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Kid Dynamite is feeling his age
By Iain Payten
October 01, 2008 MATT Giteau turned 26 on Monday and, according to his young punk teammates, took receipt of his rocking chair a day later.
Giteau might still be known as Kid Dynamite but there was no escaping his new long-in-the-tooth status as battlelines were drawn in the youthful new Wallabies squad.
"In our units (the backs) we had old boys versus the young boys," Giteau said.
"I'm 26 now but, mate, I am not even close to being with the young boys. I'm comfortably an old guy.
"We even had to get Adam Ashley-Cooper over and he's 24. A 24-year-old is considered old, that's how young our squad is at the moment."
A year ago Giteau would have comfortably fallen into the junior bracket, but under a revolution of youth being ushered in by Robbie Deans, times have swiftly changed.
With an eye to the future during the winter - and for the spring tour - Deans has dropped the average age of the Wallabies by almost two years from that of the 2007 World Cup squad.
Last year's Wallabies had an average age of 27.1, whereas the 34-man squad heading north next month only has an average 25.5 years on the clock.
Of the 17 Wallabies squad members brought in by Deans post-World Cup, 13 are younger than 25.
"I think it's good," said Giteau, having accepted his new elderly status.
"You're developing guys, looking to the future, getting them ready for the World Cup in 2011. Developing these guys at a young age can only be good for Australian rugby."
One Wallabies newcomer young enough to not face a switch to the oldies camp until 2015 is 18-year-old Force rookie James O'Connor.
Giteau is one who can empathise with O'Connor, having been called up for his first tour as an untried 19-year-old in the spring of 2002.
O'Connor made his Super 14 debut as a 17-year-old this year alongside Giteau, and his Force five-eighth has kept a kind brotherly eye on the teen. Well, perhaps kind isn't quite the word.
"What he lacks in size, he makes up for with confidence," Giteau smiles.
"He is a very confident kid but that's something you need coming in at a young age. I must say he's been fairly quiet so far. I have a dig at him every now and then and he doesn't say anything back but by the end of the tour that'll change."
Though he baulks at the idea there's something of himself in O'Connor - "I'm not that lairy" - Giteau says the utility back has all the right qualities.
"He's a very skilful player. He's small in size but makes up for it - he doesn't shy away from defence, he is willing to get in and have a go," Giteau said.
"All the young guys brought in have the potential to play Tests.
"They have been able to play at Super 14 level at their age. Now it depends on how much work they want to put into it. If James works hard, he can become one of the great players."
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