Rugby World Cup 2019: Eddie Jones puts the pressure on Australia youngster Jordan Petaia to deliver
England boss believes the 19-year-old has to rise to the occasion in what will be only his fifth professional match of the year after being selected ahead of James O’Connor for this weekend’s World Cup quarter-final
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Your support makes all the difference.Jordan Petaia will become just the fourth teenager to play in a Rugby World Cup knockout match after Michael Cheika trusted the young centre to start against England this Saturday, but counterpart Eddie Jones wasted little time in challenging him to “rise to the occasion”.
The 19-year-old was a surprise inclusion in Cheika’s Wallabies side that will face Jones’s side in Saturday’s quarter-final in Oita, with the head coach electing to replace James O’Connor at outside centre in what will only be Petaia’s fifth professional match of 2019, with a serious foot injury ruling him out of the bulk of the Super Rugby season and the Rugby Championship as well as Australia’s warm-up match with Samoa.
But despite making his debut on the wing earlier in the tournament, the Queensland Reds back has been given the nod ahead of the more experienced O’Connor to try and inspire Australia into the semi-finals after impressing his coach in Japan.
"We didn’t sit back and earmark this game for him to come and play at 13. We just watched the games and made the assessments of each player as they went along and there were things that we liked and what we've seen from Jordan both on the field in games and also at training and we felt that this would be a game that would suit him.
"The guy's been in around the squad for a while now even though he's young, he's more than ready to do this. The way his demeanour is you wouldn't think he was picked, he was just loping around as per normal so it’s going to be great. I trust him infinitely and that’s why he's been chosen.
"He’s pretty relaxed but he's very well prepared. That’s the one thing I’ve noticed about him, he gives off a demeanour of talking pretty cool and chill, but he’s very well prepared both off the field in getting ready tactically and physically.
"He’s been able to build good relationships within the team and is very well-liked and I think he's very consistent in that way. He's got a great demeanour and I really like it.
"I wouldn’t be looking at the age of players at either end of the spectrum ... yes, it’s going to be fast and aggressive and all that type of stuff and I know that lad will rise up to that challenge. I know it. I've seen it in him, so I know he will on Saturday.”
Petaia will become the youngest Wallaby Test centre since Jason Little made his debut 30 years ago, having been hailed as a potential wonderkid by those that have seen his early progress. But while he has caught the eye of fellow Australian Jones, the England boss wasted little opportunity to apply the pressure onto his young shoulder.
“He’s a handy player,” Jones said. “I’ve seen enough of him to know he can play a bit, but it’s going to be a big occasion for the boy.
“He’s playing a quarter-final in front of 40,000 people in Oita where you know that you don’t get another day. This is the day, and for a young player you can either rise to the occasion or you can find it difficult, and I don’t know his mindset but if Michael picks him then we’d anticipate that he’s ready to play.”
Petaia’s positional switch is combined with five changes to the side that beat Uruguay last time out, with prop Allan Ala'alatoa, scrum-half Will Genia, fly-half Christian Lealiifano and the returning Reece Hodge joining captain Michael Hooper in the side, with the skipper incredibly winning his 99th cap for the Wallabies at just 27 years old. Hodge goes straight back into the side after serving a three-week ban for a high tackle on Fiji’s Peceli Yato in Australia’s opening match in Japan, with Dane Haylett-Petty missing out on the squad completely as Kurtley Beale has recovered from a concussion to start at full-back and Marika Koroibete occupies the left wing.
Leallifano beats Matt Toomua and Bernard Foley to the No 10 shirt – with the latter left out of the matchday squad – but there is a surprise at scrum-half with Genia preferred to Nic White.
Samu Kerevi joins Petaia in the centres, while in the pack young Scott Sio and Tolu Latu are joined by Alaalatoa, with Izack Rodda and Rory Arnold continuing in the second row and Hooper joining David Pocock and Isi Naisarani in the back row.
Australia team to face England
Kurtley Beale; Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete; Christian Lealiifano, Will Genia; Scott Sio, Tolu Latu, Allan Alaalatoa; Izack Rodda, Rory Arnold; David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Isi Naisarani.
Replacements: Jordan Uelese, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Adam Coleman, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Nic White, Matt Toomua, James O’Connor.
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