‘A good find’: The Wallabies history Josh Canham made against Italy

Josh Canham had only made four appearances for the Wallabies before taking the field at Perth’s HBF Park on Saturday, with Italy in town for a Nations Championship Test. The Wallabies brought an end to their six-match losing streak 57-10, and Canham made history in the process.

Canham became the first Wallabies lock to score a hat-trick, having burrowed over for two first-half tries and adding a third after the break. It’s another milestone for the second-rower, who has enjoyed a breakout start to the international season.

Following an injury-riddled Super Rugby Pacific season with the Queensland Reds, Canham was named in the 37-man Wallabies squad for the July internationals. The 25-year-old touched down for a five-pointer in a thriller between the Aussies and Irish in Sydney earlier this month.

The US-born Wallaby played more than 50 minutes against Six Nations heavyweights Ireland and France in consecutive weeks, before a monstrous shift against the Azzurri, having been out in the middle for the entire Test.

Canham finished with a record-making hat-trick, ran the ball 15 times and muscled up in defence as well. The lock continues to step up as a general at lineout time too, just five matches into a carer with the national team.

“First lock to ever score three tries for the Wallabies [in one match],” former Wallaby Morgan Turinui said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.

“The other stuff too – at lineout time, you’re talking about work rate around the park. He’s been good, h’s blossomed.

“The Reds missed him when he wasn’t there this year. Good to see him push through.”

Canham debuted for the Wallabies in a heavy 67-27 defeat to Los Pumas in Argentina during the 2024 Rugby Championship. The then one-Test Wallaby wouldn’t make another appearance for the side until last October, with the Aussies beating Japan by four points.

Joe Schmidt decided to leave Queensland Reds enforcer Lukhan Salakaia-Loto out of the squad for the July Nations Cup matches, instead going with a fairly inexperienced quartet. Lachlan Shaw and Miles Amatosero both debuted in recent weeks.

Canham, who has previously made a couple of appearances for Australia A, was one of the clear Wallabies standouts against Ireland. The Wallabies lost that thriller by just two points, with a record Allianz Stadium crowd watching on in Sydney.

Turinui and Wallabies great Matt Burke both considered Canham to be the team’s best on ground in the recent win over Italy, with Stan Sport broadcaster Sean Maloney agreeing with that assessment as well.

“A good find,” Burke added.

“We had to find someone in that locking position.

“Canham again for me three points for all the stuff [Turinui] has spoken about.”