‘It’s a bit thin’: Unlikely solution at fullback for Wallabies after injury blows

He might not have played at fullback under Dave Rennie, but Jordan Petaia shapes a possible solution for the Wallabies in the No 15 jersey in the years to come.

Jordan Petaia could loom as an unlikely choice for the Wallabies' fullback jersey. Photo: Getty Images

He might not have played at fullback under Dave Rennie, but Jordan Petaia shapes a possible solution for the Wallabies in the No 15 jersey in the years to come.

Petaia and Brumbies flyer Tom Wright have both impressed Rennie out wide and the duo are both being considered as possible solutions to fill the void left by Israel Folau.

Even before Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia there was debate about whether he should be played at fullback or the wing, but it’s long been a position the Wallabies haven’t nailed since Chris Latham and Matthew Burke wore the jersey.

Kurtley Beale at times looked like a world beater in the position and was nominated as World Rugby player of the year in 2010 when occupying the role.

But his flaws under the high ball meant he shifted in and out of the role throughout his career.

In 2020 Rennie used Tom Banks, Dane Haylett-Petty and Reece Hodge in the role, but none of the trio nailed the positions.

With Hodge set to miss up to 10 weeks on action after suffering a knee-injury and Dane Haylett-Petty still out with concussion issues, it leaves just Banks as the only fit and healthy options.

Banks has once again found form in Super Rugby and showed his pace over the past month after finally stretching out, but after a solid display against the All Blacks in Wellington last year failed to own the jersey in the matches to come.

While Banks ticks the boxes with his kicking game, the concern with the Brumbies fullback is his lack of ball-playing, particularly if the Wallabies aren’t playing Matt To’omua at inside centre, and his use of footwork. Banks is an out-and-out gas merchant and beats opponents with space, but in Test rugby it’s not as loose.

Enter Petaia and Wright.

Both men have excellent footwork and while their kicking games are still far from international standard, as is Petaia’s passing game, their work in the air, confidence with ball-in-hand and ability to beat players one-on-one is compelling.

Jordan Petaia leaps over Tom Banks to score. Photo: Getty Images

Speaking from the Wallabies’ camp in Sydney, Rennie said the fullback position, as well as at hooker, were the two positions of most concern.

“Fullback’s probably a position that’s thin for us,” Rennie admitted.

“Obviously Tom’s here, we brought Hodgey in, he’s a utility who can play 15, but that’s a position that someone could make a statement in the next nine weeks.”

Ever since arriving as Wallabies coach, Rennie has demanded his backs improve their kicking.

Petaia, as well as teammate Hunter Paisami, have heeded the feedback and have been paying money from their own pay cheques to kicking supremo Dave Alred, who was Jonny Wilkinson’s kicking coach and is also working with James O’Connor, three times a week to improve.

Petaia’s match-turning 50-22 against the Brumbies didn’t go unnoticed either by Rennie and the Wallabies’ selectors are keen to see the 21-year-old spend more time in the position after struggling in the midfield since the World Cup.

“He’s probably played his best footy on the wing/fullback,” Rennie said.

“He’s a player who could play any of those couldn’t he?

“I thought he was really strong over the weekend – his best game this year.

“Certainly he’s working really hard on his kicking game and good to see that over the weekend. A pretty pivotal moment when he does the old 50/22 and a few phases later he ends up scoring off that, so we’re certainly putting emphasis on our wingers being able to kick the ball because it then allows us to play wide and still kick from out there which manipulates the shape of their back three, so he becomes a strong option based on that.”

Tom Wright scored with his first touch in Test rugby and he and Jordan Petaia are competing for back three spots. Photo: Getty Images

Rennie had four uncapped hookers in his squad and declared the position “wide open”.

In other news, The Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika have been granted conditional licences for entry into the Super Rugby competition in 2022.

World Rugby last month pledged a $2.16 million annual package to guide the teams through their first three years in the competition and New Zealand Rugby has now deemed the expansion to a 12-team competition viable, pending final business plan approval on June 30.

After allowing NZR to drive the efforts last year to bring the two new Pacific sides into Super Rugby, Rugby Australia supported the move.

“We look forward to continuing our engagement with NZR on this process as we plan towards 2022,” RA CEO Andy Marinos said.

“Once further conditions around the licences have been met, we look forward to formalising the composition of the teams in what will hopefully prove a new dawn for Rugby in the region.”