Michael Cheika says Jono Lance is a better player since joining the Western Force

HE’S one of the unluckiest Australian players of the past decade — stuck behind Wallabies stars during two Super Rugby title wins — but Michael Cheika believes it’s only a matter of time before Jono Lance makes his Test debut.

The playmaker sat on the bench for the entirety of Australia’s thrilling 25-23 win over France on Saturday after being a game-day callup for Quade Cooper.
Lance’s enthusiastic sideline warmups were in vain as the clock ticked down and Cheika refused to pull the experienced Bernard Foley with the game on the line.
It continued a familiar tune for the 26-year-old’s professional career, where he’s been close — but not quite there — for the past decade.
During the Reds title-winning season in 2011, he found himself stuck behind Quade Cooper — and three years later it was Foley and Kurtley Beale who stood in his way at the Waratahs.
It hasn’t been until a move to the Western Force this year that Lance has started receiving the sort of responsibility he needs to prove himself at the top level.
“Over the last 12 months (I’ve watched) some of the quality he’s brought since he’s been running the show at the Western Force,” Cheika said.
“He’s a different player to the one that I coached at the Tahs and he’s come on and I don’t think he got his cap tonight but he’s now in the system with us and we’ll keep working with him.”
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/f...1bfb94f0a2968c
Jono Lance will play for Australia against the French Barbarians on Thursday.Source:News Corp Australia



Lance will be top dog in the Wallabies outfit which takes on a French Barbarians team in Bordeaux on Thursday — a further indication that he’s on track to take the next step.

It's a real shame he got injured when he was running hot at the beginning of last season. I reckon he would have been a shoe in for the Spring tour. A bit of international experience and confidence will do him the world of good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by travelling_gerry

"It hasn’t been until a move to the Western Force this year that Lance has started receiving the sort of responsibility he needs to prove himself at the top level. Over the last 12 months (I’ve watched) some of the quality he’s brought since he’s been running the show at the Western Force,” Cheika said. “He’s a different player to the one that I coached at the Tahs and he’s come on and I don’t think he got his cap tonight but he’s now in the system with us and we’ll keep working with him."

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Could this be a vote to keep the :force: by the Wallabies coach (and former Waratahs coach)?

To be fair to Cheika I doubt he ever wanted to see the Force go.
He's been fairly vocal in wanting to build depth in the Wallabies and he's not shy in picking blokes from the Force even though we didn't do well last season.

Cheika would be stupid to pump for losing any of the franchises in Australia.

His talent pool is already limited by the inability to pick most players contracted outside Super Rugby and the massive money available in Europe.

To (essentially) send 35 blokes off to Europe and Japan and lose the ability to pick them if they do show promise makes his job 20% harder.

Cheika is not responsible for the financial state of the game, he's not responsible for keeping South Africa happy and he's not responsible for pleasing the TV networks, his only concern is making the Wallabies win one or two against the sheep shaggers.

The more professionals he has running around in Aussie rugby teams, the better.

Any news on Jono's injury status?
Will he be back in time for the start of 2017 season?

Reports say yes. Only time will tell