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Former Wallabies react to Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s stunning Test debut
By Finn Morton
Former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles believes Rugby Australia’s marquee recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is worth every cent of his multi-year deal. Suaalii hadn’t played Super Rugby or even Shute Shield before donning Wallaby gold but went on to deliver a Test debut for the ages.
In March last year, Suaalii put pen to paper on a deal reportedly worth $5.3 million to jump codes from the NRL. The then 19-year-old was touted as a generational figure that RA was keen to secure the services of ahead of a decisive period for the sport Down Under.
Suaalii went on to represent Samoa at the Rugby League World Cup and later played seven minutes of State of Origin for New South Wales. But after a recent switch to the 15-player game, the man himself is firmly focused on what lies ahead in Wallaby gold.
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The then-uncapped Wallabies prospect modelled the national team’s jersey for the 2025 British and Irish Lions Series before speaking with reporters in Sydney last month. Suaalii has always wanted to be a Wallaby and is excited by the prospect of playing the Lions next year.
No Australian rugby player has had this level of hype surrounding them in quite some time, but Suaalii appears up to the task. Suaalii debuted in Wallaby gold in last weekend’s 42-37 win over England at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, receiving Player of the Match honours afterwards.
“It’s a quality signing and it’s at the right price at the moment, I don’t care what people say,” Hoiles said on Stan Sports’ Between Two Posts
“The value we’ve got off-field, and it’s only been matched in one game, don’t want to get too hyped up about how good he’s going to be but the attributes that he has an individual, it’s going to be very different for teams to start analysing and stopping how he plays.
“Len Ikitau had his best (performance) in a Wallaby jersey for probably two seasons, do you think that’s a coincidence? Or the fact that he’s got a guy like Joseph outside him.
“When you’ve got a player who’s that tall and he’s got an over skip and an overs offload and a basketball offload, I think it just changes so much on the way that teams have to start defending him and we’re in for a really good run with that young man.”
Suaalii stole the show at the venue formerly known as Twickenham from early on, with the 21-year-old impressing with some quality touches. The Wallaby leapt above England’s Maro Itoje to help the visitors secure a restart early on, which in itself is no easy feat.
With quick hands and some determined stops on defence, the Wallabies’ latest debutant continued to make his mark. Suaalii’s crowning moment was a brilliant ‘basketball’ offload to Tom Wright to set up Australia’s opening try of the contest.
The influence of Rugby Australia’s big name recruit seemed to have an impact on others wearing Wallaby gold too, including midfield partner Len Ikitau. Ikitau was right up there with the team’s best, which included a stunning flick pass to assist Max Jorgensen’s match-winning try.
“I thought he was great. How do you do that? First game of professional rugby union was great,” four-time John Eales Medallist Michael Hooper went on to explain later in the show.
“His touches, he didn’t get tackled pretty much the whole game, try set up, restarts… that is such a big factor, such a big factor. That leap he did from a mile out, it was like the (Michael) Jordan jump and gets it back.
“It’s actually a safe play to kick to him. It’s high probability you get it back.”
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Latest Comments
Agreed. As a Saffa I have much respect for the ABs. I also have to say given any option I would ONLY prefer to lose to ABs. To lose to England is probably the most embarrassing think to happen to either of us.
There was a time when both of us lost to England and we both hated it. Thankfully those days are behind us. Kudos to you guys, kudos to ABs. But dear old BS seems to hate us Boks. No idea why.
Go to commentsI got the sense that holding him to it was kickback from SB and the rfu smarting at being jilted quite so soon, so unexpectedly and so publicly.
Seem to remember that they spoke to Gustard before appointing Joe and you really have to think he would have come in at a higher level?
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