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The Wallabies arrived in the northern Italy city of Udine on Sunday morning without five-eighth James O’Connor, leaving Tane Edmed, Carter Gordon and utility back Hamish Stewart as the team’s playmakers.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has called up Exeter duo Tom Hooper and Len Ikitau for the Italy Test, but it is understood there are no plans to call up O’Connor, despite the veteran playmaker’s availability. O’Connor has played three games this season for his new club, Leicester, starting most recently in a win against Sale where he faced off against England’s George Ford.
Speaking to this masthead ahead of the England Test, former Wallabies assistant coach and current Leicester coach Geoff Parling highlighted O’Connor’s impact on his new club.
“I think when I got the (Leicester) job, I’d obviously seen him before and I gave him a call as he had a bit more experience to add to the group and he’s done well,” Parling siad.
“Again, he knows that there are things he can improve...but he’s definitely been a positive influence so far. He gives that steady, calm head when things go wrong.”
Australia’s James O’Connor runs at the defence.Credit: AP
Parling met up with Schmidt and former colleagues in the Wallabies camp in London ahead of the Test, but was unsure whether O’Connor would be called up, given Carter Gordon’s presence in the squad.
Gordon trained fully in London and should be fit for selection against Italy, potentially playing his first Test since the World Cup defeat to Wales two years ago in France.
Edmed has started the last three Tests for the Wallabies, with Gordon making progress in training as he adjusts from life in the NRL, where he played one game for the Gold Coast Titans last season.
The arrival of Ikitau and Hooper will bolster a squad that desperately need an injection of energy after a physical Test against England, who unleashed their replacements bench of six British and Irish Lions to devastating effect.
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There is no Will Skelton in the squad, given he played for La Rochelle at home against Joey Manu’s Racing 92 late on Sunday evening.
Given Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt prefers to have his players take a full part in training from Monday, Skelton was never likely to be part of the squad to face Italy.
Italy are currently ranked 10th in the world and are an infinitely stronger team than the one that famously defeated the Wallabies for the first time in their history two years ago.
The Azzurri can boast two of the top players in France’s Top 14 including Perpignan’s five-eighth Tommaso Allan and Toulouse winger Ange Capuozzo.
Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada has also named uncapped Bath second-rower Enoch Opoku Gyamfi in his squad, who almost matches Skelton in size, standing at 195 cm and weighing in at 148kg.
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