Wallabies v Japan 25 Oct

[rugbyAU]

Good opportunities to get some game time into some backup players

1 - Bell
2 - Nasser
3 - AA
4 - Frost
5 - LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
6 - Valetini
7 - Tizzano
8 - Wilson
9 - Lonergan
10 - Edmed
11 - Pietsch
12 - Paisami
13 - JAS
14 - Jorgensen
15 - Kellaway

16 - Pollard
17 - Ross
18 - Tupou
19 - Williams
20 - CDC
21 - Thomas
22 - Gordon
23 - Daungunu

 

[Red Runner]

is Gordon still injured?

 

[Wilson]

is Gordon still injured?

Pretty sure he's fine, unless he re-injured himself after the second Bledisloe. Not sure about Pietsch though, he was still tondo a fitness test this week I think, so the Japan game might be a bit early even if he passed that.

 

[rugbyAU]

is Gordon still injured?

No

 

[Dctarget]

Joe has all but confirmed C. Gordon will feature against Japan. Sounds like Edmed will start with Gordon off the bench.

Also, JO'C is a decent chance to feature in the European games.

 

[Filipo Daugunu]

Is it true that Faessler came out injured from the Aus A match? Apparently he is still with the Wallabies squad in Japan but Ethan Dobbins has been called in as cover for Faessler.

 

[Dctarget]

Joe has also said that no player will play all five games. All the forwards have good replacements, not hard to see them getting rotated out.

Probably means that we'll see Kalani Thomas get a cap.

Weakest link is centres as we've been discussing. Wonder if we'll see Daugunu at 13 for Japan/Italy.

Other one is fullback. Jorgo can take give it a spin but means that his time on the wing will be limited. I think we'll see a decent amount of rotation between Jorgo/Kellaway/Pietsch/Daugunu/Toole.

Joe was fairly receptive to selecting OS based players but I can't really think of any who are in deserving form beyond the ones already selected. Perese would be a level above Stewart/Flook but he's recently injured, not sure for how long. Actually maybe Banks is worth a training squad position seeing as we're down a fullback. Really doubt it though.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Perfect game for a guy like Lonergan to get a start and preserve Gordon to in the coaches hopes be able to start 4 on the trot in Europe.

Surely this would also be a great game for a guy like CDC to get some bulk minutes and give Valetini a half at most then sit. Wallabies need him fit.

 

[rugbyAU]

Is it true that Faessler came out injured from the Aus A match? Apparently he is still with the Wallabies squad in Japan but Ethan Dobbins has been called in as cover for Faessler.

This hasn’t been reported anywhere

 

[PhilClinton]

We can't risk this being our Italy game. Any goodwill the Wallabies have built in 2025 will instantly be eroded if Eddie's team gets one over on us, or even if we need to snatch victory late.

Definitely an opportunity for some guys to play bigger minutes but I'd like to see our core intact where possible, considering we already have a number of blokes unavailable.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I think the shine has come off them in the last month unfortunately. Feels like a back to standard operating.

I'd like the Wallabies to skewer them early and then keep the foot on the throat. Make it a no contest. Having said that it is the best chance to preserve some guys like Valetini. Cobweb game for him and then let CDC maul a bloke.

 

[Brumby Runner]

My memory Phil, is that for the Italy game, the bench wasn't the strongest we could put out. I think some first XV players were rested entirely and the less than ideal bench couldn't pull us out of the fire.

In any case, whether my memory is failing or not, I agree that we mustn't make too many changes and where we do, the best players available, even those being rested, have to be considered on the bench just in case things are going sour.

 

[Strewthcobber]

My memory Phil, is that for the Italy game, the bench wasn't the strongest we could put out. I think some first XV players were rested entirely and the less than ideal bench couldn't pull us out of the fire.

In any case, whether my memory is failing or not, I agree that we mustn't make too many changes and where we do, the best players available, even those being rested, have to be considered on the bench just in case things are going sour.

Australia was down by 10 at the 64th min.

I was surprised by the relative quality of the team albeit a young team and a few years ago now.
------

1. Matt Gibbon (4 Tests)

2. Folau Fainga’a (35 Tests)

3. Allan Ala'alatoa (c) (61 Tests)

4. Nick Frost (7 Tests)

5. Will Skelton (22 Tests)

6. Ned Hanigan (26 Tests)


7. Fraser McReight (8 Tests)

8. Pete Samu (30 Tests)

9. Jake Gordon (17 Tests)

10. Noah Lolesio (15 Tests)

11. Tom Wright (20 Tests)

12. Hunter Paisami (22 Tests)


13. Len Ikitau (23 Tests)

14. Mark Nawaqanitawase*

15. Jock Campbell (2 Tests)

Replacements

16. Lachlan Lonergan (6 Tests)

17. Tom Robertson (28 Tests)


18. Taniela Tupou (45 Tests)

19. Darcy Swain (16 Tests)

20. Langi Gleeson (1 Test)

21. Tate McDermott (19 Tests)

22. Ben Donaldson*

23. Jordan Petaia (22 Tests)

 

[Yoda]

That side should have flogged Italy... very poor performance. Dropped the ball off the kick off from memory?

 

[PhilClinton]

That side should have flogged Italy... very poor performance. Dropped the ball off the kick off from memory?

Looking at that team now - you'd be confident in them walking away with a 20 point win.

But in 2022 I think some key differences were:

- Skelton wasn't as engaged as he has been in 2025
- Wright and Ikitau weren't walk on starters like they are today, in particular Ikitau has good but in 2025 he's world class
- Jock Campbell not a Wallaby level fullback
- Noah and Hunter had been regressing at international level
- the bench forwards also well below standard of what we can roll out now

 

[Slim 293]

- Wright and Ikitau weren't walk on starters like they are today, in particular Ikitau has good but in 2025 he's world class

Ikitau was a walk up starter for every game from the third French test in 2021 until Eddie controversially left him out of the 2023 RWC squad...

He was already widely labelled as being "world class" back in 2022.

But otherwise, yeah... a few underperforming players and a real drop in quality in some of the forwards - Rennie was already facing a massive injury crisis and chose to rest too many other first choice players for that test.

 

[Strewthcobber]

That side should have flogged Italy... very poor performance. Dropped the ball off the kick off from memory?

16 penalties to 9 (being a Rennie team), lineout fell apart, and to their credit, Italy's backline was red hot. Some great tries

 

[Wilson]

16 penalties to 9 (being a Rennie team), lineout fell apart, and to their credit, Italy's backline was red hot. Some great tries

I remember a Jake Gordon yellow card (he was in terrible form that year) really opening the door for them. The chopping and changing of halves all tour (year) really didn't help, along with Rennie's apparent reluctance to lean on club combinations when resting. Similar things had been going on at fullback too - Kellaway, Hodge, Banks and Petaia had all spent time there over the year to then pull Campbell into a back 3 that had never played together.

At the end of the day he was in full on gambler mode at this point - picking guys like Gleeson for the tour off the back of 9 super games and 3 or 4 Aus A games. Would've been fine as a member of the touring party to gain exposure, but he simply wasn't ready for test match rugby. Leaving Wilson at home for Gleeson also meant he couldn't do something like start McReight, Wilson, and McDermott all together in this game and lean on a very established combination.

 

[rugbyAU]

Looking at that team now - you'd be confident in them walking away with a 20 point win.

But in 2022 I think some key differences were:

- Skelton wasn't as engaged as he has been in 2025
- Wright and Ikitau weren't walk on starters like they are today, in particular Ikitau has good but in 2025 he's world class
- Jock Campbell not a Wallaby level fullback
- Noah and Hunter had been regressing at international level
- the bench forwards also well below standard of what we can roll out now

Yeah Gibbon starting too (no Slipper or Bell) and Lonergan must be 5-6th choice now

 

[Dctarget]

Jorgensen and Sua'ali'i rested. No news on centre or scrumhalf. But the rumoured backline is such:

10. Edmed 11/14 Toole/Pietsch 15. Kellaway