Australia’s emerging cross-code talent Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been unexpectedly omitted from the Wallabies’ starting lineup for their match against Wales, following his standout debut against England. The 21-year-old, who was named man-of-the-match in the exhilarating victory over England at Twickenham last Saturday after playing the full 80 minutes, will now take a seat on the bench in Cardiff on Sunday.
The outside centre has been replaced at 13 by his inside-centre teammate from Twickenham, Len Ikitau, while Samu Kerevi has been brought in at No 12 to earn his 50th cap. Back-rower Rob Valetini will also play his 50th Test for Australia at the Principality Stadium, as the Australians aim to secure a “grand slam” against all four of their British Isles’ opponents. Valetini shifts to No 8 with their captain Harry Wilson sidelined due to concussion protocols.
Tighthead prop Allan Alaalatoa will lead the team, joining forces with Angus Bell and Matt Faessler in the front row. Former captain Will Skelton, who is based in France, has been selected for his first Test of 2024 and will partner with Nick Frost in the second row. Nic White returns as the starting scrum-half, with Tate McDermott once again expected to make an impact from the bench, as he did at Twickenham.
In place of the injured Dylan Pietsch, the Twickenham match-winning try scorer Max Jorgensen will start on the left wing. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt commented: “Last week’s Test was fast-paced and physical, and we’ve introduced some fresh faces for what promises to be another tough battle in Cardiff. As a team, we’ve put in a lot of effort this week, fully aware of the pressure we’ll face this weekend.”
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