Western Force fly-half Ben Donaldson recently opened up about his exclusion from the Wallabies, shedding light on the feedback he received from head coach Joe Schmidt and the differences in gameplay expectations at club and international levels.
Speaking on a popular sports show, Donaldson discussed his omission from the national team, attributing it to the solid performance of other fly-halves during his injury period. He highlighted two main areas for improvement to regain his spot: “One, just consistency. I think my game style – the way I play – I like to try things and express myself and move the ball, and sometimes that comes with errors. Obviously, as a 10, you’re going to touch the ball; you’re going to have a lot of errors. But I think just my consistency hasn’t been great, whether it’s in Super or for the Wallabies, that’s one thing,” Donaldson explained.
“And then just what Joe’s told me around the contact area, my defence, my physicality, and then just the high ball as well. Obviously, the high ball is a massive part of the game, and the Wallabies are probably struggling the most out of anyone.”
Donaldson also contrasted the playing styles at Western Force with those of the Wallabies, noting significant differences in the roles expected of him. “The feedback is quite similar. Obviously, at the Force we play a brand that Crono wants the ten to drive. The 10 touches the ball the most out of anyone. We like to play with width. We like to move the ball,” he said. However, the Wallabies' strategy leans towards a tighter game, relying heavily on the nine and early ball plays to the forwards, which diverges from Donaldson’s natural, more expansive game.
Donaldson remains optimistic about his future, committed to enhancing his game during the pre-season: “Crono, at the Force, he’s been awesome. He revolves a game plan around the ten because he knows that’s my strength. He wants me to run. He wants me to move the ball and get involved. I’ve just got to go out for the Force and play that way, and if I get another opportunity with the Wallabies, really take my strengths into the world.”
As Donaldson works on his consistency and adaptability, his journey offers a candid glimpse into the high stakes and rigorous expectations at the pinnacle of Australian rugby.
2,193 posts
Western Force fly-half Ben Donaldson recently opened up about his exclusion from the Wallabies, shedding light on the feedback he received from head coach Joe Schmidt and the differences in gameplay expectations at club and international levels.
Speaking on a popular sports show, Donaldson discussed his omission from the national team, attributing it to the solid performance of other fly-halves during his injury period. He highlighted two main areas for improvement to regain his spot: “One, just consistency. I think my game style – the way I play – I like to try things and express myself and move the ball, and sometimes that comes with errors. Obviously, as a 10, you’re going to touch the ball; you’re going to have a lot of errors. But I think just my consistency hasn’t been great, whether it’s in Super or for the Wallabies, that’s one thing,” Donaldson explained.
“And then just what Joe’s told me around the contact area, my defence, my physicality, and then just the high ball as well. Obviously, the high ball is a massive part of the game, and the Wallabies are probably struggling the most out of anyone.”
Donaldson also contrasted the playing styles at Western Force with those of the Wallabies, noting significant differences in the roles expected of him. “The feedback is quite similar. Obviously, at the Force we play a brand that Crono wants the ten to drive. The 10 touches the ball the most out of anyone. We like to play with width. We like to move the ball,” he said. However, the Wallabies' strategy leans towards a tighter game, relying heavily on the nine and early ball plays to the forwards, which diverges from Donaldson’s natural, more expansive game.
Donaldson remains optimistic about his future, committed to enhancing his game during the pre-season: “Crono, at the Force, he’s been awesome. He revolves a game plan around the ten because he knows that’s my strength. He wants me to run. He wants me to move the ball and get involved. I’ve just got to go out for the Force and play that way, and if I get another opportunity with the Wallabies, really take my strengths into the world.”
As Donaldson works on his consistency and adaptability, his journey offers a candid glimpse into the high stakes and rigorous expectations at the pinnacle of Australian rugby.