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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Angus Fontaine

Brains as well as brawn destined to settle battle for Wallabies No 10 jersey

Playmakers Noah Lolesio, Quade Cooper and Carter Gordon are involved in a fight to win a spot in Eddie Jones’s team.
Playmakers Noah Lolesio, Quade Cooper and Carter Gordon are involved in a fight to win a spot in Eddie Jones’s team. Composite: Getty/AAP

Rugby is a tough game played by hard athletes but its true powerbase isn’t muscle. Rather it is twinkling toes and magic hands that puts points on the scoreboard and gets bums on seats. It’s why the heart of every great team is a playmaker – someone who makes things happen, a creative genius who can execute basic skills brilliantly and also conjure the extraordinary.

A cut-out ball that hits a player on the fly, the popped pass to a raging bull on a crazy angle, a flick or feint, a dummy or double-pump. Hands, eyes, imagination in a harmony of havoc. Such moments ignite teams, electrify a crowd and create an alchemy that leads to success. It’s what Eddie Jones is searching for.

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