Wallabies team v Springboks: Winners and losers as Les Kiss presents playmaker with ‘golden chance’ while ‘highly rated’ code hopper misses out
Following the announcement of the Wallabies team to face the Springboks at the Optus Stadium in Perth, here are our winners and losers from Les Kiss’ selections.
After replacing Joe Schmidt as Australia’s head coach, Kiss has done well as his team clinched successive triumphs over Japan before securing a victory and a draw in back-to-back Tests against Argentina.
However, they face a stern examination against the world champion Springboks and Kiss has made four changes to his starting line-up with the biggest news being Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii switch from outside centre to the left wing.
So, without further ado, we unpack Australia‘s team for Sunday’s eagerly anticipated Test and pick out our winners and losers.
Winners
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
Ever since he returned to rugby union from rugby league in 2024, much has been said about which position suits Suaalii best and after playing all of his 24 previous Wallabies Tests at outside centre, he will now take to the field on the left wing in this fixture.
It should not be a big adjustment for Suaalii in his new role as he has shone for the Waratahs at full-back in the past and he was actually named in that position as part of 2025’s official Super Rugby Pacific Team of the Season.
Kiss has revealed that the decision to move Suaalii to the wing is based on his excellent aerial skills and all eyes will be on the 23-year-old this weekend as that facet of play is one of the Springboks’ strengths.
Renewed centre partnership
Although it’s been a while, the new midfield combination of Hunter Paisami and Len Ikitau are no strangers to each other as this will be the 13th time that they combine as centres for the Wallabies.
With Paisami’s injury setbacks and the emergence of Suaalii in recent years, the Ikitau-Paisami partnership has not been in action at Test level for a while. However, they are now set to renew that partnership with Ikitau reverting to his favoured outside centre position – after playing at inside centre alongside Suaalii – while Paisami continues in the number 12 jersey where he has started most of the Wallabies’ Tests this year.
Ben Donaldson
After starting at fly-half for the Wallabies in their last Test against Argentina, the Western Force star retains his position in the starting line-up for what is currently the biggest challenge in the game against the world champions.
Kiss has chopped and changed his fly-halves since taking over the coaching reins with Carter Gordon and Declan Meredith also wearing the number 10 jersey in the previous four Tests under the new head coach.
With Gordon currently sidelined with a broken leg, and Meredith not included on the bench, this Test is a golden chance for Donaldson to cement himself as Australia’s first-choice fly-half.
Tom Wright
The Brumbies full-back made his 50th Test appearance in the Wallabies’ previous Test against Los Pumas in Mendoza and he has been one of his country’s best attacking players in recent years.
However, Wright sustained a serious knee injury during a Rugby Championship match against South Africa in Cape Town last year and although he made his return to action for the Brumbies at Super Rugby level in April, he has not been at his best in the Test arena.
Despite his struggles to regain top form, Wright gets another chance to start at full-back for Australia and he will wear his country’s number 15 jersey for the sixth successive time.
Allan Alaalatoa
At the age of 32 and with 93 Test caps under his belt, Alaalatoa is the most experienced player in the Wallabies squad and he returns to the starting line-up after last captaining the side in the opening Test against Los Pumas which they won in San Salvador de Jujuy.
With Taniela Tupou also in the squad, this was a straight shootout between the two experienced veterans for the starting tighthead spot and Alaalatoa ultimately got the nod.
It looks like that was the sensible choice as Alaalatoa is solid in the execution of his core duties while Tupou is a more dynamic ball carrier who could make a big impact on attack in the game’s latter stages.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa
Since becoming head coach, Kiss has not settled on a hooker yet with Paenga-Amosa, Billy Pollard and Josh Nasser all wearing the gold number two jersey in their previous four Tests.
Nasser started both encounters against Japan but has subsequently been overtaken in the pecking order by Paenga-Amosa and Pollard, who each started a Test against Los Pumas while the other was the replacement hooker.
And after being on bench duty against Argentina in Mendoza, Paenga-Amosa is elevated to the run-on side again and he will be determined to come to the fore with a polished individual performance as he hopes to convince Kiss to hand the gold number two jersey to him permanently.
Tom Hooper
After sustaining a shoulder injury in Australia’s opening Nations Championship Test, the Exeter Chiefs utility forward was ruled out of his country’s next six matches, against France, Italy, Japan and Argentina, but he is back to full fitness and will be determined to make an impact off the replacements bench this weekend.
Hooper is a good lineout option, solid on attack and also defence where he usually brings great physicality to the cause and that is exactly what will be needed against the world champions, who never take a backward step in that aspect of the game.
Losers
Jordan Petaia
There was much fanfare amongst Wallabies supporters when it was announced that the highly rated utility back was included in the broader Wallabies squad and there was some anticipation that he could be involved in this fixture.
This, after Petaia last represented Australia at international level during the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. The 26-year-old left Australian rugby in 2024 to pursue a dream in the NFL where he had a trial with the Los Angeles Chargers. An injury ended that dream and he subsequently returned to rugby union with Top 14 club Perpignan before recently joining Japan Rugby League One outfit Urayasu D-Rocks. He will have to wait a little longer for his international comeback.
Declan Meredith and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips
With Donaldson the most senior fly-half in the squad and entrusted to wear the number 10 jersey against the world champions, Meredith and McLaughlin-Phillips were involved in a battle to be his back-up for this clash.
However, it wasn’t to be as neither were selected due to Kiss’ decision to go with a 6-2 forwards and backs split on his replacements bench. That meant that Tate McDermott and Harry Potter were chosen as the reserve backs while Meredith, who only made his debut earlier this year in a Nations Championship loss against France, and the uncapped McLaughlin-Phillips were left out in the cold.
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Charlie Cale
After being involved in all four of the Wallabies’ Tests since Kiss took charge of the team, the 25-year-old loose forward must have fancied his chances of being included in the matchday squad to take on the Boks.
However, it wasn’t to be as Cale was ruled out of selection after dislocating his shoulder at training earlier this week. He is now set to undergo surgery and will be ruled out for the rest of the year as his rotten luck with injuries continues. Earlier this year, Cale was sidelined for two months after hurting his shoulder while on Super Rugby duty with the Brumbies while stress fractures in his back also disrupted his 2025 campaign.
Jock Campbell
With Wright not in the best of form heading into this fixture, Campbell must have fancied his chances of making a return to the run-on side at full-back. This, after he was one of the Wallabies’ best players during a narrow Nations Championship defeat against Ireland in Sydney in July, in his only Test start of the year.
But Wright gets the nod to start at full-back once again and with Kiss opting for that six/two bench split, it means that Campbell’s services are deemed surplus to requirements. The Reds star can consider himself unlucky as he is an excellent attacker and safe under the high ball.
