The Wallabies’ breakout, history-making giant has ‘so much upside’
Josh Canham could have been excused for being a bit gun-shy when it came to Test rugby.
The 202cm, 119kg lock made his Wallabies debut off the bench against Argentina in Santa Fe two years ago.
Josh Canham celebrates the win with Ben Donaldson. Getty Images
Once upon a time that would have been a good way to ‘ease’ a promising player into the international arena, compared to a clash with the All Blacks or Springboks.
Not any more, and Canham was one of many bewildered Australians as the Wallabies led 20-3 after half an hour before a disastrous 67-27 loss.
Canham had to wait more than 13 months before his next Test - coming off the bench in a tense 19-15 win over Japan in Tokyo.
But an impressive Super Rugby season with the Queensland Reds saw coach Joe Schmidt finally let him off the leash for the Wallabies in July.
Canham made his first Test start against Ireland and kept his spot in the second row for clashes with France and Italy.
Now 25 and with sharper shoulders, he finished the Nations Championship home series as the breakout Wallabies player, scoring an unprecedented hat-trick in Perth on Saturday.
“First lock to ever score three tries for the Wallabies,” Morgan Turinui said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.
“The other stuff too – at lineout time, you’re talking about workrate around the park. He’s been good, he’s blossomed. The Reds missed him when he wasn’t there this year. Good to see him push through.”
Turinui, Matt Burke and Sean Maloney all voted Canham as best on ground in the 57-10 demolition of the Azzurri.
“A good find. We had to find someone in that locking position,” Burke said.
Canham has not had a traditional rugby apprenticeship.
Josh Canham of the Wallabies runs the ball during the Nations Championship. Getty Images
Born in Peoria, USA - a little-known city of 113,000 in central Illinois - Canham then grew up in Melbourne.
He came through the Rebels academy system to make the Junior Wallabies, but his career didn’t really take off until joining Les Kiss′ Reds last year.
“There is so much upside in what he offers as a hard, physical player with great lineout skills and being very coachable,” now Wallabies coach Kiss said in January.
“He’s ambitious and really wants to play at the highest level which is reflected in his appetite to work to improve his game.”
Canham scored four tries in three July starts including that historic hat-trick.
“It’s pretty cool but definitely wouldn’t be scoring any of those tries without the forward pack,” Canham said.
“Really good team performance and I was lucky to get on the end of some good pick and goes. I wasn’t really thinking about it, just my next job, but when they told me post-game, I was very surprised, didn’t realise that no one’s ever done it before.
“Three metres, three tries, so very lucky there. Just appreciative of the whole forward pack and the team tonight because it was a good team performance.”
Canham is now setting his sights on a long career in gold.
Kiss will name his first squad on Thursday to prepare for a date with Japan in Osaka on August 8.
“I think I’ve been in and around the squad for quite a while now, even though I haven’t been playing, so I know the system pretty well. I think I’ve been itching for a chance to wear the jersey, so now I’ve got it, I want to do everything I can to stay in it,” Canham said.
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