Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt says the Charlie Cale "package" is ready to handle the Test arena, confident an early selection call on his starting debut this week will give him the perfect opportunity to star.
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Cale has been thrust into the Wallabies No.8 jersey for the second Test against Wales in Melbourne on Saturday night after captain Liam Wright suffered a shoulder injury.
The rangy ACT Brumbies back-rower made his international debut from the bench last week but will take on a larger role alongside Rob Valetini and Fraser McReight.
Cale was a revelation in Super Rugby this year, starring for the Brumbies and launching himself on to Schmidt's radar earlier than anyone anticipated.
All of his skills were on display in his first full season for the Brumbies - lineout steals, seagull tries on the wing and even kicking and chasing to score.
His elevation into the starting side is seemingly a breakaway from the Wallabies' pursuit of power as the only priority for a No.8. Maybe the best way to sum him up is a combination of players. The height to be a lineout disruptor like Justin Harrison, the open-space skills to emulate George Smith and the speed to maybe match Michael Hooper.
It's a "package" combination that will surely pave the way for a new nickname for one of the bright sparks in Australian rugby of the past 18 months.
"Every time he scores off those, I'm delighted," Schmidt said when asked about Cale's expansive style.
"Charlie brings that package. That package can help destabilise a defensive system that Wales might have. What really impressed me with Charlie was that event today he was working really hard on the other side of the ball [in defence].
"Having that athleticism to connect and help on the edge when he's defending out wide ... he got in nice and tight and worked hard. One of the things about Test footy is you can't just play one side of the ball.
![Charlie Cale showed all his skills for the Brumbies this year. Pictures by Gary Ramage, Keegan Carroll Charlie Cale showed all his skills for the Brumbies this year. Pictures by Gary Ramage, Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/2a3562c7-386e-4c79-a8a1-e5f1b1a6b2e3.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I'm not saying Charlie did during the [Brumbies' season], but his application to the defensive side of the ball was really good today. If he we can free him up, those aspects with the ball will be a strength."
Schmidt said he considered throwing Brumbies teammates Tom Hooper and Nick Frost on to the bench to offer extra cover in Wright's absence, but ultimately decided Cale was the best man to start with Langi Gleeson on the bench.
"There's a bit of fortune with Liam being injured. But you earn what you get and I think he's earned it on the back of Super Rugby form," Schmidt said of Cale's selection.
"He was relatively quiet when he came off the bench last weekend and to give a young player real confidence - to get the training week, to get the clarity early ... it just meant for Charlie there's nice clarity and he get his head around the requirements.
"Inevitably when you come off the bench you don't get the same reps in the team. So for lineout clarity where he's so quick into the air, for the clarity around his role in the defensive system or the attacking shape ... for him, it'll be a nice runway into the game."
Veteran prop James Slipper will captain the Wallabies, reluctantly, for the 15th time in Wright's absence, but Schmidt is hopeful his new leader will only miss one game.
"He'd [Wright] be a good chance for next week but this week was just too tight," Schmidt said in Melbourne on Thursday.
"He got a decent whack on the shoulder.
"He ran really [well at training on Thursday] so there's no other elements of his fitness that we're worried about, just having full function of the shoulder for a No.6 is pretty important.
![Allan Alaalatoa, left, and James Slipper, right, are Wallabies captaincy contenders while Charlie Cale is set to make his starting debut. Pictures by Keegan Carroll, Gary Ramage Allan Alaalatoa, left, and James Slipper, right, are Wallabies captaincy contenders while Charlie Cale is set to make his starting debut. Pictures by Keegan Carroll, Gary Ramage](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/a351d680-2f7d-4a47-b552-f6b51f46ae3e.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"[Slipper] isn't massively keen on [captaining] ... he just leads himself really well.
"He'll do a great job. Fantastic experience. It's that quiet leadership that we'll need."
Slipper is part of an unchanged front row that includes hooker Matt Faessler and tighthead prop Taniela Tupou.
Schmidt is hoping to build on their gritty 25-16 win over last year's World Cup nemesis.
The Wallabies will be seeking consecutive victories for the first time since a five-game winning streak was halted in 2021 in what would be a huge confidence boost to begin the Schmidt era following the Eddie Jones-led World Cup disaster.
"We made 68 tackles in the last 10-12 minutes," Schmidt said of last week's win in Sydney.
"We don't want to be tackling that long against a Welsh side that are coming in waves.
"We've got to get a little bit more pressure on the ball."
In a major blow for Wales, No.8 Aaron Wainwright (hamstring) and Josh Hathaway (elbow) have been ruled out with injury.
The Welsh haven't won a Test since last year's World Cup, and haven't beaten the Wallabies across 12 Tests in Australia since 1969.
"A big fan of Wainwright," Schmidt said. "He was really good for them last year and through last week's game. We tried to double team and he still took gain line off us."