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BRISBANE - Wallabies rugby coach John Connolly has leapt to the defence of Stephen Larkham after predecessor Eddie Jones claimed the ageing play-maker should be dumped to the bench.
Jones believes Larkham's best days are behind him and he would better serve Australia as a super sub at the 2007 World Cup.
He felt teenagers Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper, as well as Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes, were better bets for the tournament in France in September.
Jones said Larkham, 32, had to be managed through what will be his final season in the game. "He's just getting a little bit older and his good games are becoming less and less," he said.
"But he's the sort of guy you could see coming off the bench to help win Australia games at the World Cup.
"I think he would be an outstanding bench player. That's not to say he wouldn't start here and there, but to have a guy like him on the bench would be great.
"What's been happening hasn't been good enough and what we need is change."
But Connolly, who tried the 95-test veteran at second five-eighths for two tests on last month's European tour, was quick to point out an experienced playmaker was crucial to any team's World Cup hopes.
No team have won the World Cup with a raw playmaker. Grant Fox for New Zealand in 1987, Australia's Michael Lynagh in 1991, Springbok Joel Stransky in 1995, Larkham in 1999 and England's Jonny Wilkinson in 2003 were all at the peak of their powers.
"The only thing for certain is that no team has won a World Cup without an experienced No 10 on top of his game," Connolly said.
"Steve Larkham showed in the tour at the end of the year that he is still a world-class player."
Australia's best result on tour came in the final test against Scotland when Larkham reverted to first five-eighths and starred in a 44-15 win.
Connolly rates schoolboy sensations Beale and Cooper highly and expects them to emerge during the Super 14 but felt it was near impossible to go from school to test rugby in a year in the modern era.
The pair trained with the Wallabies during 2006 as well as Reds five-eighths Barnes, who has the inside running to challenge Larkham now that Mat Rogers is set to get his release to return to league.
Jones sees Giteau as the leading contender to replace Larkham at first five-eighths but only if the versatile player wears the No 10 jersey for the Western Force in the Super 14.
But with the Force looking at Giteau primarily as a second-five, Jones said the Reds duo, Barnes and Cooper, and New South Wales rookie Beale would be the real danger.
"I think [Giteau's] best positions are 10, nine and 12 [in that order] but he's got to want to play 10 and he hasn't," Jones said. "Like [New Zealand first five-eighths] Daniel Carter, he's got all the skills but he needs to start running a game."
- AAP
