Australia v France
8pm Friday 3 November 2017
Canberra Stadium
The first weekend of the Rugby League World Cup went almost to script, with only the plucky Irish managing an upset over the more fancied Italians. For the Australians, a win over the better than expected English was a satisfactory start, but they will hoping there is plenty of improvement to come over the next few rounds.
This week, Mal Meninga has rotated some fresh blood through the team for the clash against the French. Four debutants will get their first opportunity in the green and gold, a fact that will generate the most interest in what should be a comfortable Kangaroo victory. In the backs, Tom Trbojevic comes onto the wing for his first start, while Josh Mansour and James Maloney have also been called up. Up front, Reagan Campbell Gillard starts at prop, while Cameron Munster and Felise Kaufusi come onto the bench. A reshuffled backrow rounds out a line-up that is an exciting pointer to the future.
So what to make of a match up with a French team that went down to Lebanon in their opening round clash? Obviously nothing less than a convincing victory will be a pass mark for the Australians, so perhaps the more interesting aspect of the match will be the individual performances. Trbojevic’s versatility earned him a spot in the squad ahead of James Tedesco, and he will be desperate to make the most of this opportunity. While Dane Gagai has a mortgage on one wing spot, both Valentine Holmes and Josh Dugan could be vulnerable if the Manly flyer puts some big performances together. He will battle Tedesco for the NSW fullback jersey for the next ten years, and this is his opportunity to keep his name in the forefront of selectors’ minds.
Maloney and Munster look to be at long odds to play in the big games, but Munster in particular could start to make a case to Meninga that he should carry a bench utility instead of the four forward reserves. All will depend on what kind of impact he can make when comes on. For Maloney, his best shot is to outplay halves partner Michael Morgan and try to squeeze him out of the number six, but it appears unlikely.
David Klemmer was Australia's best in the opening match, but there are opportunities for a number of players to push for the other prop positions. Woods seems likely to stay, but Campbell-Gillard and Jordan McLean both deserve to be in the conversation. The new look backrow of Graham, Frizell and McGuire will all be trying to take the spot of the injured Jake Trbojevic, with McGuire probably a nose in front at the moment. A strong performance from Frizell in particular could put him in the frame though.
After an opening match that looked clunky at times from the Kangaroos, it will be difficult to build too much momentum with Cooper Cronk being rested. This must be the aim, though, particularly for Cameron Smith, who wasn't his usual faultless self. With so much up for grabs for individual players, the real challenge may be sticking to the game plan regardless of the scoreline. With 56.5 start, perhaps there is a case to get on the frogs to defend that lead, though it might be a nervous last ten minutes!
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Enjoy your footy!
