The X-factor Wallaby who offers Schmidt genuine hope for future
By Paul Cully
You can talk about structure until you are blue in the face, but there isn’t a coach in the world who won’t admit that it all becomes so much easier if you have a bloke who can make something out of nothing.
That man in Argentina, in atrocious conditions, was Wallabies midfielder Len Ikitau. He turned the excellent Santiago Chocobares into a speed bump in the second half, and always seemed to beat the first defender in the Wallabies’ gutsy 20-19 victory.
If we are frank, we could easily be talking about a Wallabies loss after a Test that was a bit of a lottery at times due to the weather, so meaningful conclusions are hard to come by. But Ikitau showed genuine class and in a game in which the wingers were again starved of the ball, it was enough to get the Wallabies into enough good positions to win the game.
2. Hamish Stewart can be happy with debut display
The rock-solid Western Force No.12 dropped on ball in a prime attacking position in the second half, but otherwise he looked right at home in the Test arena.
He was like a bodyguard for Noah Lolesio on defence, and Joe Schmidt will now be confident that the Wallabies can manage without Hunter Paisami. Stewart doesn’t make many errors, and when he does he is mature enough to move on to the next task. He was another big win to come out of the Test in La Plata.
Hamish Stewart takes down Santiago Chocobares.Credit: Getty Images
3. Angus Bell’s big shift
It was fitting that Angus Bell – the largest halfback in the world – was the player illegally interfered with in the halfback position to win the game-winning penalty. The Waratahs loosehead was everywhere in a powerhouse performance, and the scrum was a marked improvement from recent outings.
Remarkably, Bell made 17 tackles from 17 attempts – only the excellent Carlo Tizzano was busier without the ball. And while the restarts were a mess, Nick Frost continued to work exceptionally hard on the physicality of his game against some hard-edged opponents.
4. Rain kills expansive hopes
Wallabies winger Andrew Kellaway collected some unwanted statistics in the first half: no carries, no metres, one pass and no tackles from one attempt. Kellaway is a classy operator, but he has been struggling to get himself into the game under the current attack structure, with the inclement conditions over recent Tests also playing a role.
Paul Cully’s team of the week
- Angus Bell (Australia)
- Codie Taylor (New Zealand)
- Tyrel Lomax (New Zealand)
- Nick Frost (Australia)
- Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)
- Marcos Kremer (Argentina)
- Carlo Tizzano (Australia)
- Elrigh Louw (South Africa)
- Grant Williams (South Africa)
- Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (South Africa)
- Caleb Clarke (New Zealand)
- Jordie Barrett (New Zealand)
- Len Ikitau (Australia)
- Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
- Aphelele Fassi (South Africa)
The flipside of this is that there is clearly much more to come from the Wallabies attack if they get a dry track, especially as fullback Tom Wright – of whom I have been a touch sceptical – continues to really grow into that role. Now, the weather gods must come to the party.
5. All Blacks’ grip on Rugby Championship slips
South Africa’s 31-27 win against the All Blacks win in Johannesburg means they are in a very strong position to claim the Rugby Championship, their first since 2019 and only their fifth since the Tri Nations/Rugby Championship started in 1996.
The All Blacks have dominated the competition, with 20 titles to their name, so they will be disappointed to lose the silverware, but it would reflect the shifting balance of power since 2019.
A Rugby Championship title doesn’t seem to capture the imagination like a Six Nations crown, but it holds significance this year because this Springboks has been criticised as Rugby World Cup specialists, with an underwhelming record between each tournament. No more, it seems.
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