‘Open the borders’: Why Wallabies need to select more overseas-based players

Following the Wallabies’ last-placed finish in The Rugby Championship, Stephen Hoiles and Michael Hooper discussed the current team’s approach to selection. The former Wallabies agreed that more overseas-based players should be allowed to represent Australia.

Coach Joe Schmidt has only picked one overseas-based player so far in 2024 and that’s winger Marika Koroibete. Koroibete, who is a two-time John Eales Medallist, returned to the Test arena for the Wallabies’ second Test against the world champion Springboks in August.

But Koroibete didn’t score any points during TRC as the Wallabies struggled as a collective to get the job done in Test matches. The Aussies won just one of their six matches during the eight-week competition, which included a record 67-27 loss to Argentina in Santa Fe.

The Wallabies’ most recent defeat was a 33-13 loss to the All Blacks at Wellington’s Sky Stadium. Coach Schmidt remains confident that the team are heading in the right direction as they prepare for a blockbuster four-Test Spring Tour to round out the year.

With next year’s British and Irish Lions Series rapidly approaching, Stephen Hoiles has called on the Wallabies to reconsider their approach to selection. Hoiles would like to see Australia join others including South Africa and Argentina by bringing in more players from abroad.

“I would. I think we’re at the stage now where the success of the Wallabies is still the number one factor in the popularity of the game here, and we’ve got to do whatever we can do,” Hoiles said on Stan Sports’ Between Two Posts.

“I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way but when I see Argentina beat the Wallabies a couple of weeks ago… they are the best 23 to 25 players that Argentina have. That’s who’ playing.

“Can we hand on heart say that the 23 playing for the Wallabies every week after the best 23 players Australian Rugby has? I think we’ve got far more experience overseas.

“But, if we’re gonna do it, and we’re gonna have success in the Lions by doing it, this Spring Tour is the only chance.

“The reason is works for the Boks is because they get time together, they haven’t changed their gameplan too much. They walk into camp, they know how they’re playing.

“The risk if you just keep picking from here is you get a bit more of the same, but if you do open the borders and pick from anywhere, the ability to onboard people and get them comfortable in the way Joe Schmidt’s trying to play, it gets harder and harder.”

Of all the Australian players currently plying their trade overseas, one man has been talked about more than any other during Schmidt’s coaching reign. Will Skelton captained the Wallabies under Eddie Jones but is yet to don Wallaby gold in 2024.

Skelton has been one of the best locks at club level in Europe for a number of years. The hulking La Rochelle lock is playing for a side that is consistently up there with the best in the Champions Cup, but the Wallabies are currently missing out on that experience.

As former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper explained, adding someone of Skelton’s calibre to the team “would bring a lot.” There are, of course, other Wallaby-level players competing overseas who could also bring something to Schmidt’s Australia side.

“That is the risk but the reward is also you’re picking players playing in big competitions under big pressure,” Hooper added.

“You look at the same, probably because of Super Rugby and we haven’t been performing, and I think that’ll change next year… we’ll see our Super teams playing better and playing in more meaningful matches.

“That lifts the pressure that players and going to play under so you’re exposed to higher intensity games. The New Zealanders showed last night, there’s some mistakes that we’re making… that New Zealand just isn’t and that’s a number of (Test) caps, that’s a number of Super caps.

“We’ve got a very low number of caps, international caps, but also guys in that team haven’t played many Super games either so we’ve got to get those up.

“Will Skelton, use him as an example, he’s been playing in finals over in Top 14. That experience, that presence, that knowledge around winning and being part of a really dynamic outfit is great. I can’t help but think that would bring a lot to a team.”