FIFO Skelton flies into Dublin to be ruled out of Irish Test

Will Skelton has experienced the shortest Wallabies camp of his career after being ruled out of the upcoming Tests against Ireland and France.

The towering second-rower, who injured his ankle playing for La Rochelle last Saturday, jetted into Wallabies camp in Dublin only to be ruled out by Australian medical staff, and immediately flew back to his club on the west coast of France.

The Wallabies are facing a stiff challenge this week in Dublin, after the team consistently struggled to break through Italy’s defence and maintain discipline in the 26-19 defeat.

Renowned for his exacting Monday video review sessions, coach Joe Schmidt painstakingly highlighted a long list of errors from his squad during the loss, which included 12 penalties conceded, one yellow card, 21 missed tackles and 15 turnovers.

Prop Angus Bell said the squad had been dealt some harsh truths after performance deemed unacceptable.

“We have those [tough] conversations even when we win,” said Bell, whois ready to face the Irish after hurting his shoulder against Italy. “I briefly remember after the third Test, when we beat the Lions, there were still hard conversations happening.

“Being in a professional environment and being with a team that holds high standards, even after a really great game – like Ellis Park, for example – there were still opportunities out there for us to be better and put more pressure on.

“Every game, win, lose or draw, no game is perfect ... but look, today, this morning, was really tough.”

Bell denied the Wallabies were fatigued after a long season that has taken in the Rugby Championship, Lions series and Tests against Japan, England and Italy.

“We definitely have enough petrol in the tank ... when you play for the Wallabies, when you play for your country, it’s a massive honour, whether you’ve done it once or 100 times,” Bell said.

“Every week is exciting, every week is an opportunity. I sit here as a 25-year-old, and you never know how many more Tests you’re going to play.

“You never know what’s around the corner and every time you pull on that jersey, it’s an absolute privilege for me. There’s no bigger motivator than playing for your country.”

Carter Gordon also confirmed he was fit for selection after leaving the field after 52 minutes against Italy with quad tightness, which limited his kicking game. Gordon confirmed that had been a precautionary measure.

“I think we’re just being on the safe side, early in the week,” he said. “We just made a decision that we were going to obviously offload some of that kicking, but ideally, I get back into pretty much doing all of it.

Skelton’s absence from the side has highlighted the importance of James O’Connor, who was not selected for the Italy Test and enjoyed a holiday in Morocco.

The Wallabies confirmed O’Connor was in Dublin to help prepare the squad ahead of facing Ireland, with Gordon already enjoying what he sees from the veteran playmaker.

“Obviously, Rabsey’s [O’Connor] has had a lot of experience across his time,” Gordon said. “He’s still got a bit of flair, as we saw a little bit this morning with our walk-throughs, but any time you get a chance to learn off those guys, you take that.”