Skelton backs Wallabies to ace big games with ‘winning edge’

Sydney — If Eddie Jones was looking for winners when he started thinking about his Wallabies squad for the World Cup, the call to leviathan lock Will Skelton would have been one of the first he made.

The hulking forward won the Super Rugby title in 2014 with the Waratahs and since moving to Europe has won four European Cups, the first couple with English club Saracens and in the last two seasons with French outfit La Rochelle.

Named as one of Jones’ five overseas-based players for the Rugby Championship, Skelton returns to the southern hemisphere Test competition for the first time since 2016.

The New Zealand-born, Australian-raised second rower said he has been impressed with what he has seen so far in training before the opening match against SA in Pretoria next week.

“We’ve got all the ingredients,” the 31-year-old told reporters from the Gold Coast on Tuesday. “Eddie has selected a squad with youth, experience and edge — that is what is needed to win the big games.

“Edge is being tough at training … it is competing every set, every maul, every scrum,” he added. “And that starts at training and that will transfer to the field on the Saturday night or Sunday.”

One man who Skelton believes has that edge is Richie Arnold, the uncapped lock who also plays in France and was a surprise selection in Jones’ first training squad in early April.

“Richie is a pest, on the rugby field, he is a nuisance,” Skelton said with a chuckle. “In the lineout particularly, he is a menace. Also, he is physical, he has that edge.

“I’m happy that Richie is here because he deserves it. He has been playing world-class rugby over at Toulouse and hopefully brings that experience and that form to the gold jersey.”

Skelton, who missed Australia’s run to the final of the 2015 World Cup because of injury, admitted his form for the Wallabies has not always reached the peaks it has in club rugby.

“[I have] probably had a lot of opportunity in the jersey [and I have] probably not taken the best step forward … performance-wise,” he said. “But it is a different opportunity now for me to come over here and inject a bit of experience, a bit of wisdom, and see what I can add to this team going forward.”

Reuters