Axed Wallaby under Eddie Jones looking ‘constantly threatening’ in 2024
Tom Wright with ball in hand for the Brumbies.
Brumbies full-back Tom Wright has shown incredible form so far this season in Super Rugby Pacific, with his outing in round five against Moana Pasifika particularly brilliant.
It is good to see the star play so well after being unceremoniously axed from the Wallabies set-up last year by Eddie Jones after some high-profile errors in the gold jumper.
Wright was not the only big omission from the Wallabies under Jones, with the influential duo of Quade Cooper and Michael Hooper also facing the axe.
The omission
Still, the electric runner who was heavily involved with the Wallabies in the Dave Rennie has clearly worked hard to elevate his game to try and impress Australia’s new coach, Joe Schmidt.
“He had a couple of big mistakes in two Test matches last year that cost him dearly,” former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles told Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.
“We’ve got so much going on during the World Cup last year and there was a Barbarians squad. I remember seeing a photo of the Barbarians and just looking going ‘hang on.’
“Why is Tom Wright not in the Wallabies – like six weeks after it was named? He’s only ever been good for every team he’s played in.
“He had two moments in the Test series leading up to the World Cup selection. Like that’s a huge, quality player we left out of that World Cup squad.”
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Worked hard
Hoiles was highly impressed that Wright chose to work harder after being axed rather than being frustrated about the decision.
“That can go one of two ways,” Hoiles said.
“Players can spit the dummy and not work hard in the offseason.
“He’s a Sydney boy, he was back up and down the highway (to Canberra), doing speed training all summer, working his backside off.
“And, yeah, it looks as though (Brumbies coach Stephen) Larkham’s given them a little bit more of a licence to counter from deep…
“The freedom they’re playing with – he’s just making (winger) Corey Toole look better. He’s helping (five-eighth Noah) Lolesio.
“That’s a sign of a really good player when the players inside and outside you are thriving. I thought he was excellent the other night, and there were a couple that got pulled back that could have been tries for him. He’s just constantly threatening.
“He’s gonna have a good year for us.”