By Nick Mulvenney
(Reuters) – Harry Wilson was a surprise choice as Wallabies skipper but the big loose forward feels he is growing into the role as he prepares to lead Australia out for the fourth time in Wellington on Saturday.
The Australia captaincy has been a revolving door over the last two seasons with Eddie Jones naming six skippers in 2023 and Joe Schmidt four in eight tests so far in the 2024 campaign.
Number eight Wilson was first handed the captaincy for the Rugby Championship win over Argentina in La Plata and also led the team in their record 67-27 loss to the Pumas a week later.
A similar drubbing looked on the cards when the All Blacks scored three tries in the first 16 minutes of last week’s Sydney clash but a second-half revival saw the Wallabies almost pull off a stunning win.
The nature of that 31-28 defeat has given Australia some confidence that they can beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time since 2001 in the return match on Saturday.
Wilson said he was becoming more comfortable in the captaincy game-by-game, even if he leaves the passionate team talks to more experienced players in the leadership group.
“I’m not the biggest talker in the team,” the amiable 24-year-old told reporters on Friday.
“There’s a lot of boys who I lean on there, I guess I talk a bit more before kickoff and just make sure we go out there and nail our role.
“I just want to lead by example on the field and I feel as if that’s what any captain should do. I need to go out there and perform on Saturday.”
Wilson made his test debut as a blindside flanker against the All Blacks in Wellington in 2020, when the Wallabies drew 16-16 after a late Reece Hodge penalty kick bounced back off the upright.
He earned 11 more caps over the next two seasons but was frozen out by Jones in 2023 and missed the first two tests of this year with injury before returning as a number eight against Georgia in late July.
Undoubtedly benefiting from the gap left by Rob Valetini’s shift to the blindside flank, Wilson has played every minute of Australia’s Rugby Championship campaign this year.
Schmidt, who is as understated as his captain, likes what Wilson has brought to the side both as a leader and an increasingly consistent big ball-carrier.
“Harry’s been really good for us. He’s played well. He’s led well, not because he says a lot,” Schmidt said after naming his team on Thursday.
“He makes the big decisions from static play but apart from that, he’s just trying to decide how he’s how he’s going to get to the ball next, and how he’s going to carry that one or tackle that one.
“What I have been impressed with is the big body getting back up off the ground and getting back into position and being loaded to go again, because that’s what we need from Harry.
“We need the impact that he offers, but also the volume of work that he offers.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
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