Harry Wilson will captain the Wallabies against Argentina on Sunday (8am kick off AEST) as the leadership merry-go-round continues.
Incredibly, Wilson is Australia’s eighth skipper in the last 15 Tests and the fourth under coach Joe Schmidt this season.
Schmidt has also used Liam Wright, James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa as leaders since taking the reins from Eddie Jones.
The turbulent Jones 2023 season saw Slipper, Alaalatoa, Michael Hooper, Tate McDermott, Will Skelton and Dave Porecki lead Australia.
Wright – Schmidt’s original pick as captain – remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.
It allows Schmidt to start his most damaging props, Taniela Tupou and Angus Bell, with Alaalatoa providing leadership from the bench.
Popular Queensland No.8 Wilson has played 15 Tests and faces a difficult leadership assignment against a Pumas team that upset the All Blacks in Wellington this month.
“What a huge honour to do that,” Wallabies legend Tim Horan said on Stan Sport’s Rugby Heaven.
“Joe, he’s had so many different captains… I think in time though, what he’s going to have to do is pick someone – whether it’s a Fraser McReight, whether it’s an Angus Bell or whether it’s a Harry Wilson – someone who’s going to be picked every single week in that side.
“Otherwise you end up chopping and changing and as a player, you don’t know who the real captain is, or a vice-captain. So he’s going to have to pick and stick at some stage for his captain.”
Former Wallabies outside back Cameron Shepherd also weighed in on Rugby Heaven.
“Some of the criticism that was coming out of the Wallabies camp, especially last year under Eddie – the debacle – is that we didn’t have a strong enough leadership group.
“So maybe the thought process from Schmidt is, let’s get a large group of people that have captained the team, have garnered that respect from the players and then they can create that leadership and we can pick and choose depending on who’s selected.”
Former Wallabies loose forward Stephen Hoiles echoed Horan’s ‘pick and stick’ call on Between Two Posts.
“We do need to get someone soon that is our Wallabies captain and let that person go on a genuine run,” Hoiles said.
“And learn how to develop in the role because we’ve got the Lions coming here next year. We know who our coach is.
“We need to know who our senior leaders are, not just for the players on the field, but for the fans to get behind the game again.”
Schmidt has also named Hamish Stewart to start at inside centre.
The 26-year-old from the Force will become the 15th Test debutant under Schmidt.
“I want to see us go around the corner a lot more and stretch teams to the edge,” Shepherd said.
“We’ll stretch Argentina to the edge. Taniela Tupou in short spaces is very dynamic around the corner. We hit him early, we can punch holes. I think that’s where you’re going to see him used mostly.”
Schmidt is 3-2 with the Wallabies and this is his first away Test.
“The players have bounced back from the travel and time difference since arriving in Buenos Aires, with today’s training being our most energetic,” he said.
“For us, we know the Argentinians will enjoy vocal home support but we’ve also had plenty of encouragement from back in Australia, which we have appreciated and will try to justify.”
WALLABIES (15-1): Tom Wright, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hamish Stewart, Marika Koroibete, Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon, Harry Wilson (c), Carlo Tizzano, Rob Valetini, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell
Reserves: Josh Nasser, Isaac Kailea, Allan Alaalatoa, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Max Jorgensen
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