Benjamin James McCalman

A physically imposing, dependable and consistent No.8 from Dubbo, Ben McCalman endured a career that was persistently interrupted and ultimately ended by injury. Nonetheless, the hard-carrying backrower skilfully overcame such adversity to be a dual Rugby World Cup representative who played in the 2015 final against New Zealand.

Educated at Kinross Walaroi School, Orange, McCalman represented Australia at both schoolboy and aged levels before he signed with the fledgling Western Force to play Super Rugby. In 2010, McCalman made his Test debut against South Africa in Brisbane, and the following year was chosen for his first Rugby World Cup squad.

He had an outstanding 2015 season, one that saw him win the Nathan Sharpe Medal as the Force’s most valuable player and earn selection to a second Rugby World Cup. It was during the 2015 tournament that McCalman was involved in a defining moment of the Wallabies’ withering run to the final. Australia, reduced to 13 men on the back of two yellow cards, clung to a 12-6 lead over Wales in their crucial pool match at Twickenham. In the 62nd minute hulking Welsh outside centre George North looked set to score after he was set free down the right flank. As North launched himself over the try line McCalman somehow wrapped himself both around the ball and under North to prevent the score. That McCalman tackle was one of the most significant by a Wallaby since George Gregan (1994) and Enrique Rodriguez (1986) had decided Bledisloe Cup triumphs.

In 2017, McCalman became the 55th Wallaby to play 50 Tests before he suffered a third broken shoulder in less than 18 months. Although still contracted with Rugby Australia, McCalman, without a hint of fuss or fanfare, then chose to return to a place where he belonged - on the land.

Highlights

2005 Represented Australian Schools against New Zealand in Canberra. Ben was later selected to tour with the schoolboys to the U.K. and Ireland at the end of the year alongside a raft of future Wallabies including Kurtley Beale, Quade Cooper and David Pocock.

2006 Selected for the Australian Schools tour of Fiji and New Zealand.

2010 Won his first Test cap from the bench when he replaced Richard Brown in the 30-13 1st Test win over South Africa in Brisbane. Made his run-on debut at No. 8 in the historic 41-39 3rd Test victory over South Africa at Bloemfontein. Ben finished the year with nine caps, the last seven of which were won consecutively as starting No.8.

2011 Played in twelve of the year’s thirteen internationals and only missed the 14-9, 2nd Test win over South Africa in Durban. Won selection in the Wallabies 2001 Rugby World Cup squad but in addition was rather controversially chosen as the cover for David Pocock at openside flanker. The decision left Australia without a specialist No.7 for the key pool match against Ireland when Pocock withdrew on the morning of the game due to "soreness associated with a back strain".

2012 A nerve injury in his shoulder sidelined McCalman for much of the year before a fracture to the radius in his forearm saw him miss the entire Test season.

2013 Won eight caps over the course of the year but only one as a starting No.8 following the selection of Wycliff Palu for the Lions series and then as ACT Brumby Ben Mowen assumed both the position and the captaincy at the back end of the season.

2014 Ben earned a further nine caps in 2014 and his efforts were rewarded when he was selected in the run-on XV for all four Spring Tour internationals.

2015 As he did a year earlier McCalman won nine test caps although five came from the bench. He won selection to a second Rugby World Cup and played in six of the seven Tests. Ben was responsible for one of the tournament’s iconic moments. Reduced to just thirteen men in the pool game against Wales McCalman prevented centre George North from scoring what would have been the decisive try when he made a crucial ball and all tackle that held him up over the try-line in the 63rd minute. Australia hung on for an epic, tryless 15-6 victory.

2016 Won just two Test caps for the year. Ben suffered a broken shoulder coming off the bench against England in Melbourne and rather incredibly broke that same shoulder for a second time against New Zealand in Sydney.

2017 McCalman missed both the June the Rugby Championship Test windows with a fractured scapula. A strong performance off the bench against the Barbarians in Sydney coupled with an injury to starting No.6 Jack Dempsey in the same game opened the door for McCalman to win a spot on the Spring Tour and in doing so resurrected his Test career. Stuck on 49 caps for more than a year McCalman was finally rewarded with his 50th Test cap when he came off the bench against Japan in Yokohama.