Wallabies team: Five takeaways as Les Kiss throws Joseph Suaalii ‘curveball’ in a bid to offset Springboks’ strengths
Five takeaways from the Wallabies team selected to face the Springboks in Perth.
Following the announcement of the Wallabies team to tackle the Springboks in Perth, here are our five takeaways from Les Kiss’ selection.
The top line
Kiss has named a near-full-strength team for the meeting with the back-to-back world champions and has thrown a curveball or two in doing so.
The headline change sees Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii start on the wing for the first time, with all his previous starts for the Wallabies being in the number 13 jersey. That move has led to a re-jig of the backline, with Len Ikitau rekindling his partnership with Hunter Paisami in the centres, doing so for the first time since ex-head coach Dave Rennie unleashed the pair against Ireland in 2022.
Tom Wright is retained at full-back while Max Jorgensen completes the back-three, starting on the right wing with Suaalii on the left. Brumbies scrum-half Ryan Lonergan continues his streak of starting every single Test match for Australia this year, and he partners Ben Donaldson for a second game in a row.
Into the pack where Allan Alaalatoa earns his 94th Test cap as he starts at tighthead prop, with Angus Bell packing down on the other side of hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa. Josh Canham and Jeremy Williams are the starting locks, with Kiss once again backing the loose trio of Harry Wilson, Rob Valetini and Fraser McReight.
The other curveball in the team selection comes on the bench with Kiss opting for a 6-2 split in favour of the forwards. Tate McDermott and Harry Potter will provide backline cover while Billy Pollard, Aidan Ross, Taniela Tupou, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Tom Hooper and Carlo Tizzano will be tasked with making an impact in the forward pack.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii switch
Australia’s $5 million man has shown glimpses of his potential since making the code hop, but pundits and supporters have still been left wanting with Suaalii’s performances. His talent and ability are plainly obvious, but there is an argument that some of his biggest strengths aren’t utilised in the centres.
There have been calls for him to shift into the outside backs where his brilliance under the high ball comes more into play and whilst many believe that his best position is full-back, it is on the wing where he will be trialled against the Springboks. His shift out wide means that Ikitau starts in the number 13, arguably his best position, while Kiss has added more physicality to the inside centre role with Paisami handed the starting role.
“The opportunity to look at this game came from probably three or four different angles,” Kiss said of the Suaalii switch. “The aerial battle, he’s going to be big, he’s probably one of the best in the business. I think Hunter has been playing unbelievable footy, and his class is there, so it gave us an opportunity to look at that centre partnership as well together again.”
It is a gamble from Kiss to shift Suaalii against the number one ranked team in the world but one that could pay huge dividends. He has a massive height advantage over his opposing winger Edwill van der Merwe. The speedster, like Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse, is outstanding under the high ball, especially considering his height. There is a possibility that Rassie Erasmus could move the taller Ethan Hooker to the right wing in response to the Wallabies team.
The spotlight will be on Suaalii in Perth and while Kiss is rolling the dice, the experiment could be hugely influential for the team going forward.
Tackling Springboks’ strengths
Erasmus may have made 13 changes from the team that beat the All Blacks in Baltimore but the side that will take to the pitch in Perth will boast many of the same strengths. South Africa will be strong and accurate in the set-pieces, powerful on the gain-line, and will contest well in the air.
The selection of Suaalii on the wing is the most glaring example of Kiss addressing those threats but it’s not the only one. Canham has quickly become a regular starter for the Wallabies this year and largely because of his lineout prowess. The All Blacks opted not to compete when the Springboks had lineouts inside their 22 and they paid the price for doing so as South Africa reaped the rewards of their powerful maul.
We may well see different tactics from the Wallabies with Canham and Williams in the starting line-up while Salakaia-Loto and Hooper provide even more lineout options from the bench.
The All Blacks also struggled to win the gain-line battle against the Boks and Kiss has addressed this in his selections too, particularly with the make-up of his bench. Backing a 6-2 split means that Australia can deploy an almost entirely new pack in the second half which could be crucial in damage control or even vying for the win.
In McReight, Hooper and Tizzano, Australia have the breakdown threats to stifle the Springboks’ attack while Valetini, Paisami, Salakaia-Loto, Bell and Tupou could be massive in winning the gain-line battle in open play.
Bench gamble
The 6-2 bench split can be hugely beneficial, but it does not come without risks and Kiss is certainly gambling on the ploy this weekend. South Africa have learnt that the hard way in previous Test matches, particularly when suffering injuries in the backline early on in games.
Kiss has plenty of versatility in his starting backline which has allowed him to pick the forward-heavy split but he will be hoping that he isn’t forced to make changes in the backline. McDermott offers cover at scrum-half and wing while Potter will cover the back-three. The one big issue in the make-up of the team is the lack of proper fly-half cover.
If Donaldson is unable to play the full 80, one of Paisami or Lonergan will slip into the fly-half channel which is far from ideal against Springboks. Kiss argued that he urges all the backline players to move into the first-receiver role which relieves the pressure on the number 10 but someone still needs to run the attack.
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
Playmaking concerns
That has been one of Australia’s biggest problems recently, with both Joe Schmidt and Kiss being unable to get consistency in the number 10 jersey. Carter Gordon has been arguably the best performer in the fly-half role, but his injury means that Donaldson will run the attack in Perth.
It’s the second Test match in a row that Western Force star starts in the role, but he was hardly convincing against Argentina last time out. Kiss could turn to experienced campaigners like James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Bernard Foley during the injury crisis but has instead backed the less experienced options. Donaldson has a huge opportunity to stamp his mark on Sunday and could cement his spot in the starting team for the upcoming Bledisloe Cup matches.
The playmaking issues extend beyond the number 10 jersey, though, as Wright hasn’t been at his best of late. He was superb at times during the Nations Championship but struggled against Argentina. This week’s starting wingers – Suaalii and Jorgensen – could put pressure on Wright’s position if his performances don’t improve, while Jordan Petaia and Jock Campbell will also fancy their chances. Kiss is not short on options like he is at fly-half.
