Why James Slipper feels uneasy about breaking George Gregan’s Wallaby record

As the years ticked by and edged him closer, James Slipper has never felt comfortable with the chat about him replacing George Gregan as the most capped Wallabies player in history.

Some of his current teammates are now too young, but Slipper still remembers being a rugby-mad young kid watching Gregan play conductor in one of the greatest Wallabies eras; bossing his team, his rivals’ team - and the referee.

And as the 35-year-old stood with Gregan for a photo in the middle of Accor Stadium on Thursday - the stage where many of those memories were made - the feeling was as strong as ever. On Saturday afternoon, Slipper will play in his 140th Test, taking him past than the tally of 139 set by Gregan in 2007.

“I get asked quite a bit, and have been for a few years, about potentially taking over from ‘Greegs’. And it has always been … I don’t have another word for it but … awkward,” Slipper said.

“I grew up watching ‘Greegs’. He is a player so highly held and respected in Australian rugby. He is an iconic player for us, so to be anywhere near him is pretty special. It’s just hard to stand next to your idol, isn’t it? He is your idol, and in your mind, he always going to be above you.”

Not in the record books, at least. After debuting for the Wallabies in 2010, Slipper’s Test career is still going strong, and the veteran prop equalled Gregan’s record of 139 Test caps in Santa Fe.

George Gregan and James Slipper standing at Accor Stadium. The pair are current joint holders for the record for most Wallabies caps, with 139.Credit: James Brickwood

It was a mostly forgettable day for the Wallabies but there are hopes Slipper can keep up a trend of good results in milestone games - the Wallabies beat the All Blacks in his 100th Test - on Saturday afternoon and create a better memory for the kid who’ll come along and pass Slipper’s record one day.

Gregan flew in from London this week to be part of the tributes for Slipper, which he has happily known for a few years was only a matter of time.

“I spoke with ‘Slips’ and Michael Hooper last year, at a camp before the World Cup. And I said ‘you boys will go past me before long’,” Gregan said.

Michael Hooper and James Slipper.Credit: Getty

“One or both were going to go past, and I was happy about that, you couldn’t get two better blokes to be honest. So you knew someone is going to go past one day and as I have said often, it couldn’t be a better person than ‘Slips’.”

Hooper recently retired from international rugby on 125 Test caps after being left out of the Rugby World Cup squad.

Gregan claimed the Australian record when he passed David Campese’s 101 Tests, and after passing Phillipe Sella (109) and Jason Leonard (114) in 2005, he held the world record for most Test caps for almost a decade until Brian O’Driscoll passed him in 2014.

With Slipper pushing past, Gregan will drop to seventh on the current list, with Alun Wyn-Jones way out front with 171 caps.

As a player who mostly started and played 80 minutes, Gregan still has more overall time in the Test arena than Slipper, who has come off the bench 59 times. But Gregan said there is no splitting those hairs when it comes to playing Test rugby.

“It’s a tough position, there’s no hiding,” Gregan said. “He deserves every single cap, no doubt. There are no easy Test caps but even less so when you play prop.”

George Gregan was the last Wallabies captain to lift the Bledisloe Cup, back in 2002. Credit: Reuters

Gregan was part of the last Wallabies side to win the Bledisloe Cup in 2002, and Slipper has played his entire career without holding the famous urn. But he has not given up hope.

“I am always hopeful, absolutely,” Slipper said.

“It’s probably the trophy I have desperately wanted the most. As long I am wearing the jersey I am always going to believe we can rise to the occasion.”

Looking to bounce back after a record defeat in Santa Fe, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt made nine changes to the side, mostly welcoming back key players after injury. Fraser McReight, Hunter Paisami, Tom Wright, Noah Lolesio and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto return.

Stocky hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa was named on the bench for his first Test match since 2021.

The big change was in the halves, however, where veteran halfback Nic White was given the No.9, meaning the starting halves from Santa Fe - Jake Gordon and Ben Donaldson - were both dropped from the 23-man squad altogether.

Schmidt said the change was made to utilise White being the freshest of three halfbacks after not playing in Argentina, and with several players having suffered illness in Argentina. Max Jorgensen was not considered for the Bledisloe Cup clash after also requiring treatment post-game for heat stress in Santa Fe.

Watch all the action from The Rugby Championship with every match streaming ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport. Round 5 kicks off this weekend with Wallabies v All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup (Saturday 3pm AEST) and Argentina v South Africa (Sunday 6:50am AEST).