Rugby Australia confirm Will Skelton's availability for Bledisloe 2

Rugby Australia have confirmed that Will Skelton will be back on deck for the Wallabies when they host the All Blacks in Perth next weekend.

Scheduling overlaps with Skelton’s Top 14 club, La Rochelle, saw him fly out to France after the Wallabies’ two-Test tour of South Africa last month, removing him from Australia’s two games against Argentina, in which results were split.

The 33-year-old will also miss this weekend’s Eden Park Test, a game which will see the Bledisloe Cup go on the line, with a win to New Zealand securing the Cup on the east side of the Tasman for yet another year. The Wallabies will have to win both Tests to reclaim the Cup.

Skelton could have made a late appearance in Wallabies camp for the Auckland contest, but coach Joe Schmidt doesn’t accommodate late arrivals during Test weeks when it comes to selection. The coach had been in contact with La Rochelle counterpart Ronan O’Gara when planning Skelton’s potential return to the Test fold.

Wallabies assistant coach Tom Donnelly spoke on Skelton’s availability on Tuesday afternoon in Auckland.

“Well, firstly, he’s a massive leader within our squad,” the former All Black said. “His ability to connect and encourage and work with the guys to make sure that we’re all working together is massive for the group.

“Secondly, he’s a huge human, so it makes it a little bit easier for him to be able to dominate collisions, which is pretty handy when you’re trying to win games of football.”

A 39-year winless Wallabies run at Eden Park can be broken on Saturday, and it will have to be if Australia want to make the most of Skelton’s presence the following week in Perth.

The Wallabies are in pole position, albeit by just a single competition point, with two rounds remaining in the Rugby Championship, and have proven themselves as powerful competitors once again in 2025. Two wins against the All Blacks can make a monumental statement after snagging wins over the British & Irish Lions, Springboks, and Pumas already in 2025.