Rugby Championship 2025: South Africa v Australia

[Slim 293]

Wallabies squad to tour South Africa as part of the Flight Centre Rugby Championship (Wallaby number, first Australian Rugby club, Super Rugby Pacific club, Test caps)

Forwards (20)

Angus Bell (#940, Hunters Hill Rugby Club, NSW Waratahs, 39)

Nick Champion De Crespigny (#991, Canberra Grammar School, Western Force, 1)

Nick Frost (#953, Hornsby Lions, ACT Brumbies, 29)

Langi Gleeson (#960, Harbord Harlequins, NSW Waratahs, 17)

Tom Hooper (#964, Bathurst Bulldogs, ACT Brumbies, 13)

Fraser McReight (#937, Albany Creek Brumbies, Queensland Reds, 29)

Josh Nasser (#979, Easts Rugby (Brisbane), Queensland Reds, 6)

Zane Nonggorr (#966, Gold Coast Eagles, Queensland Reds, 12)

Brandon Paenga-Amosa (#918, Southern Districts, Western Force, 21)

Billy Pollard (#958, Lindfield Junior Rugby Club, ACT Brumbies, 10)

Tom Robertson (#898, Dubbo Kangaroos, Western Force, 33)

Aidan Ross (uncapped, TBC, Queensland Reds, 0)

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (#914, Randwick, Queensland Reds, 41)

Will Skelton (#883, The Hills Sports High School, Stade Rochelais (France), 34)

James Slipper (#843, Bond Pirates, ACT Brumbies, 147)

Carlo Tizzano (#982, University of Western Australia, Western Force, 8)

Taniela Tupou (#917, Brothers Rugby (Brisbane), NSW Waratahs, 59)

Rob Valetini (#929, Harlequin Junior Rugby Club, ACT Brumbies, 53)

Jeremy Williams (#973, Wahroonga Tigers, Western Force, 14)

Harry Wilson (#933, Gunnedah Red Devils, Queensland Reds, 26)

Backs (15)

Ben Donaldson (#962, Clovelly Eagles, Western Force, 19)

Tane Edmed (#990, West Harbour Juniors, NSW Waratahs, 1)

Josh Flook (#972, Brothers Rugby, Queensland Reds, 4)

Len Ikitau (#944, Tuggeranong Vikings, ACT Brumbies, 43)

Max Jorgensen (#984, Balmain Wolves, NSW Waratahs, 11)

Andrew Kellaway (#943, Hunters Hill Rugby Club, NSW Waratahs, 41)

Ryan Lonergan (uncapped, Tuggeranong Vikings, ACT Brumbies, 0)

Tate McDermott (#936, Flinders Rugby Club, Queensland Reds, 45)

James O’Connor (#832, St Joseph’s College, Nudgee, Crusaders (New Zealand), 64)

Hunter Paisami (#932, Harlequin Junior Rugby Club, Queensland Reds, 31)

Dylan Pietsch (#978, Leeton Phantoms, Western Force, 6)

Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i (#988, The Kings School, NSW Waratahs, 8)

Corey Toole (uncapped, Wagga Waratahs, ACT Brumbies, 0)

Nic White (#875, Maitland Blacks, Western Force, 73)

Tom Wright (#939, Clovelly Eagles, ACT Brumbies, 41)

Unavailable for selection due to injury

Allan Ala'alatoa

Charlie Cale

Massimo De Lutiis

Matt Faessler

Jake Gordon

Noah Lolesio

Tom Lynagh

Harry Potter

 

[dillyboy]

Justice for LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)!

 

[KOB1987]

LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) in for Canham, Edmed in for Lynagh, Lonergan in for Gordon, Nasser in for Porecki/Faessler. Seem to be the only changes post Lions, or did I miss something? Canham the only player effectively dropped.

 

[Major Tom]

Good squad. De Luttis must be close being in contention if they're mentioning him on the injury list. I suppose he was in a wallabies camp earlier this year so maybe it's protocol.

 

[Blue]

Here's the summary:
Everybody.

 

[Slim 293]

Justice for LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)!

Not so much justice, but deserved selection on the back of a couple of games late in the Lions tour...

I wouldn't expect him to crack the 23 ahead of Skelton, Frost, Williams and Hooper.

 

[Blue]

LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) - 3 tests too late. Heck. What more did he have to do?

TH prop is a big weakness.

This is going to be two very tight matches.

 

[Red Runner]

Nasser / Paenga-Amosa / Pollard
Bell / Ross / Slipper
Nonggor / Robertson / Tupou
Frost / Salakai-Loto / Skelton / Williams
Champion de Crespignay / Hooper / Valetini
McReight / Tizzano
Wilson / Gleeson
White / McDermott / Lonergan
Donaldson / Edmed / O'Connor
Paisami / Ikitua / Suaailii / Flook
Jorgensen / Kellaway / Toole / Pietsch/ Wright

 

[Slim 293]

LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) - 3 tests too late. Heck. What more did he have to do?

Probably not be injured and playing better than the locks selected prior to the series...?

 

[JRugby2]

LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) - 3 tests too late. Heck. What more did he have to do?

TH prop is a big weakness.

This is going to be two very tight matches.

I love the optimism

 

[Blue]

Realism in my case. I support South Africa.

 

[Red Runner]

Or to help some on here

Pollard
Slipper

Frost
Hooper / Valetini

Lonergan
Edmed
Ikitau
Toole / Wright

 

[JRugby2]

I really hope Nic White remains 3rd string. Seems absolutely pointless playing him if he's "retired" and not going to the RWC. Lonergan no slouch either - just probably doesn't have as much dog in him at Whitey

 

[KOB1987]

TH prop is a big weakness.

Is it though? They're saying Tupou is unlikely for the first match but I'm backing him to play if he's cleared the medical.

 

[Blue]

TT has not strung together a few matches in well, ever. Never good for more than 40 to 50 in a test. The drop off to the other two is substantial. If somehow TT can get healthy and play 50 in both tests you'll be okay. If one of the other two have to start you think it will be tough going. The Bok props are all in top form. Scrum is stronger than ever.

 

[Tazzmania]

I really hope Nic White remains 3rd string. Seems absolutely pointless playing him if he's "retired" and not going to the RWC. Lonergan no slouch either - just probably doesn't have as much dog in him at Whitey

White will be in the 23, otherwise why would he come back from retirement just to hold tackle bags?

 

[Blue]

I think with either Edmed or Donaldson at 10 you HAVE to play White at 10 to take pressure off them both.

 

[JRugby2]

I think he's a better choice than Teddy or Kalani if either Tate or Lonners goes down. I don't think we should completely throw the series away for the sake of development, especially considering both (Teddy or Kalani) aren't likely to be near the wallabies squad until after the RWC at the earliest.

 

[Wilson]

LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) in for Canham, Edmed in for Lynagh, Lonergan in for Gordon, Nasser in for Porecki/Faessler. Seem to be the only changes post Lions, or did I miss something? Canham the only player effectively dropped.

Flook over Daugunu is not a change from the squad at the end of the Lions, but he was effectively an injury replacement for a concussed Daugunu so it's sort of a dropping (but also a bit of a balance shift in the squad).

 

[Ignoto]

I wouldn't expect him to crack the 23 ahead of Skelton, Frost, Williams and Hooper.

I dunno - considering we're onto our 3rd and 4th string TH for the first game, I would be suggesting you need Skelton and Lukhan's weight to be helping Robertson and Zane against the HGH units from SA.

Its hard to know about the back row composition with Bobby V lacking significant conditioning to play 80 so anyones guess what way Joe goes i.e. with/without Hooper or Wilson.