Harry Wilson might just be the unluckiest player in Australian rugby.
Despite consistently strong Super Rugby Pacific form, another Wallabies coach has gone cold on the Reds backrower.
The 23-year-old made 12 Test appearances under Dave Rennie since making his debut in 2020 but was unable to nail down a regular berth.
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And Eddie Jones has now decided he is surplus to requirements, leaving Wilson out of his 33 man squad to assemble for a training camp on the Gold Coast later this month.
Wilson won the Stan Pilecki Medal as Queensland’s best men’s player last year.
Jones did not want to talk about specific players that did not make the squad during Sunday’s press call but ex-Wallabies Morgan Turinui and Stephen Hoiles agreed he was unlucky on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.
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“His work rate’s gone up… I actually would have liked to have seen him in the squad because I reckon he needs a little bit of positive feedback, a little bum tap to go ‘Mate, I’m noticing that you’re going well’,” Turinui said.
Despite the Reds struggles, Wilson leads the competition in carries with 93 and is also in the top 10 for tackles, metres made and line breaks.
”Wilson does a lot of work for that team early on, he does so many carries for them. He is shouldering a massive load up there,” Hoiles said.
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“That’s why when talking Test selection, it’s not wrong that he’s not in there, the coach is entitled to do that. I just feel for him because the expectations of the Reds are sat on the back of him this year and he’s done a good job.”
Rob Valetini, Langi Gleeson and Pete Samu are above Wilson on the Test pecking order.
“It’s hard on form not to pick Gleeson,” Hoiles admitted.
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“He’s been exceptional, he’s just got something in his game, his power running, his ability to break through defenders. I’m a big Harry Wilson fan, his ability to play on the edge, to offload and keep the game alive, he’s a link player.
“But Gleeson, if you’re looking at pure power at the advantage line… he’s probably the leader in that at the moment.”
Jones has signalled his plans to play a power-based game at the Rugby World Cup.
“I thought he (Wilson) was good on the weekend. Valetini is a lock,” Turinui said.
“And then Gleeson and Wilson are going at each other. I can see Gleeson and Wilson up against each other for that spot.”
Nine’s Michael Atkinson reported this week that Wilson and Suliasi Vunivalu had agreed to two-year contract extensions with the Reds.
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