Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has won his battle to be fit for the final Test of 2024 as coach Joe Schmidt promised to try to prevent the Wallabies’ last hurrah on their British Isles tour drowning in anti-climax.
Schmidt, up for an emotional match with the team he once led to glory for six years, offered a sobering verdict on Thursday on the Wallabies’ progress, admitting: “I feel like I’m paddling hard, but I’m not necessarily going forward – but I think we’re keeping our head above water.
“We’re trying to build to 80-minute performances and build depth so if we get a ripple like we did last week (in the 27-13 loss to Scotland), we can still try to stay on top of the water.”
And in his bid to make a splash in Saturday’s (Sunday AEDT) special contest to mark Irish Rugby’s 150th anniversary back in his old Dublin stamping ground, Schmidt also offered up one final surprise, promising to make replacement flyhalf Tane Edmed Australia’s record-extending 19th debutant of 2024.
Also hoping for a power-packed finale up front against the world’s No.2 side, Taniela Tupou has overcome a frustrating calf problem to prop the scrum with veteran James Slipper, while Fraser McReight, clearly missed against Scotland while being rested, is another key recall.
Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams link up in the second row, after Williams recovered from the illness that ruled him out against Scotland.
Suaalii had looked hugely unlikely to make it for Saturday’s (Sunday AEDT) fourth and final leg of the tour when his thunderous hit on Sione Tuipulotu in the defeat against Scotland left him with an arm that was initially feared to be fractured.
But Schmidt reported on Thursday: “Joe’s fine.
“He got one of those stingers where he had a bit of a dead arm. We felt it was better to get it properly assessed and couldn’t hold the game up to do that so took him out of the game, which was disappointing, but he’s fully fit and fully able.”
Edmed, the 24-year-old Waratahs prospect, will shadow Noah Lolesio in preference to Ben Donaldson, with the son of former Balmain Tigers NRL star Steve Edmed ready to become Australian international No.990, extending the record sequence of Wallaby debutants in 2024 after Harry Potter’s bow last week.
Potter returns to the bench with Max Jorgensen back on the left wing.
Schmidt said the changes, for a third game running, were made with an eye to development before the Lions tour to Australia next year.
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“That was always the brief for me coming into the job because that is a massive series – for the Wallabies and the Australian public,” he said.
“We were pretty committed to make sure everyone originally selected in the tour squad was going to take the field. Tane will be our 19th debutant for the season because we wanted to try to really grow the group this year, galvanise the group as well, so that we can be as competitive as we can next season.
I honestly believe the Lions tour will be a fantastic occasion next year. Faz (Lions and Ireland coach Andy Farrell) and I had a coffee in May, we talked about hoping it would be the right sort of spectacle.
“I think both coaches are committed to it and both teams will be committed to that as well. It has the opportunity to really promote the game and be a fantastic occasion for competitive rugby.”
Australia team:
1. James Slipper, 2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3. Taniela Tupou, 4. Nick Frost, 5. Jeremy Williams, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Fraser McReight, 8. Harry Wilson (capt), 9. Jake Gordon, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Max Jorgensen, 12. Len Ikitau, 13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14. Andrew Kellaway, 15. Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16. Billy Pollard, 17. Angus Bell, 18. Allan Alaalatoa, 19. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20. Langi Gleeson, 21. Tate McDermott, 22. Tane Edmed, 23. Harry Potter.
