Wallabies name Joseph Suaalii to face Fiji after broken jaw injury
Australian rugby's $5 million man Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been given the all-clear to play his first Test on home soil when the injury-hit Wallabies take on Fiji at Newcastle on Sunday in a warm-up for the British & Irish Lions series.
Suaalii has been sidelined since mid-May when he broke his jaw playing for New South Wales against Queensland but the 21-year-old NRL convert has made a quick recovery and been named for the Wallabies at outside centre.
His return will come as a massive boost to an Australian side, already weakened by the absence of several senior players, including two-time John Eales medallist Rob Valetini, halfback Jake Gordon and giant lock Will Skelton, who captained the Wallabies at the last World Cup.
All three are carrying injuries and hopeful of being fit for the first Test against the Lions, kicking off July 19.
Australia's centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been picked to face Fiji. Picture: AFP
Queensland Reds backrower Harry Wilson retains the captaincy, at least for the match against Fiji, after head coach Joe Schmidt appointed him as skipper last year.
Langi Gleeson replaced Valetini at blindside flanker with Carlo Tizzano named on the bench as the reserve loose forward.
With Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams retained as the starting locks, Tom Hooper comes into the side as the backup second row in the absence of Skelton.
Livewire Queensland halfback Tate McDermott will feed the scrum with Nic White on the bench.
Elsewhere, electric winger Max Jorgensen returned from an ankle injury to earn a spot in the starting side in the left wing, with Harry Potter on the other side.
Former skipper Dave Porecki was named as the starting hooker in his first match in the gold jersey since the World Cup.
The biggest surprise was the selection of veteran prop James Slipper as the starting loose-head.
Angus Bell has been the preferred starter because he's such a powerful ball runner but will come off the bench against Fiji.
Despite the injuries, Schmidt said his reshuffled side had gelled well ahead of what is expected to be a highly physical clash with the Pacific Islanders.
'The whole squad has worked hard on and off the field and reconnected well with a short runway from our assembly through to the Test on Sunday against Fiji.'
'I think the players and the wider management are keen to get underway, especially in front of a big crowd here in Newcastle, as we kick off an exciting but incredibly demanding 2025 Test match schedule.'
Originally published as Wallabies announced XV to face Fiji, with star Joseph Suaalii set to return from broken jaw
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
38 minutes ago
- Courier-Mail
West Indies v Australia, second Test day two live: Scoreboard, latest news from Grenada
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News. Australia is hoping to cash in on variable bounce in the Grenada pitch which reared its head on day one of the second Test against the West Indies. Pat Cummins has dismissed by a delivery which kept low, the most significant sign of demons in the pitch on the opening day of play. FOLLOW THE KEY MOMENTS FROM DAY TWO WITH DANIEL CHERNY BELOW 'I think there was probably opportunity there for a few more runs. But we're in the game with 280-plus. I think there was enough variable (bounce) there on day one,' Aussie keeper Alex Carey told SEN. 'Potentially that will come into play tomorrow, three and four. I guess prefer to have 280 than anything less and we're in the game.' On Pat Cummins' dismissal — when the ball kept alarmingly low — Carey said: 'We saw Pat Cummins' dismissal today. That's 50 overs in and it stays low. There was enough movement there early for sure.' Carey said Australia's top-three played encouragingly to help set up a total of 286 which was spearheaded by the gloveman and Beau Webster. 'I thought the openers started really well today … I thought Usman and especially Sam Konstas, his intent was fantastic. I thought he really looked the part out there today. Then Cam Green came in and did the same thing. Had great intent. Played good shots. He looked really solid. They are promising signs,' he said. X SUBSCRIBER ONLY Originally published as West Indies v Australia, second Test day two live: Scoreboard, latest news from Grenada
The Advertiser
43 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Fiji have midfield missile aimed at Wallabies' Suaalii
Playing more than 160 VFL games before taking on roles with the Wallabies, All Blacks and now coach of Fiji, Mick Byrne has seen some talented athletes in his time. But the memory of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sticks in his mind as Byrne plots a way to shut down the Wallabies superstar in Sunday's Test in Newcastle. He recalled meeting Suaalii when he was an assistant to Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, with the schoolboy making an immediate impression on the pair. "I remember when 'Cheik' and I first met him when I was at the Wallabies and a young schoolboy came in, before he signed with rugby league, and we knew then that he was a tremendous athlete," Byrne said of the NRL recruit, who will line up for his fourth Test. "I think he offers a dimension to the game that not many athletes can .... it's a bit like Izzy (Israel Folau) in his day as well, that aerial skill set as well as being really well balanced across the ground. "Like a lot of international players we come up against, we've got to keep our eye on him, but I think as a player he just offers another sort of dimension, being that aerial skill set that we'll have to be aware of as well." Byrne named a strong line-up to try to contain Suaalii and the Wallabies, who are looking to make amends after losing their last clash against Fiji at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Byrne has since replaced Simon Raiwalui as coach, but has been able to include 13 players who were part of that historic match in France, posting their first win over Australia in 69 years. That includes the entire forward pack apart from flanker Elia Canakaivata. Fiji have their own midfield weapon in Josua Tuisova, who was key to their success in Saint Etienne, with Byrne looking to get some punch from the inside centre. Weighing 113kg, Tuisova's nicknames are "Human Bulldozer" and "The Bus". "Josh shifts the ball well and he's got great feet and he's a big, strong player," Byrne said of Tuisova, who plays for Racing 92 in France's Top 14. "We've got the opportunity to use him to get across the gain line early ...so being able to have Josh there is awesome for us because he does give us pretty good go-forward." While the World Cup win has bolstered belief, Byrne said the changes to the Wallabies since then presented a different challenge as his team looked to notch a third win in Australia, with the last in 1954. "The last start was two years ago, so different coaching regime, different players on the field, and I like the way (Australia coach Joe Schmidt) has got the Wallabies playing and now they're playing great footy," Byrne said. "So they're a completely different proposition to previous and we've got to be ready for that as they've got threats across the field. "I think it'd be great to beat Australia in Australia, to get a victory on Australian soil." Playing more than 160 VFL games before taking on roles with the Wallabies, All Blacks and now coach of Fiji, Mick Byrne has seen some talented athletes in his time. But the memory of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sticks in his mind as Byrne plots a way to shut down the Wallabies superstar in Sunday's Test in Newcastle. He recalled meeting Suaalii when he was an assistant to Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, with the schoolboy making an immediate impression on the pair. "I remember when 'Cheik' and I first met him when I was at the Wallabies and a young schoolboy came in, before he signed with rugby league, and we knew then that he was a tremendous athlete," Byrne said of the NRL recruit, who will line up for his fourth Test. "I think he offers a dimension to the game that not many athletes can .... it's a bit like Izzy (Israel Folau) in his day as well, that aerial skill set as well as being really well balanced across the ground. "Like a lot of international players we come up against, we've got to keep our eye on him, but I think as a player he just offers another sort of dimension, being that aerial skill set that we'll have to be aware of as well." Byrne named a strong line-up to try to contain Suaalii and the Wallabies, who are looking to make amends after losing their last clash against Fiji at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Byrne has since replaced Simon Raiwalui as coach, but has been able to include 13 players who were part of that historic match in France, posting their first win over Australia in 69 years. That includes the entire forward pack apart from flanker Elia Canakaivata. Fiji have their own midfield weapon in Josua Tuisova, who was key to their success in Saint Etienne, with Byrne looking to get some punch from the inside centre. Weighing 113kg, Tuisova's nicknames are "Human Bulldozer" and "The Bus". "Josh shifts the ball well and he's got great feet and he's a big, strong player," Byrne said of Tuisova, who plays for Racing 92 in France's Top 14. "We've got the opportunity to use him to get across the gain line early ...so being able to have Josh there is awesome for us because he does give us pretty good go-forward." While the World Cup win has bolstered belief, Byrne said the changes to the Wallabies since then presented a different challenge as his team looked to notch a third win in Australia, with the last in 1954. "The last start was two years ago, so different coaching regime, different players on the field, and I like the way (Australia coach Joe Schmidt) has got the Wallabies playing and now they're playing great footy," Byrne said. "So they're a completely different proposition to previous and we've got to be ready for that as they've got threats across the field. "I think it'd be great to beat Australia in Australia, to get a victory on Australian soil." Playing more than 160 VFL games before taking on roles with the Wallabies, All Blacks and now coach of Fiji, Mick Byrne has seen some talented athletes in his time. But the memory of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sticks in his mind as Byrne plots a way to shut down the Wallabies superstar in Sunday's Test in Newcastle. He recalled meeting Suaalii when he was an assistant to Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, with the schoolboy making an immediate impression on the pair. "I remember when 'Cheik' and I first met him when I was at the Wallabies and a young schoolboy came in, before he signed with rugby league, and we knew then that he was a tremendous athlete," Byrne said of the NRL recruit, who will line up for his fourth Test. "I think he offers a dimension to the game that not many athletes can .... it's a bit like Izzy (Israel Folau) in his day as well, that aerial skill set as well as being really well balanced across the ground. "Like a lot of international players we come up against, we've got to keep our eye on him, but I think as a player he just offers another sort of dimension, being that aerial skill set that we'll have to be aware of as well." Byrne named a strong line-up to try to contain Suaalii and the Wallabies, who are looking to make amends after losing their last clash against Fiji at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Byrne has since replaced Simon Raiwalui as coach, but has been able to include 13 players who were part of that historic match in France, posting their first win over Australia in 69 years. That includes the entire forward pack apart from flanker Elia Canakaivata. Fiji have their own midfield weapon in Josua Tuisova, who was key to their success in Saint Etienne, with Byrne looking to get some punch from the inside centre. Weighing 113kg, Tuisova's nicknames are "Human Bulldozer" and "The Bus". "Josh shifts the ball well and he's got great feet and he's a big, strong player," Byrne said of Tuisova, who plays for Racing 92 in France's Top 14. "We've got the opportunity to use him to get across the gain line early ...so being able to have Josh there is awesome for us because he does give us pretty good go-forward." While the World Cup win has bolstered belief, Byrne said the changes to the Wallabies since then presented a different challenge as his team looked to notch a third win in Australia, with the last in 1954. "The last start was two years ago, so different coaching regime, different players on the field, and I like the way (Australia coach Joe Schmidt) has got the Wallabies playing and now they're playing great footy," Byrne said. "So they're a completely different proposition to previous and we've got to be ready for that as they've got threats across the field. "I think it'd be great to beat Australia in Australia, to get a victory on Australian soil."
Daily Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Matildas; Joe Montemurro says his first camp has been intense
Don't miss out on the headlines from Football. Followed categories will be added to My News. Matildas coach Joe Montemurro says he's balancing building the next generation of world class players while still winning now and after two games in charge is adamant it's 'looking positive' he can do both. Montemurro has seen a batch of his next-in-line talent through two games against Slovenia with more of his 33-player squad set to strut their stuff against Panama on Saturday in Bunbury in the absence of a host of first-choice players. The intensity has been high during the new coach's first camp and he conceded there are a few 'sore bodies' as he tries to drill down his style of play in a short period of time. 'But we have to send that message to make this is the level we need to be training at and this is the level they need to take away from the national team,' Montemurro said. Joe Montemurro, coach of the Matildas works with his players (Photo by) 'Everyone has been great, even with the integration of the young kids with a few of the more experienced players. 'We've seen a lot of talent and I'm looking forward to the next two games.' Montemurro has made his name as a club coach at some of the world's biggest but transitioning to national duties means some adaptation from him as much as players, given the limited access to them. But he's working out his system and hopes everyone involved in his first camp will take the right things away, and be better for them when they next link up. 'When you are working with players every day you can drop feed them messages and slowly add you r layers of building to where you want to go,' he said. 'When you have a short amount of time you've got to be a lot more clearer and more thoughtful with the messages when you are together and make sure they take home some ideas that we could bring back going forward. Joe Montemurro with Teagan Micah (Photo by) 'The biggest one is to give them some base principles they can take with them all the time and we can see their growth while they are not with us.' When asked about exposing 'fringe' players during the four games with the likes of Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler unavailable, Montemurro was adamant there are 'no fringe players'. 'Everyone is up for an opportunity, it's really important to send that message,' he said. 'That's why this camp has been important, to look at some players but also put in some ideas and the more players we can have a look at, the better it has been. 'It';s now giving them the base things, the three or four key things that being a Matilda is, and giving them opportunities in real scenarios. 'It's been the [perfect camp for that.' Originally published as New coach Joe Montemurro letting every player in his squad know what it takes to be a Matilda in first camp
