Matt Toomua is urging Wallabies coach Michael Cheika to change tack and give him a chance to showcase his new and improved game against the All Blacks.
Cheika only opted for two reserve backs – and six forwards – during Australia’s three-Test series against Ireland in June.
Continuing with a 6-2 split would leave Nick Phipps as Cheika’s “finishing” halfback and Toomua seemingly in a head-to-head duel with young gun Jack Maddocks for a place on the bench in Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship opener in Sydney.
But with Toomua highly rated by Cheika, and even lured back to Australia by the Wallabies boss after a two-year stint in the English Premiership, the versatile playmaker hopes he gets a crack when the team is named on Thursday.
“My suggestion would be to go 5-3 and we have a specialist 10-12 on the bench,” the midfielder said on Tuesday.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play 20-something games in the last year anyway, so I think I’ll be ready if I get called upon. Hopefully I get that opportunity.”
Accomplished enough to have secured 33 Test caps before his departure overseas, Toomua believes he has returned from Leicester a more complete player.
“It was the nature of being two years older, and playing two years more of footy does help,” he said.
“But I think the new environments, a lot of problem-solving there with the different seasons, different competitions, Test players weaving in and out, there is a lot more problem solving.
“As a playmaker, it’s quite good, mentally, trying to find ways to win in different environments and against teams, different styles of play. It’s probably helped knowledge more than anything.”
Whether he gets his chance this weekend or not, Toomua will almost certainly be used at some point during the Rugby Championship and says his chief focus is on pushing established playmakers Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale to also become better.
Whether the 28-year-old plays five-eighth or inside centre doesn’t matter.
“My junior stuff was all done at 10. I think I probably still slightly prefer it,” Toomua said.
“However, I do like playing 12 in the Australian system because it is more interchangeable than other systems.”
