Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii finished the 35-32 win against Japan on the wing – and that was a preview of where he will end up under new coach Les Kiss.
A number of push and pull factors are at play – including the value that Hunter Paisami offers in the way Kiss likes to attack – but ultimately Suaalii’s strengths and weaknesses are better suited to the outside backs.
The 23-year-old is a sight to behold with ball in hand – and showed it in Osaka – but his distribution isn’t good enough for an elite Test midfielder, and his defensive issues persist.
Interestingly, the Wallabies picked an out-and-out midfielder on the bench for the first time this year, so Kiss might have always had a plan to have a look at Suaalii on the edge.
Paisami was a massive part of how the Reds played under Kiss, and his strong game against Japan means that a Paisami-Len Ikitau combination is likely once Ikitau returns from injury.
Amatosero red card was a fair call
There was a scramble to find mitigating factors after Miles Amatosero put a shoulder to the head of Japan captain Warner Dearns in the first half, but it always looked like red-card material.
All Blacks flanker Luke Jacobson was lucky to avoid a red card in similar circumstances for a clean-out against Ireland last month, but Amatosero can’t have real complaints.
While late changes of direction and dips in height might be relevant to tackle situations, when the tackler is caught out by a ball carrier’s dynamic movement, Amatosero has lined up Dearns from metres away and has his eyes locked on him until turning his shoulder to hit him with force.
His selection was always a risky one. Perhaps the Wallabies expected Harry Hockings to start and wanted to counter his size, but as it turned out Jack Cornelsen was selected for the Brave Blossoms, and he used his greater mobility to produce a strong performance.
It’s easy to understand Amatosero’s appeals to coaches, given his size, but at the moment there is a big gap between what coaches want him to be and where he actually is with his rugby.
Declan Meredith struggles at No.10
The Brumbies five-eighth showed great mental courage to turn around an uncertain first half and put the Wallabies in some great attacking positions with a few great touch finders.
Brumbies fans will remember all too well how Meredith completely lost his way against the Hurricanes during Super Round in Christchurch. But the cold, hard reality is that Meredith won’t get away with repeats of his performance in Osaka against the Rugby Championship sides or the Six Nations teams in November.
Carter Gordon ran the water in Japan and is presumably close to a return, but Ben Donaldson must be wondering what he needs to do to earn a crack at the jersey.
On the flipside, there was a big positive in Tom Wright’s return to top speed and form, Harry Potter was excellent, and Josh Canham outpointed Dearns in a high-quality duel in the second row. He would have relished nicking one lineout off the giant Dearns in the first half.
As far as the Kiss imprint goes, it is too early to say. However, some of the Wallabies’ ball movement and ambition was the best they have produced since the opening segment of the loss to the All Blacks in Perth last October.
Interestingly, Kiss told the Stan coverage after the Test the Wallabies had “overplayed” at times in Osaka. However, the key to unlocking this particular group of Wallabies is not to pull the reins too tightly.
Stormers show what Super Rugby is missing
Everyone understands the economic difficulties of putting 30 massive humans on a plane and flying them from Sydney to Cape Town or Johannesburg for two games of rugby played in the middle of the night, Australian time, and viewed only by insomniacs or tragics.
Imagine trying to do that in the current climate: it’s a fast-track to bankruptcy. But watching the Stormers bully the All Blacks’ set-piece on Saturday night was a stark reminder of the high-performance cost of not having South African teams in Super Rugby.
Even though the Stormers are in preseason mode, they did a number on the All Blacks’ scrum and maul defence and exposed them under the high ball.
The All Blacks said they knew what was coming, but the reality of playing in South Africa hit them hard, and they will have to be very fast learners to succeed on their tour of South Africa.
Super Rugby Pacific has its merits, but Australian players are missing out on an education that only the South Africans can provide.
The great Kolisi might not face the All Blacks
The Springboks were pushed to the last second in their 17-10 win against Los Pumas in Argentina, with Argentina replacement Matias Moroni dropping the ball with the tryline in sight.
South Africa’s depth is impressive, but it is not bottomless. They will likely view the Test as perfect preparation for the All Blacks, but there will be concern after captain Siya Kolisi limped off the field after just 24 minutes.
Kolisi has been struggling with a calf injury, and it looks like his participation in the first Test against the All Blacks is in real doubt. Kolisi’s ability as a rugby player, rather than a leader and talismanic figure, has always been underrated.
He is a destructive force at the breakdown and a great ball carrier, so the Springboks will lose something on the field if he can’t play.
Rassie Erasmus also has a big call to make at No.10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, also returning from injury, was very much rocks or diamonds against Argentina.
Paul Cully is a rugby columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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