Dane Haylett-Petty adapting to life on the wing for Wallabies

It’s not his natural role, but Dane Haylett-Petty is having to get used to life on the Wallabies wing.

Wallabies winger Dane Haylett-Petty takes on the Springboks defence at Suncorp Stadium last Saturday.

Dane Haylett-Petty is one of only three Wallabies backs to have played in all six Tests this year, the others being Israel Folau and Bernard Foley, but it seems the further he goes the more precarious his ­selection becomes.

He was chosen on the wing for his Wallabies debut against Eng­land in Brisbane and performed solidly in all three Tests of that series, which certainly can’t be said of other players. Against the All Blacks, his lack of experience on the wing was exposed but he still kept fronting up. His display against the Springboks was near-faultless, though by his own admission most of the action happened on the other side.

All the while, it’s not to be forgotten that he was Australia’s best fullback in Super Rugby for the Western Force, albeit just in front of Folau. But Wallabies coach ­Michael Cheika has made it all too clear he has no intention of making any positional switches where Folau is concerned.

So Haylett-Petty is stuck out on the wing, which means he is exposed, in more ways than one. “Right now he’s in a competitive position for us and it can only get more competitive with (Sefa) Nai­valu qualifying soon (on the spring tour) and then (Marika) Koribete will become available once the rugby league season is finished,” said Cheika.

“And we’ve got some good young players … (Waratahs fullback Andrew) Kellaway is coming through, Izaia Perese for Queensland Country, so there’s a lot of good young players and they’re the right age, the mid-20s, players starting to come into that position.”

It pays not to ignore Cheika any time he happens to playfully drop a name in conversation, so for the record Perese, despite being on the small side, is regarded as one of the most gifted and competitive outside backs running around in what Cheika called “the hidden treasure” that is the NRC competition.

But that is Haylett-Petty’s problem at some point in the future. For the moment, he is showing himself off to best advantage, even if out of position.

“I think I’m more confident playing at fullback,” said the 27-year-old veteran who first came to Cheika’s attention when he was playing at Biarritz while the future Australian coach was in charge at Stade Francais.

“That’s where I’ve played most of my rugby. I think I’m happy to play where I can and just to try to get better each week on the wing. But playing on the wing at the moment is eventually going to make me a better fullback. And if he (Cheika) decides to keep Izzy there for the long term, hopefully I’ll develop into a world-class winger.”

Haylett-Petty may lack the blistering pace to become a pin-up winger but Cheika still believes he gets to show off the assets that have made him a Wallaby.

“The way we play, the shape we play, enables him to play a bit of fullback on the edge,” said Cheika. “And it also lets him show the skills he has which is really good footwork, high ball and a really good kicking game as well. He’s just a ­really good footballer in general. We can’t have enough of those.”

Is it enough?

Haylett-Petty has backed himself this far and all he wants is another chance, particularly on his own home ground in Perth against Argentina on Saturday.