Western Force prop Greg Holmes is on the verge of a remarkable return

Go Homer. How good would it to have Tom and Feleti in all all WF front row!

Western Force prop Greg Holmes is on the verge of a remarkable return to the Wallabies after shock recall
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Mon, 6 September 2021 4:47PM


Western Force prop Greg Holmes is on the verge of another Lazarus-like comeback to international rugby after being called into the Wallabies squad ahead of The Rugby Championship.
The veteran front-rower, 38, who trained with the Wallabies in Perth last week as cover for the injured Pone Faamausili, last played for Australia five years ago.
If Holmes pulls on the Wallabies jumper against either South Africa or Argentina it would be an astonishing return - but it still wouldn’t beat his previous remarkable comeback.
That time round he went seven years, nine months and 19 days between his 13th and 14th caps.
He made his debut in 2005 against France in Marseilles but it seemed his career may have ended two years later after the World Cup.
However in 2015, in a comeback Wallabies captain Stephen Moore described as “surreal”, he played 11 more internationals, won selection to his second Rugby World Cup and came off the bench in six of the seven matches of that campaign.
He played the last of his 27 Tests the following year.
The highly decorated Holmes joined the Force last year after two seasons in England with Exeter after 144 games with the Queensland Reds.
He had thought of retirement before getting the call from Force coach Tim Sampson quickly changed his mind.
He joined fellow Force front-rowers Tom Robertson and Feleti Kaitu’u and newly signed second-rower Izack Rodda on the flight to Queensland where the Wallabies face South Africa and Argentina.
Assistant coach Dan McKellar insists the side is “closer than people would think” to New Zealand and South Africa despite three straight Bledisloe Cup defeats.
He said they were frustrated with the results and had to make better use of opportunities.
“Very disappointed and frustrated,” McKellar said.
“We’ve had some really good periods within all three games but have been our own worst enemy at times.
“Reality is we gifted the All Blacks opportunities and points.
“We think we’re closer than most people would think, but the reality is we need to go back and focus on South Africa.
“We’ve got genuine belief as a coaching group. We’ve had a good look at South Africa and we see opportunities.
“They are a different side, they are a scrum, line-out, maul, defence based side.
“They prefer to play without the ball for long periods of time They will give us the ball, we’ve got to be smart with what we do with it.
South Africa are going to present an enormous challenge up front, big men who have a real thirst for scrummaging and mauling.”

Pity he didn't get a chance in Perth!

He couldn't play much worse than AAA or Tupou at the weekend. Alaalatoa was so anonymous I had to look up the match reports to see who played there, and Tupou mainly got his name called after he came on due to a mistake.

I can't see him unseating AAAAAAA or Sio, Dan McKellar has identified the focus for the Boks and that is set piece, Scrum, Lineout and the resulting Maul

Prepare for more Brumbies, not less, as Diva Dan doesn't appear to know anything about the other Aussie Franchises.

A poster on Green n Gold has mentioned AAAA about to leave the squad for birth of first child, that may just open the door for Holmes

Now confirmed on Rugby.com.au that AAAA heading back for birth of baby to Canberra and Greg will head with the squad and his partner to Queensland so that their baby can be born in Queensland.

As much as I love Greg I do wonder if this does not indicate the state of Australian rugby. Yes I know they have problems getting players to Q'Land but Greg is not a young man. Where are the future front rowers of Australian rugby

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Originally Posted by wholetruth

As much as I love Greg I do wonder if this does not indicate the state of Australian rugby. Yes I know they have problems getting players to Q'Land but Greg is not a young man. Where are the future front rowers of Australian rugby

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Being overlooked for mysterious reasons.I did a bit of background checking on that point and came up with the following list of front rowers who were talked up in the media during the season but haven't seen a minute of wallaby game time (note, I don't agree that all of these players are the future of Aussie rugby, but somebody thought they were good enough for a wrap)EloffFa'amasiliRobertsonOrrMafiKaitu'uLloydNo nggorIt's my understanding that all of these guys are younger than holmsey, and I'm aware that they don't have the versatility of being able to play both sides, but my point is, aaaaa and sip haven't exactly set the world alight, slipper has been serviceable but isn't a spring chicken BPA and Tupou really appear to be the only future-focused selections that haven't been generally shite.The short term focus would be understandable if we were destroying opposition scrums or playing like demons in general play, but the reality is it's been serviceable at best and were then left in a hole after (or perhaps before) the world cup when the geriatrics retire.I don't see selections on form, otherwise Robertson as a certainty would be there, I don't see selections based on potential or kaitu'u would have been given at least one crack to see if he's up to itIt's completely inexplicable

:lolup:
broughttoyoubythecampaignforthelackofpunctuation

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Originally Posted by Sheikh

:lolup:
broughttoyoubythecampaignforthelackofpunctuation

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Yup

I really need to stop posting on my phone don't I?

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Originally Posted by GIGS20

Yup

I really need to stop posting on my phone don't I?

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The Auto-correct is killing your arguments

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Originally Posted by .X.

The Auto-correct is killing your arguments

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You mean, if I managed to post stuff with line breaks and no random word changes, I would be making salient points worthy of consideration?


That's a compliment of the highest order

The Boks tight 5 and their replacements are technically superb and brutes … Australia has to front up with their best technical exponents in addition to strength and brutishness… that’s why Greg is there I think . AAA Sio Tupou will get hammered technically.
Campo is right we need the Coleman’s Skeltons Arnold’s etc playing for the Wallabies ( whole other can of worms )

Australian Rugby frustrates the hell out of me. If at the start of the Test season we were told that the Wallabies squad was selected with the 2023 Rugby World Cup in mind. That A relatively young and inexperienced squad was going to be developed. So that they peak at the World Cup. This, to me, makes perfect sense and is something I can get behind. I can accept a poor showing against the All Blacks this season knowing that with experience and game time this group of youngsters has potential.

However, Greg Holmes - who is an excellent Prop and Scrumminger, will not be at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he is 38 and probably was one, maybe 2 seasons of Super Rugby left in him. He is hardly the makings of a 2023 Wallabies World Cup Squad Member.

Either stand by your convictions - select the youth RWC capable squad. Or don't feed us this bullshit.

They tell you whatever story they need to tell you so that you accept the team they pick.

On one hand it's media and promotion 101 on the other it's them covering up the fact that they're picking players for reasons other than their ability to play rugby.