Reds has been a real help to understanding what leadership is and the calming influence you need to bring to a team,” McReight said.
The young Reds duo will be back in Junior Wallabies camp later this month to prepare for the World Under-20 Championships in Argentina in June.
It is a blight on Australia’s haphazard focus on Under-20s that the Junior Wallabies haven’t even made the semi-finals of the world titles since 2011 in Italy.
“We have to step up again for a very tough tournament because Italy, Ireland and England will all be bringing dominant forwards to the pool games,” McReight said.
Centres Kerevi and Chris Feauai-Sautia ran in to lend weight to the rolling maul that drove over hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa for the winning try for 32-26 against the Sunwolves.
Kerevi said he’d do it again against the Rebels if needed.
“I was a second-rower at Brisbane State High for a few years so I’ve actually been wanting to get in there (with some weight),” Kerevi said with a grin.
“In the showers, Brandon said he felt us.”
Originally published as ‘Success is coming’: Baby Wallabies to build on All Blacks thumping
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