Sports

Schmidt has handed 16 Wallabies debuts – but he’s missed a trick by not giving Aussies’ best finisher a crack

Sixteen months ago, Corey Toole received the ball near his own 22 metre line at the ‘Cake Tin’ and turned several Hurricanes players inside out to set up one of the tries of the year.

He was given an inch and took a mile from the Hurricanes on their home track – the same venue the All Blacks will host the Wallabies this weekend in Bledisloe II.

One of those players was Ardie Savea, who was left catching nothing but air as he tried to ankle tap the speedster.

It was a try that made people stand up and take notice.

Jeff Wilson described the counter-attacking movement as “remarkable”.

Although he wasn’t the one who got on the scoresheet, he conjured up something out of nothing and did what New Zealanders typically do to the rest of the world by producing some counter-attacking genius.

A year and a half on, several tries later, including against New Zealand opposition when nothing else was on and his teammates had floundered, Toole is still waiting for a maiden Wallabies call-up.

Despite 16 others being handed debut caps, including wingers Dylan Pietsch and Darby Lancaster, in 2024 by Joe Schmidt, the New Zealander hasn’t called on the 24-year-old.

The question is why?

“In Australia he is, certainly speed times there a couple of guys on the stats that I have seen that are a bit quicker, but he’d be right up there,” Schmidt told reporters in Wellington.

“Today the quickest guy at training was Darby Lancaster, he’s another very quick young man and we’re just trying to build the depth with those two guys [and it’s] really exciting.

“Darby has had an opportunity, Corey was at the Olympics and I thought they did a super job there, I thought they were so close to getting a medal.

“Corey’s opportunity will come. I had a great meeting with Corey yesterday and talking through his game, he’s got a few priorities that he’s working on. It’s a matter of ‘when’ as long as he keeps tracking as he does – [but] he’s quick, yeah.”

If The Rugby Championship has revealed anything it is that little men can succeed.

After Damian McKenzie and Cheslin Kolbe made it 𝓈ℯ𝓍y again to promote the little men, others like Kurt-Lee Arendse and Mateo Carreras – the 172cm Pumas pocket rocket – have added to the changing face of international wingers.

So is Schmidt reluctant to call on Toole?

“Some of those small guys like Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe are incredibly powerful and quick and experienced,” Schmidt said.

“Corey really hasn’t had that much experience, he’s come from the sevens program, he’s had a season with the Brumbies and he’s still learning the XVs game, even positionally.

“We’re trying to fast-track him, as I say he is very fast, and so that track hopefully will get eaten up quite quickly.”

While Kolbe and Arendse made their Springboks debuts after putting together a package for their respective South African clubs over years, Toole’s eight tries in 13 Super Rugby fixtures this year after nine the previous season suggests he knows his way about the field.

You can’t tell me Toole wouldn’t have finished the try that went begging in Santa Fe when Marika Koroibete was dragged out just short of the line by Argentina’s fly-half Tomas Al𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧oz.

Ditto, two seasons in Super Rugby, as well as breakout campaign on the World Series circuit, suggest Toole would not have spilled Koroibete’s early dropped pass against the All Blacks in Sydney last week.

Or, indeed, when rookie 20-year-old Wallaby Max Jorgensen failed to turn space into points against South Africa in Perth or Argentina in Santa Fe too.

Defensively, too, he’s no worse than what has been delivered to date across The Rugby Championship.

Although Pietsch is worthy of a promotion, Toole’s selection on the bench would have been a proactive call when the Bledisloe Cup is already gone for another year.

He might not be able to cover the midfield like Josh Flook but with Andrew Kellaway able to cover the position, Toole could have given the Wallabies some X-factor.

If the game is in the balance like it was a week ago, I know who I would want to come on.

That’s not to say Flook doesn’t deserve another chance. He hasn’t put a foot wrong since debuting against Wales in Sydney two months ago.

But he’s a glue player rather than an out-and-out match-winner like Toole.

With four challenging Tests on the horizon on the Spring Tour to come, Toole could well have to wait for a chance to pull on the gold jersey.

With the Lions series the next on the radar, the decision to delay Toole’s time in the sun could see the Wallabies go without arguably the nation’s best finisher.

 

Related Posts

ด่วน “ตัวเก่งทีมชาติไทย” อดปะทะ “เลบานอน” แน่นอนแล้ว 1 ราย เผยชื่อตัวแทน

เกิดอะไรขึ้น “อิชิอิ” อดใช้งาน “ตัวเก่งทีมชาติไทย” 1 ราย ปะทะ “เลบานอน” แน่นอนแล้ว ไทยรัฐทีวี 32 ถ่ายทอดสด 1 ทุ่ม วันที่ 14 พฤศจิกายน 2567 เพจ บี บางปะกง – Bebangpakong ของ วรเทพ มากโภคา คอลัมนิสต์ฟุตบอลไทยชื่อดัง เผยข่าวร้ายล่าสุดของทีมชาติไทย ก่อนพบ…

De alumno a adversario: la personalidad tenística que se asombró ante la retirada de Rafael Nadal

Uno de los mejores tenistas del mundo todavía no puede creer que el español cuelgue la raqueta. Soñaba con un último intento. Tan solo resta una semana para…

Out & About After Shoulder Surgery…

The MLB’s best two-way player is down to just one arm for the time being … Shohei Ohtani had shoulder surgery this week — and as you can see, one of his…

Andy Farrell confident Ireland will bounce back against Argentina

In the last three seasons, one trait of Andy Farrell’s Ireland is that when they do lose, they tend to produce a response. Since they really clicked at…

Flicks and leaps defined Suaalii’s Wallabies debut – but numbers show where he must improve

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will never forget his debut, and neither will Australia, for the game he made his maiden appearance in is one of the best Wallabies games in…

The swing nations that could rock the World Rugby Council – and make or break Aussie’s bid to become chair

It’s barely made a drop in the ocean in recent days given the Wallabies’ stunning upset win over England – but over the next 24 hours, one of…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *