Wallabies debutant Kyle Godwin says he’s ready for regular Test football following France clash
DEBUTANT Kyle Godwin declared he is ready for regular Test football after receiving Michael Cheika’s shake of approval following an impressive first outing for the Wallabies.
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DEBUTANT Kyle Godwin declared he is ready for regular Test football after an impressive first outing for the Wallabies.
Godwin spent much of the game at first receiver in attack while also being heavily involved in defence, making 12 tackles in a notable debut performance as Australia narrowly defeated France 25-23 in Paris.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika heaped praise on Godwin after the match, but the playmaker is eager to improve.
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“Cheik just spoke to me before the game and he just said make sure you don’t second-guess yourself,” Godwin said.
“There’s lot of areas for me to work on, I just can’t wait to get back on the training field on Monday.
“I definitely felt like I can play at that level but there’s a lot of areas for me to improve on.
“He shook my hand [after the match] which is a good thing from Cheik so if he’s shaking your hand and looking at you in the eye then you’re alright.”
Cheika was most impressed with Godwin’s efforts in the tense final quarter of the match.
“For a debutant to come out and play 80 minutes with a late change in a playmaker next to him – he stood up,” Cheika said.
“He made play, he didn’t sit back and not make play. He probably got to about 65 minutes and it probably started to get to him; ‘I’m in a test here, it’s tight, I’ve never been here before’, and he really stood up and got involved.
“I felt like he stayed in the game. He made a decision where he was going to stay in the game and try and win the game as opposed to just being a part of it which would be absolutely normal I imagine in such a big atmosphere.”
Godwin got his chance after Cheika decided to rest his new first-choice No.12 Reece Hodge, who is set to return against Ireland on Saturday despite pressure from the newbie.