Wallabies release two players to play British and Irish Lions in tour matches, Tate McDermott’s views on cameo role
Joe Schmidt has made a key decision about his Wallabies’ squad for tour matches against the Lions, but remains steadfast in the face of criticism. And Australia’s best attacking halfback shares feelings about cameo role.
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Australia coach Joe Schmidt has released two more players from the Wallabies’ squad so they can represent Queensland against the British and Irish Lions.
Criticised by the Lions’ management for not allowing all of the Wallabies to turn out for their Super Rugby clubs, Schmidt has agreed to let hooker Matt Faessler and inside centre Hunter Paisami play for the Reds against the tourists next week.
This comes on top of his earlier decision to permit five Western Force players to remain in Perth and tackle the Lions in their tour opener on Saturday night.
But Schmidt – and rightly so – is standing firm on his insistence that he will not be releasing his entire squad because he’s preparing for a one-off clash with Fiji on July 6 before the Lions’ series.
Schmidt’s decision to prioritise the national interests has the full backing of Rugby Australia and all the players, even though a number of senior men have admitted they would have liked to play for their state sides against the Lions if the opportunity permitted it.
“Obviously, it’s kind of out of the player’s control. We just do what the coaches want,” Wallabies and Western Force playmaker Ben Donaldson said.
“It would have been awesome to play. Any game you get to play against the Lions team is pretty cool but we’re in camp now and we’re preparing for this next week.”
Donaldson was among nine Western Force players chosen in Schmidt’s 36-man Wallabies squad to tackle Fiji.
Four, including him, were told to fly directly to Sydney to join the Test squad at their first training camp, while the other five remained behind in Perth to face a Lions side desperate to bounce back from their loss to Argentina last weekend.
“That’s still a good share,” Donaldson said
“They’re ready to rip in this weekend. They’re super excited.
“They’ll win, I reckon. It’s an awesome experience for them and a great challenge.
“You saw the Brumbies win (against the Lions) 12 years ago so it’s not impossible. Everyone knows it’s going to be a great challenge for the group.”
Donaldson said the players had no idea who was playing for which teams until being told at the last minute.
“Everyone was kind of waiting for the wallaby squad announcement to come out,” he said.
“We’re all back there just prepping for the game for the Force game. And it came out. And then we all kind of got a call case-by-case.”
Of the eight Queenslanders selected for Australia, only Faessler and Paisami were released to go back and play for the Reds when they host the Lions at Suncorp Stadium next Wednesday.
All the others remain in hard training for the Fiji Test, including Tate McDermott, the Queensland captain.
Like Donaldson, McDermott said he would have loved the chance to lead the Reds against the Lions, but understood the bigger picture.
“At this level with the stakes so high you kind of do what you’re told,” he said.
“But it’s fantastic to see those guys getting an opportunity to play the British and Irish Lions because we’re anticipating that they’ll play their full strength team against the Reds. “It’s going to be a huge game. Suncorp’s sold out, so it’s not like they’re going back to play club footy. They’re going to play against one of, if not the best, team in the world.
“And that’s something that you can tell your kids and have with you for the rest of your life, that’s part of your journey.”
Schmidt has also indicated he will consider releasing some players for the Lions’ matches against the Waratahs (July 5) and Brumbies (July 9) but not everyone.
McDermott willing to accept cameo role
Everyone who loves running rugby will disagree but Tate McDermott says he’s fine with starting on the Wallabies’ bench in their upcoming Test series against the British and Irish Lions.
Regarded as Australia’s best attacking halfback in years, McDermott has a stack of supporters who believe he should wear the number nine jersey but it’s unsure whether the Wallabies coach is among them.
Joe Schmidt has preferred to use McDermott as a supersub, bringing him into the game late when defences begin to tire and leave gaps around the ruck that he can exploit with his fast footwork.
Like every halfback, McDermott would prefer to start matches but the game is changing rapidly and he now says he’s accepted his cameo appearances off the bench.
“I really enjoyed my role in the Wallabies environment last year,” McDermott said. “It is a bit of a different role that I’ve had in the past, being a specialist finisher.”
Schmidt still hasn’t made any announcement yet on his line-up for next week’s warm-up match against Fiji then the series against the Lions but everything points to Jake Gordon starting and McDermott coming off the bench.
The Waratahs captain, Gordon was Schmidt’s first-choice halfback last year and the New Zealand coach has made no secret of his admiration for his strong passing and kicking game.
A more accomplished ball runner, McDermott said he’s fine with whatever role required of him.
“I’ve always said I’m a team player and I’ll do whatever Joe and the coaching staff ask of me,” McDermott said.
“And if that’s to finish a game and bring energy, and my running game, which is my strength, then that’s what I’m looking to do, but we’ll just kind of wait and see where that all lies.”
There was a time when players hated starting off the bench but that has changed dramatically over the years.
South Africa, winners of the last two World Cups, regularly save their forwards to finish matches, rather than start them, while all international teams are finding new ways to get the best out of their full squad, removing any stigma for players listed as replacements.
“You definitely need a 23 to win Test matches,” McDermott said. “That was a huge growth in the side last year and I’m excited to see what the reserves can do again this year.
“That’s why it’s so important to be a good bloke first. Whitey (Nic White) and Jakey (Jake Gordon), these kind of guys who I’ve spent a long time with, are fantastic guys.
“Sometimes you can paint a bit of a bullseye on people and you want to chase them and go after them but the biggest thing we always speak of is your connection piece.
“We help each other to get better because if we get better, the team gets better.”
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Originally published as Wallabies release two players to play British and Irish Lions in tour matches, Tate McDermott’s views on cameo role