Veteran prop joins Wallabies ahead of SA clash

At the outset of the 2021 Rugby Championship, the notion of being involved would have been absent from Western Force tighthead prop Greg Holmes’ mind. However, in the wake of the Wallabies’ recent loss to the All Blacks, the 38 year-old has answered Dave Rennie’s call and joined up with the squad ahead of Sunday’s colossal clash with the Springboks. 

Holmes, who last turned out for the Wallabies in 2016, will be providing cover for the injured Pone Fa’amausili. 

In the twilight of his career, Holmes admitted that he was surprised to receive the call. 

“It was a bit of a strange one,” Holmes told reporters. “I was sitting at a table with (Dave) at a Bledisloe lunch. I was doing a bit of coaching with the Force and asked if I watch a couple of unit sessions and assumed it was about that. 

“When I rang him back, he said ‘mate we’ve had a few injuries and setbacks do you want to train for the week and potentially the next month’ so it caught me a bit off guard. 

“I’ve got a lot of learning to do over the next week or two to get myself into a position where I’ll be right to play.” 

With a baby on the way, Holmes and his wife have plenty going on. 

“I was pretty busy last week so we’re preparing for my first baby myself so I had to have some serious talks with her,” he added. 

“I was pretty keen to have a Queensland baby so we got everything sorted, got the hospital sorted over here in the Gold Coast so she’ll fly over Thursday. 

“We’re hoping everything will go to plan and have a little boy at the start of October.” 

Holmes shared his thoughts on the World-Champ Springboks: 

“They’re the number one side and rightfully so. They’ve won some big Tests, they’re a big huge pack so you have to nullify that. If you don’t do they, they’ll bully you and steamroll you the whole game,” he said. 

“They’re a really good team who have slick backs and huge forwards so there’s not one area you have to nullify, everyone has to be on their game to deal with South Africa but I have no doubt we have the ability to beat them this week. 

“If we can impose our game on them, it’ll benefit us. You have to nullify their set piece, they’re a big team and we have the players to do that. If we can impose out fast paced game, get some good field position and run them off their feet and make them uncomfortable, that’s how you have to beat them.”