Australia's 'cynical attempt' to reduce Darcy Swain's impending ban
The presence of one Darcy Swain in the recently announced Australia A side for their three-game series in Japan has raised a few eyebrows on both sides of the ditch.
Swain received a yellow card in the Wallabies' most recent defeat at the hands of the All Blacks for a dangerous breakdown clear-out and was cited after the match.
The widely held view is that Swain will be handed a ban for the offence that will keep him out of a set number of competitive matches in the near future. A ban of four matches or more would prevent him from playing any part on the Wallabies' end-of-year tour, where they are due to take on Scotland, France, Italy and Ireland.
Having been named in the Australia A squad for their trip to Japan, Swain could complete three of his potentially mandatory stand-downs in October, limiting the number of matches he's unavailable for when the Wallabies head north.
The decision to name Swain in the squad has understandably been met with some criticism on social media, given that Swain has been a full-squad member of the top Wallabies side for the entirety of the season. As such, many believe that he was not due to be named in the Australia A side until it became likely that the utility forward would be handed a ban.
I think I've now lost whatever respect I had left for the @wallabies. Their behaviour the past few weeks has been despicable
— Malcolm Wesley (@mmolver86) September 21, 2022
Quite daring of you to name that thug Darcy Swain when you know he'll be banned from playing
— Malcolm Wesley (@mmolver86) September 21, 2022
Why was Darcy swain named in the Australian A squad that is travelling to Japan is this to cover his games ban
— Schimanski (@ThatSchimanski) September 21, 2022
There are some who believe that Swain's selection is entirely above board and that he was always a chance to play for Australia A given the 'depth' the Wallabies possess in the second row.
Or maybe with other players back from injury he is not getting selected for the tour.
— BDC4171 (@Barnaby_Chivers) September 21, 2022
I don't think it is unreasonable that might legit be sending him back to Aus A for more experience he clearly needs. Has potential but needs to focus his game and clean it up. Aus A is the spot for that not Wallabies.
— Bart Willis (@bartinoheat) September 21, 2022
Is cynical the right word? Lonergan, Frost, Pone, Neville all picked. Definitely strategic, but don’t think it’s outside realms of possibility that he was being picked Anyway
— rory shortball (@RShortball) September 21, 2022
Fox Sports' Christy Doran takes a slightly different stance, believing it's simply a smart move on the Wallabies' behalf:
The outcome of Swain's judicial appointment is set to be confirmed in the coming hours.
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I dont believe Skelton has ever proven himself at test level tho Nick. Yep he played well against a side they scored plenty against but his record v the top sides isnt special. Good quality player but Im not as convinced about him as you seem to be, as you base most of your opinion on his local club stuff not really his test performances. His test record of 30 tests in 10 years explains itself very well. I think he is an honest performer but certainly not a top notch International player.
Go to commentsI wonder Jake, who do you think is the best fit for Australia as a coach? Not since Joe Schmidt took over as coach did Australia look any good, however, there is always this debate around not having an Aussie coach by the fans and so called pundits and old players.
Some of them are changing their minds now however, but I would love to see who you would choose. I think Joe Schmidt is an excellent coach, who puts in everything for the team he is coaching. To him, there is no such thing as being biased.
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