NSW Waratahs scrum-half Teddy Wilson has been handed his maiden start against the side where his legendary father made his name, the Queensland Reds, on Saturday night.
Wilson has spent the past three years under the apprenticeship of skipper Jake Gordon, however, a knee injury has opened the door for the 22-year-old to start against Tate McDermott and the Reds at Suncorp Stadium.
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Gordon will be on the sidelines for up to a month after damaging the medial ligament in his knee during last week’s win over the Western Force.
The Easts product is considered one of the brightest prospects in the position, captaining the Junior Wallabies (now Australia U20s) at the 2023 World Cup before claiming Shute Shield success the following year.
Coach Dan McKellar expects Wilson, the son of Reds legend and Wallabies captain David, to step up for the rivalry match and fill the void left by the Wallaby.
"He's worked hard on his core skills,” McKellar said.
“He's ready for what will be a big game… we’ve got full belief in what he’ll bring.
“He’s a competitor, he fights, and he embodies everything we want in a player.”
Wilson has the backing of Wallaby fullback Andrew Kellaway, who was impressed with what he’s seen so far.
“I certainly heard a lot about Teddy while I was away about this new kid coming through the Waratahs system,” he remarked.
“I haven't got to see a lot of him this year in the game, but at training he's certainly been impressive. He's a tough little kid and he's a fit bastard so I'm looking forward to seeing him do exactly what Henry (O’Donnell) and Triston (Reilly) have done.”
Gordon’s absence sees Hugh Sinclair become the 178th captain of the Waratahs, whilst Leafi Talataina and Triston Reilly come into the starting side.
McKellar has named a 6-2 bench that includes English Sevens star Jamie Adamson in preparation for a physical encounter.
"We've looked at 6-2 benches in the first few weeks, and this week, we’ve decided to go with it again,” McKellar said.
“Our bench has made a significant impact in our opening matches, and we’re excited about what they’ll bring this week."
WARATAHS (1-15): Angus Bell, Dave Porecki, Taniela Tupou, Hugh Sinclair (c), Ben Grant, Rob Leota, Charlie Gamble, Leafi Talataina, Teddy Wilson, Lawson Creighton, Max Jorgensen, Joey Walton, Henry O'Donnell, Triston Reilly, Andrew Kellaway
Replacements: Mahe Vailanu, Tom Lambert, Siosifa Amone, Felix Kalapu, Jamie Adamson, Langi Gleeson, Jack Grant, Tane Edmed
