The player Wallabies must make room for against All Blacks

1. Fraser and Carlo can both play a role
Reds flanker Fraser McReight should start against the All Blacks in Sydney next Saturday: his form was good before a hand injury ruled him out of the Argentina Tests. It should be an open contest, and the Wallabies will need his running game.

But the season’s big discovery, Carlo Tizzano, has done enough to push for inclusion in the 23. The Wallabies, of course, are no strangers to having two opensides on the paddock at the same time. It plays to their traditional strengths on the ground, and they have enough versatility in Rob Valetini to finish with both McReight and Tizzano on either side of the scrum.

Openside Carlo Tizzano has proved a handful.Credit: Getty Images

If the Wallabies are still in the fight with 20 minutes to go, it’s worth remembering this statistic: the All Blacks are yet to score a single point in the final quarter of their four Rugby Championship Tests.

2. Brumby Jack passes his first audition
New Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley – a former Brumbies under-19s rep – gave his first press conference to Kiwi journalists this week, and overall he acquitted himself well.

There were naturally plenty of questions about the ‘lucky loser’ finals concept, but across 10 minutes Mesley covered plenty of other topics. Although true power over the comp is retained by Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby, Mesley is young and has plenty of energy, and the fact that there is an Australian as the administrative face of the competition is no bad thing.

He gave the impression that he’ll be pushing hard for the sorts of things that Australian fans respond to, including changes to the eligibility rules in Super Rugby Pacific.

3. Tane Edmed’s big audition
The Waratahs five-eighth scored a remarkable 33 points for North Harbour in New Zealand’s NPC on Saturday, in the latest example of how the Australia-New Zealand relationship is fundamentally one of mutual interest despite all the stress points.

Some context is required about Edmed’s performance: defence in the NPC is significantly below Super Rugby level, and Edmed’s opposition Manawatu copped 68 points the week before and have not won a game this year. Joe Schmidt will understand that.

That said, Edmed is making a very strong case for the Waratahs No.10 jersey next year, which should realistically see the youngster Jack Bowen in more of a development role. It’s just a shame that the NPC draw means that Edmed won’t go up against Lachlan McCaffrey’s Otago defence in this season’s NPC.

4. Pietsch’s perfect move
The player contracting fallout of the Rebels’ demise was always going to be somewhat chaotic, but Dylan Pietsch’s shift to the Western Force shows that the right pieces are starting to move to the right places in the puzzle.

Australia’s spread of talent is certainly far more even than in New Zealand, where the Highlanders have one current All Black. The silver lining of the Rebels’ collapse was always going to be measured by one thing: did it improve the two weakest teams in Australia. The answer at this stage seems to be yes.

5. Could Pone Fa’amausili be an unlikely pioneer?
The All Blacks will choose Ardie Savea out of Moana Pasifika next year, so is there any reason the Wallabies couldn’t do something similar?

News this week that Wallabies prop Pone Fa’amausili will be joining Savea at Moana is intriguing on a number of levels, and potentially good news for the Wallabies. Not only will Fa’amausili come under the wing of Moana mentor Tana Umaga, but he’ll be coached by hard-nosed forwards guru Tom Coventry - one of the best in the business.

Under Coventry this season, the Moana forwards were noticeably fitter and stronger in their core duties. If Fa’amausili thrives, could the Wallabies pick a player out of New Zealand who wouldn’t be classed as an overseas pick because he plays in Super Rugby Pacific?

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