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Will Skelton: 'I didn’t want the gig'
If you ever needed someone with broad shoulders to take the criticism that came the Wallabies’ way post-Rugby World Cup 2023, man-mountain Will Skelton would be that person.
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Not that now departed head coach Eddie Jones chose the hulking forward for that reason as hardly anyone, let alone the cock-sure Wallabies coach, would have predicted how badly the two-time previous winners would perform in France.
Australia crashed out of the tournament at the pool stage for the first time ever in what was a chastening first experience as Wallabies captain, a job that he never sought in the first place.
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“It was a shock at first, I didn’t want the gig,” Skelton said whilst in conversation with RugbyPass TV’s Johnny Beattie during an oyster-tasting session on France’s Atlantic coast, near to Skelton’s home in La Rochelle.
“He (Eddie Jones) sent me a text on Tuesday afternoon saying I have got a job for you.
“I’ve heard about the stories about Eddie and his texts, late at night and early morning, and then he gave me a call and he said, ‘mate, I think you are best fit for us to captain the squad heading to France’.
“I spoke to my wife and my family, and I rang him the next day and said, ‘I’ll do it, I don’t want to change who I am or how I play, how I speak, I just want to do it how I do it’.
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“Eddie was all about that, he said, ‘I don’t want you to change anything you’re doing now, I want you to lead us, connect the team and bring us together’, and the rest is history.
“We trained bloody hard under Eddie and the staff there. I thought our squad was ready and we fell short of what we wanted to achieve as a team.”
Controversially Jones left out two Wallaby veterans in Michael Hooper, who has since turned to sevens, and maverick fly-half Quade Cooper.
Was Skelton as shocked by that decision as by the one to make him captain? “Of course. Whenever you leave almost 200 caps at home there’s always going to be questions from within the group, from outside the group. Straight away, I thought those boys were a shoo-in in the squad but like we have said in the past, it is the coach who selects the squad.
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“We had trust in the squad that we had too; we had a good squad, we had a young group but our ambition was right up there.”
Skelton is closing in on his 32nd birthday but hopes to be a part of new head coach Joe Schmidt’s plans in what he sees as a crucial building period before Australia host the British & Irish Lions in 2025 and then the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027.
“My focus is on trying to move on from that (France 2023) and perform well club-wise to get that opportunity again,” said Skelton, who has won 30 caps over nine years.
“With a new coach now as well, everything is a bit up in the air now for me and all I can really control now is home, and for me that’s club footy at La Rochelle.
“I have only heard good things about Joe. His resume speaks for itself. It is exciting to see someone of that calibre to take us forward to be where we want to be.
“He is going to bring a lot of detail to the game which may have been lacking, and it is an exciting time to be an Australian rugby player, to aspire to be in that jersey because it is a fresh start.
“He is coming in with a clean slate and he will select who he wants. That might have been my last Test against Georgia last year!”
Happy to leave the dark winter nights of England behind him four years ago having swapped a trophy-laden spell with Saracens for La Rochelle, the 140kg lock is hoping for a big finish to the season in both the Champions Cup and Top 14.
Ronan O’Gara’s team are back-to-back defending European champions but in the Top 14, where they are fifth in the table and looking good for the play-offs, the title has proved elusive, two runners-up finishes in 2021 and 2023 only adding to the determination within the squad that they need to get over the line this year.
“The Brennus for us is right up there with the Champions Cup. It would mean so much,” said Skelton.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments