Wallabies great Matt Burke urges Carter Gordon recall after third straight 40-point defeat

Rugby World Cup winner Matt Burke has urged the Wallabies to recall Carter Gordon at fly-half after Australia’s 45-22 defeat to England at Twickenham extended their losing streak to three matches — each one conceding at least 40 points.

Burke, speaking after the Nations Championship fixture, argued that Australia lacks a number 10 capable of dictating play in the manner of New Zealand’s Damian McKenzie or South Africa’s Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Declan Meredith started at fly-half and played around 53 minutes before being replaced by Ben Donaldson, with Gordon not included in the matchday 23.

“Australia not manipulating enough ball to go to number 10,” Burke said. “Until they do that, I think we’re going to struggle. We need to see more of a number 10 — a Damian McKenzie-like, a Sacha-like; be able to catch the ball, take the ball and control. Marcus Smith tonight was exactly the same, understanding what to do.”

Burke acknowledged Meredith’s efforts, noting he had “started to find a little bit of play” in the second Bledisloe Cup Test, but maintained that Gordon offers qualities the Wallabies currently lack. “He’s a player that can offer some kind of width with his passing. We know he’s got a passing game,” Burke added.

Gordon had started Australia’s opening Nations Championship Test in July before fracturing his leg in a 28-all draw with Argentina, ruling him out of subsequent Tests against the Springboks and All Blacks. The 25-year-old Queenslander’s return to fitness has reignited debate over the starting berth.

England dominated the contest at Allianz Stadium, leading for 94 per cent of the match and winning the possession, territory, and tackle-completion battles. Jack Van Poortvliet opened the scoring for the hosts, with replacement Henry Pollock crossing twice from the wing. A Max Jorgensen intercept gave Australia brief hope before half-time, and Filipo Daugunu and Jeremy Williams added tries for the Wallabies, but England’s superiority was emphatic.

Coach Les Kiss had previously defended Meredith’s selection, describing his performance in the Bledisloe II defeat as a “really good positive” despite the 43-21 scoreline in Sydney. Not everyone agrees with Burke’s diagnosis, however — a former Wallaby noted that of the top ten issues Australia faced at Twickenham, the identity of the player wearing the number 10 jersey was unlikely to rank among them.