Harry Wilson is determined to do his bit to rebalance the Anglo-Australian rugby rivalry when the cricket enthusiast leads the Wallabies against England in their tour opener at Twickenham on Saturday.
England have won 10 of their past 11 Tests against the Wallabies dating back to 2016.
Recent cricket contests between the two nations have been less lopsided, with No 8. Wilson now eager to help tilt the rugby ledger in Australia’s favour.
“We have such good rivalry in many sports. I love my Ashes cricket and you know how intense that rivalry is,” Wilson told reporters at Australia’s team hotel in London on Friday.
“There’s nothing better than trying to get one up on them (England). In saying that, we don’t have the best record against them in the past few years, so it would be exciting for us to get one up on them.”
Cricket was the 24-year-old Wilson’s sport of choice before a growth spurt pushed him in the direction of rugby union.
“I probably preferred my cricket throughout my schooling life, I’m very much a cricket snuffy (nerd), I live and breathe it,” Wilson said.
“But I guess when you start growing quite big your body sort of becomes a bit more suited to rugby.
“Obviously I’m fully invested into my rugby but just have a little outlet where I go to Test (cricket) matches or just sit up all night watching, it’s always nice.”
As a boy, Wilson played cricket alongside Nathan McSweeney, now bidding to open the innings with Usman Khawaja in Australia’s upcoming Test series with India.
Wilson has not lost his touch with the bat, judging by a recent outing against an Australia international.
“We had a net session against Marnus Labuschagne earlier in the year and I hit him for a few sixes,” he recalled.
Of more immediate concern to Wilson, however, is helping Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii through his Test debut at Twickenham in what will be the rugby league convert’s first senior game of rugby union.
“I’m sure he’ll go out there and do himself and his family proud because it’s one heck of an opportunity for him,” Wilson said. “He hasn’t played a professional rugby game of rugby union, but he’s played schoolboys in union and has always loved it.
“At only 21 years old, he’s picked up the game very quickly. The way he’s trained has been awesome.”