โTom Lynagh, Ben Donaldson, Noah [Lolesio] … Tane [Edmed] has been on the fringes for a while.
Theyโve all shown really good glimpses in Wallabies colours, but they havenโt had the chance to cement their position for long enough. I think itโs a developing space for Australia.
Stephen Larkham and George Gregan with the Wallabies in 2007Credit: Getty Images
โIf you look at Finn Russell, who is the mainstay for Scotland, the form five-eighth over in the English Premiership, heโs had time in the seat, and we just havenโt had the guys whoโve had the time in the seat.โ
Unlike his former five-eighth, who is in Canberra for business ahead of facing the Lions on Wednesday, Gregan has travelled to the capital from his home in London for pleasure, catching up with friends, family and former teammates.
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Gregan was once the master of getting inside the heads of his former opponents. He said that the same rules cannot apply to a player of the class of Irish scrum Gibson-Park.
โI donโt think you ever really shut down a player like Jamison Gibson-Park, you donโt really shut down someone like an [Antoine] Dupont or an Aaron Smith, theyโre just quality players and they see the field,โ Gregan said.
โHe [Gibson-Park] sees the field very well … heโs got a very good kicking game and heโs just got a really good feel for the game, when to run, when to pass, when to kick…
โIf heโs got good playmakers on either side of him, which he does and which he will, itโs really, really hard.
โIf you focus too much on him, then the players around him have more space. So thatโs what makes him such a great playmaker and thatโs why heโs been consistently one of the best nines in the world for a long period of time now.โ
All matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.
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