Six years after dodging Michael Cheika’s calls, Hamish Stewart is poised to finally make his Wallabies debut against Argentina in Sunday’s (8am AEST) Rugby Championship fixture in Buenos Aires.
The 26-year-old, who was first invited to camp by Cheika in 2018, is set to replace injured teammate Hunter Paisami and pull on the No.12 jersey.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt could have selected Brumbies recruit David Feliuai, or shifted Len Ikitau one position closer to the action, but the experienced coach has seemingly settled on someone who has been in every one of his squads this year.
His call-up is reward for a player who has built a strong body of work, where he had played more than 100 Super Rugby matches for the Reds and Force since debuting in 2017.
It’s also a smart selection move, with Stewart someone who will offer the Wallabies glue, not Teflon.
“I think it might be the time for Stewart,” former Wallabies back Morgan Turinui said. “Let’s just find out. Obviously, highly rated. This might be the [Test]. I would have thought now is the time to find out [if he’s up to it].”
His selection also will also see a return to the traditional dual ball-playing options, which has gone out of fashion over the past decade since Ma’a Nonu changed the way teams attack.
“It might be time to see that different style of footy with him at 12 like the Foley-Giteau role,” 71-cap Wallabies halfback Nick Phipps said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts podcast.
“We’ve definitely had two big boys playing in the centres for a long time, it might be good to see them release a little bit.
“Last week we spoke about how they were playing a little bit tighter, it might good for them to release a bit more with those two ball-playing options.”
Hamish Stewart is poised to finally make his debut six years after being brought into camp by Michael Cheika. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images for ARU)
A former back-rower, Stewart burst onto the scene when he led the Reds to a famous win over the Lions at Suncorp Stadium in 2018.
The victory led Cheika to get on the blower in an attempt to invite him into camp ahead of the Wallabies’ three-Test series against Schmidt’s coached Irish side. Not that he proved easy to track down, though.
“If Hamish would answer his phone, I would tell him he’s coming into training this week but he doesn’t want to answer his phone,” Cheika quipped.
“I’ve rung him three times this afternoon.
“He’s either phone screening or he doesn’t like me – I don’t know what’s going on.
“I’ve been ringing him telling him I want him to come into training, so I can have a look at you and you can run as the 10 in the other team.
“But any backrower that can convert to playing 10 – which was my dream – I think I have to have a look at him at some stage.”
Hamish Stewart in action against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium, on April 27, 2024, in Dunedin. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
Several coaches have looked Stewart over the years, but now he’ll finally get the chance after a couple of strong seasons at the Force since leaving the Reds at the end of 2022.
Stewart will give Noah Lolesio some extra voice in the middle and another playmaking option outside him to help shoulder the load.
Strong defensively, he will also ensure the Wallabies’ defence stands up against a Pumas side that racked up a record 38 points against the All Blacks on New Zealand soil during their first-up TRC victory earlier this month.
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“I’m leaning more towards bringing Hamish Stewart in,” former Wallabies outside back Cameron Shepherd said on Stan Sport’s Rugby Heaven last week.
“He had his best season of Super Rugby. He was fantastic with the Force. Defensively he was like a brick wall.”
The prince of centres Tim Horan, who has watched Stewart progress from a schoolboy into the professional environment, said the Force midfielder would hold up physically.
“He’s put on a bit of size and he looks really fit,” Horan said.
