Inside running goes to Rob Horne to replace Pat McCabe
WALLABIES assistant coach Tony McGahan has nominated outside centre Rob Horne as a potential replacement for injured inside centre Pat McCabe for the opening Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks in Sydney in two weeks.
McCabe will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a stress fracture of his lower left leg, ruling him out of the first two Tests against the All Blacks in Sydney and Auckland.
While there are several options at inside centre, Horne would be the midfielder whose game is most like that of McCabe's.
Horne started at inside centre for the Wallabies against the US in the World Cup in New Zealand last year to give him experience in the position.
After fracturing his cheekbone in a collision in the opening minute, he scored a try and played the majority of the game.
"Losing any player of Pat's stature in the group, not only from a playing perspective, but also from a leadership perspective, is certainly going to be a big loss, but it opens an opportunity for someone else to come in and take that spot," McGahan said.
"Someone will step up. Rob Horne is there. We've still got some other options." The other options include Adam Ashley-Cooper, Anthony Fainga'a, Mike Harris and Ben Tapuai, who re-signed with the ARU and the Queensland Reds yesterday for another two years.
There is also the possibility of playing Kurtley Beale or Quade Cooper at five-eighth and moving Berrick Barnes to inside centre.
"I could list four or five guys," McGahan said. "We'll have a look at the best fit. You don't want to be moving guys out of position and changing a lot so hopefully we'll get through the rest of this camp without any more injuries."
Asked whether the Wallabies would choose an inside centre to match up with Sonny Bill Williams, McGahan said: "Our primary focus will be how we want to play and how we want to defend and what we want to do."
McGahan said the Wallabies would like to settle on a new inside centre as soon as possible.
"You want to be giving players the opportunity to train there and be able to settle on that and give the whole team and that particular individual time to be able to participate and demonstrate what they have to do in training and have the ability and confidence to put that on the field," he said.
The Wallabies are hoping McCabe, James O'Connor and Wycliff Palu will return from injury for the Test against the Springboks in Perth in six weeks.
"You are missing three players who have such a huge influence at Test level," McGahan said.
"Any time you are taking out high-quality players ... and James Horwill adds another name to that list ... it's always going to be difficult."
