Not only is Queensland Reds goalkicking ace Mike Harris making waves for Wallabies selection, but Western Force lock Toby Lynn is also quickly establishing himself as one of Australia’s leading second-rowers.
Lynn has held onto his spot in the Force’s second-row next to Nathan Sharpe, who is set to become the first player to reach 150 Super Rugby matches when he faces the Hurricanes in Perth on Friday night, despite Sam Wykes returning from injury as one of the standout locks of 2011.
Although Wykes was named on the bench after missing the Force’s first two matches against the Brumbies and Queensland Reds due to a hamstring injury, it isn’t certain that he will replace Lynn, even with a return to match fitness after his impressive form last season.
Lynn, who has played 32 Super Rugby matches for the Chiefs and double that for Waikato in national provincial games, has yet to represent New Zealand at any level. This works in favor of Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, as the 26-year-old can play for Australia, thanks to his grandfather Mac, who was born in Kondinin, located 279km east of Perth.
Force coach Richard Graham is eager to endorse Lynn as a Wallabies contender, especially this year, as Sharpe’s Test career is nearing its conclusion and there is ongoing uncertainty regarding Dan Vickerman’s future.
“It’s a great time to be a lock in Australia,” Graham expressed.
“I see a significant opportunity for Toby. His work in the set-piece has been impressive, and his contributions in tight play have been both abrasive and precise.”
Reds lock Rob Simmons, one of the current Wallabies second-rowers, expressed admiration for Lynn after facing him last weekend in Brisbane.
“He’s a diligent worker,” Simmons commented. “With Sharpie handling many ball carries for the Force, Lynn complements him well by effectively contributing in the tight.”
The Force are awaiting scan results on Test No.8 Ben McCalman’s shoulder, which he injured during the match against the Reds and had to be substituted at half-time. There is hope that McCalman’s injury will sideline him for only one or two games.
Interestingly, Graham has opted not to simply replace McCalman with former Wallabies No.8 Richard Brown, who is also making his first appearance of the season due to injury. Instead, Brown has been placed at blindside flanker, with Matt Hodgson moving to the back of the scrum.
“This allows us to strategically achieve something,” Graham stated vaguely.
Despite the impressive performance of the Force halves in the second half against Brisbane, where James Stannard moved from five-eighth to halfback to make way for Ben Seymour’s Super Rugby debut, Graham has chosen his senior halfback duo of Brett Sheehan and Stannard, keeping Seymour on the bench.
It appears that the Force coach wants to observe how Stannard, his most seasoned 10, performs alongside former Wallabies winger/fullback Cameron Shepherd, who is also returning from an injury absence.
“My expectations are that Shepherd will aid Stannard in controlling the game,” Graham explained. “His communication and organizational skills will be crucial.”
Brumbies captain Ben Mowen, meanwhile, will understand all too well the danger of underestimating the bottom-placed Cheetahs when his team faces them in Canberra on Saturday afternoon.
Mowen was part of the New South Wales Waratahs side that was booed off the field last year after suffering a 26-3 defeat by the Cheetahs, marking the first win for the team from Bloemfontein in Sydney.
“We’ll need to be very cautious around them,” he said.
“Last weekend, they didn’t play their best rugby when losing (51-19) to the Bulls, but teams tend to bounce back strongly after such defeats.”
by Buford Balony
