Who’s skipper? Wallabies can’t name captain, days before biggest game in years

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Saint-Etienne: Before Australia’s second Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand early last month, Eddie Jones revealed that Tate McDermott would lead the Wallabies in Dunedin.

The Queenslander was Australia’s fourth skipper in four matches, after Michael Hooper, James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa had all gone before him.

“We need to regenerate the team,” Jones told reporters. “He’s got great potential. He’s got a good head on him. He’s got all the attributes of being a very good captain.”

Six days later, Jones changed his mind. He had to talk Will Skelton into becoming captain of the Wallabies at the World Cup in France.

McDermott was officially appointed vice-captain.

With Skelton injured and McDermott nursing a concussion on Sunday, hooker Dave Porecki was parachuted in as a last-minute stand-in skipper for the 22-15 loss to Fiji.

Tate McDermott missed the loss to Fiji due to concussion.Credit: Getty

Now, with McDermott passing his return-to-play protocols, it was widely assumed the halfback would lead his country for Sunday’s (5am Monday AEST) match against Wales in Lyon.

Wouldn’t he?

“I’m not quite sure,” McDermott said. “We’ve got a strong leadership group, so anyone in that group is capable of taking that role. You saw Dave Porecki take over and I missed that game, so we’ll just have to see.”

Four days out from Australian rugby’s biggest match in years, given what is at stake, the Wallabies are in such a disjointed and confused state that they cannot say with conviction who their skipper will be for a must-win clash.

Former captain James Slipper has more than 130 Test caps, but has been overlooked for a return to the top job.Credit: Getty

Even if McDermott has been internally appointed skipper for this game, it says a lot that he chose not to let fans know what the plan is.

Hooper wasn’t wanted in France. Slipper is, to the confusion of many supporters, being overlooked as skipper despite having 132 Tests of experience. Alaalatoa is injured.

Two weeks ago, McDermott was the side’s vice-captain but a head knock appears to have flipped Jones’ thinking.

The returned coach changes his mind with remarkable regularity and supporters are having trouble trying to work out his rationale.

Dave Porecki was at the helm for the Wallabies’ shock loss to Fiji.Credit: Getty

World Rugby’s media policy states that the side’s skipper must appear for an interview two days before a match, which is why it was odd for McDermott to walk out for press duties four days before the Test.

The Wallabies are crying out for experience and someone for the group to follow after the huge loss of Skelton.

However, assistant coach Neal Hatley insists the revolving door of skippers – when the team is supposed to be at its most settled in a four-year World Cup cycle – is not a problem.

“That leadership group – which still includes people like Skelts, Slips and Tate – they sit down, they work along with the coaching group [and discuss] how we want to play what we want the game to look like.

“So, yeah, I think we’ve been in enough games now and lost people in important positions to know that it’s not just one person.

“Some [other teams] are maybe a bit more stable … like South Africa that are eight years into a cycle or Fiji, that are eight years into a cycle. Yep, we’re seven, eight games into it. Look, it’s not a massive thing for us. We’ve got people that do that in the week that have done it in games for us.”

Whoever is Wallabies captain will need to be clever around game management in the final periods of a match where bonus points could be crucial.

Teams pick up four points for a win and an extra point if they score four tries.

Losing teams can still snare two separate bonus points: one for accumulating four tries and the other for coming within seven points of their opponents.

‘We’ve done it every week, we’ve put ourselves in that position, we haven’t been good enough.’

With Fiji and Australia tied on six points – behind Wales on 10 – the Wallabies will be desperate to ensure Warren Gatland’s side come away from Lyon empty-handed.

“We’re aware of the bonus point situation,” McDermott said. “But at the forefront of our mind is a performance that actually puts us in a position to be able to capitalise on those points.

“We’ve done it every week, we’ve put ourselves in that position, we haven’t been good enough.

“We’ve just got to make sure we’re clinical enough at the breakdown and we’re clear in our minds exactly what we want to do when we get down there. We’re thinking about getting the victory first and foremost.”

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