The ‘big question mark’ with Super Rugby Pacific’s Team of the Year

Former Wallabies Cameron Shepherd and Tim Horan have both left Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii out of their Australian Super Rugby Pacific Teams of the Year, just days after the code-hopper was named in the official side at fullback.

After playing for the Wallabies during last year’s Spring Tour, Suaalii debuted for the Waratahs in their opening-round win over the Highlanders in Sydney. Suaalii was picked at fullback, but sustained a foot injury which ruled the former NRL star out for quite some time.

Suaalii returned in the Waratahs’ round seven clash with the Hurricanes in Wellington, lining up for the one and only time at outside centre, before returning to the No. 15 jersey for another five matches before injury sidelined him once again.

In about 500 minutes of gametime this season, Suaalii scored two tries and received one yellow card, but was among the standouts in a handful of matches. That said, Shepherd described Suaalii’s inclusion as “probably the big question mark” from the Team of the Year

Shepherd and Horan selected their Australian Teams of the Year, with the pair both leaving Suaalii out of their form team. Both selected Brumbies flyer Tom Wright at fullback, with Len Ikitau at outside centre.

“This is just on Super Rugby form… Langi Gleeson at Number Eight. I still think Harry Wilson will captain the Wallabies but this is Super Rugby form,” Horan said on Stan Sport’s Rugby Heaven.

“I thought Tom Hooper, outstanding. I could’ve picked Tom Hooper at five, six or eight, it didn’t matter where you pick him.

“Filipo Daugunu came back strong late.

“Harry Potter, he had one of the best seasons he’s had.”

Shepherd went with Wright, Harry Potter and Filipo Daugunu in the back three, with Reds inside centre Hunter Paisami joining Ikitau in the midfield. Reds captain Tate McDermott was picked at halfback, with Western Force fly-half Ben Donaldson.

In the forwards, Angus Bell was selected alongside Billy Pollard from the Brumbies and Western Force prop Tom Robertson. Darcy Swain and Nick Frost completed the tight five as the two locks, even though Jeremy Williams made the official TOTY as a second-rower.

Tom Hooper from the Brumbies was picked at blindside, with teammate Rob Valetini also making Shepherd’s team at No. 8. Queensland Reds and Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight was  picked ahead of Carlo Tizzano at openside.

“Mine’s a little bit different,” Shepherd added.

“Pollard, I thought, was absolutely brilliant.

“I actually put Tom Robertson in… I thought he was fantastic for the Force this year and did a lot around the park that a lot of people didn’t see.

“Ben Donaldson, I think, was my highest-performing, most consistent 10 in the competition [from] Australia.

“We’ve spoken about our backlines, very similar. Tom Wright, brilliant, Harry Potter, brilliant.

“Valetini I put at eight though, and I went with McReight and Hooper as the other backrowers.

“I think the one thing we can all agree is there was so many ways you could go with a few of those positions. It’s been so competitive in Australian rugby this year in so many of those positions. It was very, very tough to do that.”