Wallabies star Will Skelton set to face the All Blacks with added bonus for Joe Schmidt
Will Skelton is set for a Wallabies recall from Joe Schmidt (inset) to face the All Blacks
Will Skelton is set to be available to the Wallabies for their Rugby Championship Round Six match at home to the All Blacks after his limited involvement in the new Top 14 season in France.
The Australian giant endured a wasted trip to Toulon on Sunday night as La Rochelle’s match was postponed due to bad weather. That late call-off has left Skelton with just 35 minutes of playing time so far in the 2025/26 French season.
Having left the Wallabies following their 22-30 Round Two Championship loss to South Africa in Cape Town on August 23, Skelton arrived back in France expecting to feature in his club team’s hectic start to their new campaign instead of playing for Australia in their two games with Argentina.
However, having been rested for the opener away to Bordeaux, he then made a second-half appearance off the bench at home to Clermont. But plans to build on that game time with a start at Toulon were scuppered by torrential rain, which left the Stade Mayol pitch unplayable on Sunday night.
“He will finally return to Australia…”
That call-off has now been followed by reports that Skelton will miss next weekend’s home game versus Perpignan as he is poised for a Wallabies recall – not for this Saturday’s upcoming Round Five match away to the All Blacks in Auckland, but for the following weekend’s tournament finale fixture at home against the same opposition in Perth.
The Wallabies are currently top of the Rugby Championship standings on 11 points, one clear of South Africa and New Zealand, and two ahead of Argentina.
Head coach Joe Schmidt will be hoping that his team can produce a result in Auckland that will see them still have a Round Six title shot in Perth with Skelton restored to their squad.
❌ ‣ Pour des raisons de sécurité suite aux intempéries, la rencontre entre le RCT et le Stade Rochelais prévue ce soir est reportée à une date ultérieure.
La décision de la date de report devrait être prise demain, nous vous tiendrons informés.#RCTSR | #Top14 | #FievreSR pic.twitter.com/SzB7LlNeHz
— Stade Rochelais (@staderochelais) September 21, 2025
French media reported on Monday: “While Will Skelton was not expected to take part in the final stages of the Rugby Championship and the double confrontation against New Zealand (September 27 and October 4), according to our information, he will finally return to Australia.
“Coach Joe Schmidt, who did not include him in the squad for Saturday’s match in New Zealand (in Auckland), is counting on the La Rochelle second row player for the final match against the All Blacks (October 4 in Perth).”
Skelton recently explained his Wallabies Round Five selection predication to Drew Mitchell and Matt Giteau on the KOKO Show. “Joe loves the guys to train on Mondays or Tuesdays, which is fair,” he said.
“The problem is that we play Toulon on Sunday. From a logistical point of view, it’s obviously very difficult to come back for the Bledisloe, if you do the math. Knowing that the match will not take place in Australia but in New Zealand.”
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