New blood transfusion for Wallabies

WALLABIES vice-captain James Slipper knows that the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship campaigns of his side have gotten a whole lot tougher in the last week.

But he is confident that the influx of new blood alongside him in the front-row can cope with the demands of taking on the world’s two best sides in New Zealand and South Africa, along with Argentina in the championship.

Speaking at the launch of the Rugby Championship at Bathurst’s Mount Panorama, the Queensland Reds prop endorsed the claims of young forwards Nathan Charles and Laurie Weeks. Both are likely to start in the tournament opener next weekend against New Zealand.

They will get their opportunity in the absence of Stephen Moore, who has been out of action the entire season, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Scott Sio.

Polota-Nau limped from the field during the Waratahs’ Super Rugby grand final win last Saturday while Sio rolled his ankle in training on Monday.

“Losing Polota-Nau and Stephen Moore is tough for us and they’ll both be sorely missed,” Slipper, who is in Bathurst as part of the Bush2Bledisloe tour, said.

“But when you lose one, there’s always another one who can get that opportunity. Both those players [Charles and Weeks] have been rewarded and I’m sure they’ll both put their best foot forward.

“Tafu [Polota-Nau] is a huge bloke, he’s actually bigger than the props usually, and now instead we’ll have two smaller hookers. But overall technically I don’t think that will change things too much.”

In terms of the likely starting combination against the All Blacks, Slipper looks set to line up at loosehead with Charles at hooker ahead of James Hanson, and Ben Alexander at tighthead over Weeks.

Charles debuted in June against France, a series which Australia won easily, but Slipper knows things go up a notch against the All Blacks.

That is why he and his Wallabies team-mates will be worked hard in their training session at Bathurst’s Ashwood Park today.

“At least he [Charles] proved he could handle Test match pressure and brings that experience with him now,” he said.

“We can take confidence out of that series, but we want to be the best Test side in the world, but to do that we can’t keep looking back.

“New Zealand and South Africa are the two best Test sides in the world and that’s who we want to be doing well against.

“It is good to have Ben [Alexander] back in the squad, he will add a lot of experience.”

Slipper will retain the vice-captaincy for the upcoming Tests, which will see the Wallabies try and win their first title since 2011 in addition to breaking New Zealand’s 11-year stranglehold on the Bledisloe Cup.

Michael Hooper will once more captain the side, something Slipper is happy to see.

“I was lucky enough to be vice-captain in the last series under Michael, and though he is only 22 and without many caps, he brought a new, fresh feeling to the Wallabies squad,” he said.

“He is proof that if you’re old enough you’re good enough, and if you’re good enough you’re old enough.

“Respect is the big one for a leader, people talk about age but that has nothing to do with it. He is a great bloke who always puts in 100 per cent and it is pretty easy for the rest of us to follow that.”

The Wallabies will train at Ashwood Park from 2.30pm today with members of the public invited to watch.