‘Not a competition’ as Tedesco takes reins from Reece
Murray Wenzel |
James Tedesco won’t be sidetracked by thoughts of upstaging Reece Walsh in the battle for Australia’s No.1 jersey when he plays his first Test in three years.
The Sydney Roosters premiership skipper, overlooked for Walsh in the Kangaroos’ World Cup-opening win over New Zealand, will be back in the fray when the hosts face Fiji in Brisbane on Sunday.
Since his last Test appearance in 2023, Tedesco has won back his NSW jersey, claimed last year’s Dally M and was the Clive Churchill Medallist as Roosters captain earlier this month.
But Brisbane opposite Walsh staked his claim in a barnstorming return from injury, scoring a long-range solo try and saving another with a huge tackle on Kalyn Ponga in Australia’s two-point win.
It leaves coach Kevin Walters with a major selection call to make at the pointy end of the tournament.
“Those big moments; he hadn’t played in six, seven weeks but he turned up in big moments and nailed them,” Tedesco, the oldest member of the squad at 33, said of Walsh.
“He was great all week, asking for advice.
“But it’s not a competition. I’ve got an opportunity and all I can do is make the most of it and do my role.
“Walshy does things on the field so it’s about knowing my game and being an experienced leader.
“Walshy, he was soaking up anything I had to say last week and I enjoy that role.”
Tedesco will return to a side also set to feature a new-look halves combination of Sam Walker and Tom Dearden, with Cam Munster set to be rested and Mitchell Moses (calf) ruled out of the tournament through injury.
Moses’s scratching may play into Walsh’s hands, with the Broncos fullback – like the Parramatta playmaker – boasting a long kicking game that Tedesco doesn’t offer.
Tedesco won’t enter Sunday’s Suncorp Stadium clash anxious to prove himself, though.
“I’m not seeing it like that, it’s just my opportunity and I don’t know whether it’s going to be the last,” Tedesco said after Australia trained indoors on a wet Brisbane Monday.
“To get another shot in the Australian jersey, I wasn’t sure I was going to get another one … all my focus and energy is into this game.”
Tedesco said Roosters teammate Walker would bring his eyes-up style to the Test arena, but couple it with lessons learnt from Daly Cherry-Evans.
“He’s been so, so good for us this year,” Tedesco said of halfback Walker.
“It’s high-instinct footy, he takes opportunities where he sees it, but he’s worked hard on the effort areas and learning under Chez.”
Fiji opened their campaign with a 40-12 defeat of the Cook Islands on Sunday and produced a massive scare in a tight six-point loss to New Zealand at the quarter final stage of the last Cup.
Man-of-the-match Brandon Wakeham had three try assists, two line breaks and four tackle breaks on Sunday, while Api Koroisau also created headaches at dummy half.
AAP