Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.
Matt Toomua is coming off his best ever Super Rugby season. Source:Getty Images
OVER coffee in mid-2010, Matt Toomua gave Ewen McKenzie a "thanks, but no thanks" on an offer to join Queensland, and then a lift home as well.
Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.
Three years after dropping McKenzie at his front step, however, Toomua is this week hoping to impress the now-Wallabies coach enough that he's not the one on the end of a "sorry mate".
"Hopefully there is no revenge planned, to get back for that," Toomua joked on Tuesday.
Toomua should be pretty safe on that front but there may still be some nervous glances around the training paddock for the 23-year-old as he vies to step up from Super Rugby and make the cut in McKenzie's Bledisloe Cup squad.
After a stellar season with the Brumbies, Toomua is one of three nominated five-eighths in the Wallabies 40-man squad – along with Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley.
Given all three were not even in the Wallabies' squad for the Lions series, the No.10 jersey is wide open and many believe Toomua has shown with his form in Super Rugby he is up to a Test debut against the All Blacks.
Cooper's history with the coach at Reds days may have his nose in front, but McKenzie admitted on Monday he thought so highly of Toomua he attempted to poach him in 2010.
"Yeah, a few years ago I had a chat to Ewen about going up there," Toomua said.
"It didn't work out to go up to Queensland, but that's probably the last time I chatted to him. All I remember is we met in Coogee, and we actually gave Ewen a ride home afterwards, which I thought was really cool. It showed how down to earth he was."
Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.
Knowing Matt Giteau planned to move on in 2011, Toomua elected to stay in Canberra and wait for his chance to inherit the No.10. The chance to be mentored by one of the Wallabies' finest ever fly-halves, Stephen Larkham, was also a huge lure and saw the stocky pivot re-sign with the Brumbies again last year.
"When Jake re-signed Stephen a couple of years ago I knew that was huge for me and I knew I would do everything I could to stay in that environment," he said.
"Steve has been massive. We work through a game every week, the good things, what he's seeing, what I'm seeing. He was a different player that what I am, but you couldn't really ask for someone better to mentoring you, could you? Jake actually has a lot of hands on stuff as well, so it's a great environment for me."
Following a debut as an 18-year-old in 2008, Toomua battled a string of injury-plagued seasons but credits a consistent run of games in 2013 behind his upsurge in form.
His strength in defence is a key asset, but Toomua said he'd been attempting to strike a balance between Jake White's preference for a "Butch James"-style pivot, and a more Australian ball-player.
"(James) is probably the classic example as a confrontational 10, and Jake likes to mould things around that, but Stephen will always remind me you're a five-eighth," Toomua said.
"Something we have in Australia about our playmakers is a lot different. It has been a strength of ours in the past, and to not lose that and just remember we like to play that innovative style in Australia, so don't get too caught up in being a ninth forward."
With 10 players to be culled after Friday's session, Toomua admitted competition for spots and a genuine sense of optimism about selection chances under McKenzie's new regime would help all players improve.
"When you know there is people there vying for spots, it ultimately motivates you," Toomua said.
"It's a weird kind of dynamic in the sense that us three weren't involved in the previous camp, so I think we've all come here with a bit of a jump in our step, knowing we can reach for that spot.
"You are lying if you say you haven't thought about, every person here has looked past and seen who they're up against. That's only natural, but we don't know yet. He could pick four five-eighths going into the squad. It's up to Ewen."
Toomua's experience at No.12 and No.15 could prove to be an asset for a potential bench spot, although Foley can also play fullback.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Matt back under McKenzie microscope
Dengan url
http://sportifoclube.blogspot.com/2013/08/matt-back-under-mckenzie-microscope.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Matt back under McKenzie microscope
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Matt back under McKenzie microscope
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar