Analysis: Dave Rennie has a good nucleus of experienced players in his squad, meaning there may be room for one or two uncapped youngsters to achieve the correct blend. Who are the top candidates? | SMHsport
Suppose Wallabies coach Dave Rennie knew, with pretty much iron-clad certainty, that there was a youngster out there who could play a significant role in next year’s World Cup. Would the smart move be to expose him to Test football as soon as possible?
Still, there are already six players aged 30 or above in his likely squad – Quade Cooper , James Slipper , Nic White and James O’Connor and Michael Hooper and Scott Sio . As well, Marika Koroibete will register a “zero” birthday next month, Jake Holloway will hit the milestone in November and Jake Gordon will reach 30 in July next year.
That’s a little like saying if you put your head in the oven and your feet in an ice bath your average temperature will work out to a balmy 37.2 degrees Celsius. Still, Ireland did finish second on the Six Nations table behind a fast-rising France and it does suggest that Rennie might yet have some wiggle room to hand out Test debuts to a handful of up-and-comers.Young Brumbies blindside Tom Hooper has been tipped for international honours by his coach Dan McKellar.
Queensland’s outside centre Josh Flook was well on his way to getting on that list when his season ended with a shoulder injury but, at 20, he has time on his side as he waits for the queue of talented midfielders to thin out ahead of him. So, too, perhaps, the Force’s not-so-young livewire halfback Isaac Fines-Leleiwasa.
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