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Sixteen months ago, Corey Toole received the ball near his own 22 metre line at the ‘Cake Tin’ and turned several Hurricanes players inside out to set up one of the tries of the year.
He was given an inch and took a mile from the Hurricanes on their home track – the same venue the All Blacks will host the Wallabies this weekend in Bledisloe II.
One of those players was Ardie Savea, who was left catching nothing but air as he tried to ankle tap the speedster.
It was a try that made people stand up and take notice.
Jeff Wilson described the counter-attacking movement as “remarkable”.
Although he wasn’t the one who got on the scoresheet, he conjured up something out of nothing and did what New Zealanders typically do to the rest of the world by producing some counter-attacking genius.
A year and a half on, several tries later, including against New Zealand opposition when nothing else was on and his teammates had floundered, Toole is still waiting for a maiden Wallabies call-up.
Despite 16 others being handed debut caps, including wingers Dylan Pietsch and Darby Lancaster, in 2024 by Joe Schmidt, the New Zealander hasn’t called on the 24-year-old.
The question is why?
“In Australia he is, certainly speed times there a couple of guys on the stats that I have seen that are a bit quicker, but he’d be right up there,” Schmidt told reporters in Wellington.
“Today the quickest guy at training was Darby Lancaster, he’s another very quick young man and we’re just trying to build the depth with those two guys [and it’s] really exciting.
“Darby has had an opportunity, Corey was at the Olympics and I thought they did a super job there, I thought they were so close to getting a medal.
“Corey’s opportunity will come. I had a great meeting with Corey yesterday and talking through his game, he’s got a few priorities that he’s working on. It’s a matter of ‘when’ as long as he keeps tracking as he does – [but] he’s quick, yeah.”
Corey Toole has scored 17 tries in two seasons for the Brumbies. (Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)
If The Rugby Championship has revealed anything it is that little men can succeed.
After Damian McKenzie and Cheslin Kolbe made it sexy again to promote the little men, others like Kurt-Lee Arendse and Mateo Carreras – the 172cm Pumas pocket rocket – have added to the changing face of international wingers.
So is Schmidt reluctant to call on Toole?
“Some of those small guys like Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe are incredibly powerful and quick and experienced,” Schmidt said.
“Corey really hasn’t had that much experience, he’s come from the sevens program, he’s had a season with the Brumbies and he’s still learning the XVs game, even positionally.
“We’re trying to fast-track him, as I say he is very fast, and so that track hopefully will get eaten up quite quickly.”
Kurt-Lee Arendse hasn’t stopped scoring since debuting for the Springboks in 2022. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
While Kolbe and Arendse made their Springboks debuts after putting together a package for their respective South African clubs over years, Toole’s eight tries in 13 Super Rugby fixtures this year after nine the previous season suggests he knows his way about the field.
You can’t tell me Toole wouldn’t have finished the try that went begging in Santa Fe when Marika Koroibete was dragged out just short of the line by Argentina’s fly-half Tomas Albornoz.
Ditto, two seasons in Super Rugby, as well as breakout campaign on the World Series circuit, suggest Toole would not have spilled Koroibete’s early dropped pass against the All Blacks in Sydney last week.
Or, indeed, when rookie 20-year-old Wallaby Max Jorgensen failed to turn space into points against South Africa in Perth or Argentina in Santa Fe too.
Defensively, too, he’s no worse than what has been delivered to date across The Rugby Championship.
Although Pietsch is worthy of a promotion, Toole’s selection on the bench would have been a proactive call when the Bledisloe Cup is already gone for another year.
He might not be able to cover the midfield like Josh Flook but with Andrew Kellaway able to cover the position, Toole could have given the Wallabies some X-factor.
If the game is in the balance like it was a week ago, I know who I would want to come on.
That’s not to say Flook doesn’t deserve another chance. He hasn’t put a foot wrong since debuting against Wales in Sydney two months ago.
But he’s a glue player rather than an out-and-out match-winner like Toole.
With four challenging Tests on the horizon on the Spring Tour to come, Toole could well have to wait for a chance to pull on the gold jersey.
With the Lions series the next on the radar, the decision to delay Toole’s time in the sun could see the Wallabies go without arguably the nation’s best finisher.
