James O’Connor is likely to be one of a number of changes to face Argentina next weekend, after Tom Banks’ Rugby Championship campaign came to an unfortunate end.
After making the strongest start to a Test this year, the fullback was forced from the field after 28 minutes during the Wallabies’ stunning 30-17 victory over the Springboks on Saturday.
He left nursing his right arm and later his injury was confirmed as a fracture.
“Yeah it’s a fracture, so that’s a good six-week plus,” Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said.
“I feel for Tom.
“We’ll get a bit of clarity around whether it will impact our end of year tour.”
It’s a cruel blow for the 27-year-old, whose place in the side has come under question in recent months after failing to own the fullback role.
Last week, former Wallabies fullback Chris Latham – a player Banks has often been compared to – said the Brumbies No.15 had left the door ajar for someone to replace him and believed O’Connor was the right man for the job.
On Saturday night, Rennie wouldn’t be moved on whether O’Connor, who hasn’t played a Test this year after a niggling groin injury, would be the man brought into the side.
We’ve got a number of considerations, but great to have Rabs (O’Connor) back into the mix,” he said.
“But he’s ready to go and, again, another experienced player.”
O’Connor’s chances of starting would seem unlikely, with Rennie hoping the 31-year-old would have got some match time under his belt on Friday in a practise match against unused Pumas players.
But Argentina coach Mario Ledesma, who has once again been joined by former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika as an assistant, had to cancel the game after injuries throughout his squad, which has suffered four straight defeats in the Championship, including a 34-13 defeat to the All Blacks on Saturday night.
While Rennie said O’Connor would now be considered as a utility option, the second-year international coach said previously the Reds general would never have been considered as a fullback option due to his lack of high-impact running speeds.
Most likely Rennie will ease O’Connor back into the fray from the bench.
Mr Fix-it Reece Hodge, who came on at fullback, is the frontrunner for the fullback jersey despite his struggles under the high ball.
However, the injury to Banks could allow for Jordan Petaia to speed up his progression to the 15 jersey, with Rennie among many who believe that is where the prodigious talent’s future lies.
Rennie must now decide on whether to reward the players who knocked over the world champions twice or give some time to the fringe players in the squad, who have been starved of opportunities during eight tough Tests to start the year against France, New Zealand and South Africa.
The selection process comes as the Wallabies attempt to win three straight Tests for the first time since 2017, where they went unbeaten over seven consecutive matches but only managed four straight wins, with two draws against the Springboks.
“We’ve talked about earning the right to play, if guys are fronting on Saturday then chances are they’re going to close to the mix the following week,” Rennie said.
“We’ve had a good look at Argentina, there may be a couple of tweaks to personnel based on what we think’s going to be important, but of course we want to reward the guys who have been playing well.”
Japan-based back-rower Sean McMahon is another who shapes to make his return, with the explosive loose-forward firming for his first Test since leaving Australia in 2017.
On Thursday, an enthusiastic Rennie raved at McMahon’s physical prowess after completing hotel quarantine last Tuesday.
“Our trainer put him through a pretty tough workout yesterday and he was in fantastic condition,” Rennie said. “His report was he reckoned he’d be the fittest in this team. That’s how good he is.
“During two weeks of quarantine, [our Wallabies trainer] turned his room into a gym, so he’s pretty much been living in a gym for the last couple of weeks. He’s certainly a consideration for next week.
“It’s a real pity because he played a lot of Tests and left at such a young age. He’s been really impressive. He’s also done a lot of study around our structures, so he’s been able to come out and hit the ground running which has been really impressive.”
