Wallabies pick Noah Lolesio at flyhalf for crucial clash against South Africa in Adelaide

In what looms as a massive moment in his young career, Lolesio has won the right to take the flyhalf reins in the Wallabies clash against South Africa.

A cameo appearance for Tuggeranong in Canberra last week was enough to get some game time for the first time in more than a month and prove to coach Dave Rennie he can step up.

The 22-year-old has been in and out of the Wallabies side since making his Test debut, and hasn't been given an extended run in the chief-playmaker role to show his talents.

But former ACT Brumbies coach and Wallabies assistant Dan McKellar backed the young star to step up after the Wallabies seemingly turned to veterans for the No. 10 answer.

James O'Connor has been axed, Quade Cooper is injured and Bernard Foley is back in the Test squad for the first time since 2019, but Lolesio gets the first shot.

"He was close to playing in Argentina," McKellar said. "It's a position that obviously hasn't been nailed yet by an individual.

"Noah gets his chance this week. He's got Nic White on his inside who he knows well. They've got a good combination, they've played a lot of footy together so they should have good cohesion. Noah's got to worry about doing his job within our plan."

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

Lolesio's returns comes amid an unsettled Wallabies squad, coach Rennie forced to make numerous changes to his side amid a mounting injury toll.

The flyhalf was thrown into the furnace for the opening England Test last month when Cooper went down with a calf injury in the warm up.

Lolesio impressed in that victory, but Australia lost the series after falling to Eddie Jones' side in the second and third matches.

Cooper returned, but tore his Achilles tendon against Argentina, prompting Rennie to overlook Lolesio in favour of O'Connor. The 32-year-old has since been dropped completely from the squad, fellow veteran Foley earning a call-up.

That has put the pressure on Lolesio to prove he deserves to retain the No.10 jumper as Rennie constantly looks to alternative options to fill the role.

Former AIS psychologist Jeff Bond said that can often lead to players overplaying their hand in an attempt to produce as standout showing.

Bond, also a former Brumbies mind coach, said Lolesio must remain calm and composed and focus on fulfilling his role within the team.

"It's an old coaching cliche, but it's important to execute the fundamentals first," Bond said. "The last thing you want to do is hit the 'try too hard button'. That doesn't solve anything, you can't play in the zone when you hit that button.

"What you have to do, and it's a damn hard thing to do, is go back to fundamentals and execute your fundamental plays.

"My advice to any team going through a string of losses or a bad patch is to regroup, settle down and don't panic. Go back to basics, execute your fundamental plays and do the things you're good at."

It's a message McKellar has also been eager to reinforce throughout the week.

The former Brumbies head coach is well aware of Lolesio's capabilities, having helped the emerging playmaker grow into a Wallaby over the past three years.

Given his talent, McKellar is determined to ensure the flyhalf does not place undue pressure on himself to perform against the Springboks on Saturday.

"My advice is he doesn't need to go out there and think he needs to be the best player on the field and be man of the match," McKellar said. "He's just got to do the basics well, direct us around the park and manage the game well.

"He has to understand when we've got momentum, understand when we don't have momentum and how we handle that by playing the game in the right areas of his field. That's what his job is.

"If he does that, kicks his goals and he's really solid, that's a tick in the box for him. I don't think it's about him going out and thinking he's got to create a whole lot of opportunities for others, it's just about being solid and doing his job well."

The Wallabies will name the rest of their team on Thursday, with James Slipper to continue in the captaincy role.

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: