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Ex-Wallaby on whether Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii should start Scotland clash
By Finn Morton
Former Wallaby Justin Harrison expects Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to come back into Australia’s starting side for their upcoming clash with Scotland. Suaalii came off the bench during the big 52-20 win over Wales, with the former NRL flyer continuing to improve as a rugby union talent.
Suaalii hadn’t played any level of professional rugby union before entering the Test arena for the first time. There was no Super Rugby Pacific debut or even a minute of New South Wales’ prestigious club competition Shute Shield, yet coach Joe Schmidt made the bold call.
It was a selection that generated plenty of buzz ahead of the Wallabies’ opening Autumn Nations Series Test against England earlier this month, but it proved to be a masterstroke. Suaalii received Player of the Match honours after starring at outside centre.
But, to the surprise of many, Suaalii was dropped back to the bench for the team’s second Spring Tour Test in Cardiff. The 21-year-old was injected into the Test during the second half and went on to impress with a couple of telling involvements, including a big shot on defence.
With Samu Kerevi unavailable for the upcoming Test at Murrayfield due to suspension, it seems more likely than not that Suaalii will return to the First XV. Anticipating that selection, Harrison spoke about how Rugby Australia’s marquee recruit has been “improving” on tour
“It’s the perfect time. Joe Schmidt has managed this squad well,” Harrison said on Stan Sports’ Spring Tour Special.
“We were curious about six changes heading into Wales, it’s a good time to let a young player know what it means and feels like to sit on the bench and watch an international game and inject yourself and Joseph did that.
“(Suaalii) came into the match, did what he needed to do, didn’t show up through fault. His attention to detail looks like it’s improving as well; small contacts, breakdown area, the game’s won between the hip and the ground.
“He’s learning about all those as he goes through this tour.”
In the Wallabies’ last Test at the Edinburgh fortress, the visitors claimed a nail-biting win after Scotland flyhalf Blair Kinghorn missed a last-minute penalty. That was the latest in a series of thrilling matchups between the sides at the well-known rugby venue.
Two of the last three meetings between the sides at Murrayfield have been decided by either one or two points, which sets the stage for another enthralling instalment of this rivalry in the early hours of Monday morning (AEDT).
Scotland hasn’t made the quarter-finals at the last two Rugby World Cups but they’re by means a team to be taken lightly. With Finn Russell steering the ship and Sione Tuipulotu taking on the role as captain, Gregor Towsend’s team is a formidable force on their day.
Earlier this year in the Six Nations, the Scots got the better of Wales and England, and also pushed international heavyweights France and Ireland close. They put up a strong fight against world champions South Africa earlier this month, too.
“They know how to attack.
“Scotland for so long have been a team that followed the profile of the Wallabies a bit; a forward pack that had to be smart and technical in the way that they got the ball, industrious how they used it.
“(Gregor) Townsend has brought in a width game into Scotland and they married that to a backrow that’s able to service possession – very important. IF you go with high width, high intensity, and you want to outpace teams, it means you’re exposing yourself to risk.
“Scotland have got that quotient very right at the moment, the balance is right at the moment. Finn Russell’s got a great decision matrix in him, he’s got a bit of showboat about him but the Scotland team react around him.”
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Latest Comments
Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.
They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).
That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).
Go to commentsThe only benefit of the draft idea is league competitiveness. There would be absolutely no commercial value in a draft with rugby’s current interest levels.
I wonder what came first in america? I’m assuming it’s commercial aspect just built overtime and was a side effect essentially.
But the idea is not without merit as a goal. The first step towards being able to implement a draft being be creating it’s source of draftees. Where would you have the players come from? NFL uses college, and players of an age around 22 are generally able to step straight into the NFL. Baseball uses School and kids (obviously nowhere near pro level being 3/4 years younger) are sent to minor league clubs for a few years, the equivalent of the Super Rugby academies. I don’t think the latter is possible legally, and probably the most unethical and pointless, so do we create a University scene that builds on and up from the School scene? There is a lot of merit in that and it would tie in much better with our future partners in Japan and America.
Can we used the club scene and dispose of the Super Rugby academies? The benefit of this is that players have no association to their Super side, ie theyre not being drafted elshwere after spending time as a Blues or Chiefs player etc, it removes the negative of investing in a player just to benefit another club. The disadvantage of course is that now the players have nowhere near the quality of coaching and each countries U20s results will suffer (supposedly).
Or are we just doing something really dirty and making a rule that the only players under the age of 22 (that can sign a pro contract..) that a Super side can contract are those that come from the draft? Any player wanting to upgrade from an academy to full contract has to opt into the draft?
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