Edge the key to Wallabies success, says lock Will Skelton
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La Rochelle's New-Zealander second-row William Skelton runs with the ball during the French Top 14 semi-final rugby union match.
PHOTO: AFP
SYDNEY – If Eddie Jones was looking for winners when he started thinking about his Wallabies squad for the World Cup, the call to leviathan lock Will Skelton would have been one of the first he made.
The hulking 2.03m forward won the Super Rugby title in 2014 with the New South Wales Waratahs and, since moving to Europe, has won four European Cups, the first couple with English club Saracens and in the last two seasons with French outfit La Rochelle.
Named as one of Jones’ five overseas-based players for the Rugby Championship in July, Skelton returns to the competition for the first time since 2016.
The New Zealand-born, Australian-raised second row said he had been impressed with what he had seen so far in training ahead of the opening match against South Africa in Pretoria next week.
“I think we’ve got all the ingredients,” the 31-year-old said from the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
“Eddie’s selected a squad with youth, experience and edge – I think that’s what’s needed to win the big games, in my experience.”
He added: “Edge is being tough at training... it’s competing every set, every maul, every scrum.
“That starts at training and that will transfer to the field on the Saturday night or Sunday.”
One man who Skelton believes has that edge is Richie Arnold, the uncapped lock who also plays in France and was a surprise selection in Jones’ first training squad in early April.
“Richie’s a pest, on the rugby field, he’s a nuisance,” Skelton said with a chuckle. “In the line-out particularly, he’s a menace. Also, he’s physical, he has that edge.
“I’m happy that Richie is here because he deserves it.
“He’s been playing world-class rugby over at Toulouse and hopefully brings that experience and that form to the gold jersey.”
Skelton, who missed Australia’s run to the final of the 2015 World Cup because of injury, admitted that his form for the Wallabies had not always reached the peaks it had in club rugby.
“Probably had a lot of opportunity in the jersey, probably not taken the best step forward, in my personal opinion, performance-wise,” he said.
“But it’s obviously a different opportunity now for me to come over here and inject a bit of experience now, a bit of wisdom, and see what I can add to this team going forward.” REUTERS
