Skelton’s Dilemma: Club vs Country

Will Skelton, the towering rugby star, is caught in a tricky situation between his club and country. Rugby Australia still hopes he can play for the Wallabies in the upcoming Rugby Championship, following discussions with him over the weekend.

After a disappointing game against South Africa where the Wallabies struggled to defend against rolling mauls, the need for Skelton’s size and experience in the forward pack became evident. At 32, he’s a key player, but he’s also committed to his club, La Rochelle, where he just signed an extended contract.

Clubs like La Rochelle are required to release players for international duty, but European teams are frustrated by the loss of players during their early season. Skelton missed last year’s World Cup due to an injury but has been back training with La Rochelle this month.

Coach Joe Schmidt has said it’s complicated to get Skelton back from his club’s pre-season training. While he continues to talk to Skelton, Schmidt is focusing on players already available, such as Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams, who are returning from injuries for the Tests against Argentina.

Schmidt mentioned Frost’s excellent form recently and confirmed the return of other key players. However, the team has also faced fresh injury worries, including the loss of captain Allan Alaalatoa and others during the last game.

On a more positive note, 19-year-old Max Jorgensen finally made his debut for the Wallabies after overcoming a serious leg injury. Expressing his excitement, Jorgensen said that playing in the green and gold was a dream come true.