Tom Wright’s verdict on three-Test Wallaby after back-to-back wins

Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa has played 92 Tests and Rob Valetini is a two-time recipient of the John Eales Medal. But Declan Meredith hasn’t been overawed by the chance to play alongside some giants of Australian rugby, having become a well-respected member of the group.

Cairns-born Meredith has completed a remarkable rise from ACT club rugby in the John I Dent Cup to higher honours in Wallaby gold. The 26-year-old debuted against France last month and has started another two Tests in the No. 10 jersey since.

Meredith got an opportunity to start opposite Romain Ntamack and Matthieu Jalibert when the reigning Six Nations champions visited Brisbane, before lining up Paolo Garbisi in a 47-point win over Italy on July 18.

The Wallabies backed that result up with a nail-biting 35-32 triumph over Japan in Osaka, but Meredith’s performance has been a talking point. Wallabies great Tim Horan has suggested that Meredith “struggled” and that Carter Gordon should start at fly-half.

But Wright has come in to bat for his ACT Brumbies teammate, who has helped lead the Wallabies to back-to-back wins for the first time in 12 months, having played at least 57 minutes in all three appearances in gold.

“To have two consecutive Test wins when you start at fly-half is something that you should be really, really proud of,” Wright told reporters in Brisbane.

“I was fortunate enough to be asked to present him with his debut jersey against France and that was super special for me because I watched him come from genuine club football in Canberra, with no Brumbies contract, to elevate himself into the Brumbies squad, make his debut, come on and now be the Brumbies fly-half for the season just gone and was absolutely outstanding.

“The confidence that he’s got to bark at guys like Allan [Alaalatoa], [Josh] Canham, Rob Valetini, Harry Wilson, and those guys just react to someone with such a limited amount of games on their stat sheet but so much respect in this group.

“In terms of effort given and the respect that he’s got because of that, world-class.”

Another selection change that Horan floated on Wide World of Sports this week is that Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who has only started at outside centre for the Wallabies since switching from the NRL, is moving the code-hopper to the outside backs.

Suaalii was named in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific Team of the Year at fullback after a promising rookie campaign with the NSW Waratahs, but Wright has held down the fort at the national team’s first-choice No. 15.

“Everyone has an opinion of someone who is that talented and has brought so much good coverage to our game,” Wright said.

“The versatility that we’ve got pretty much across the entire backline is something that potentially is a weapon for us, right? Being able to change the point of attack… the makeup of our bench gave us coverage in many different ways. I jumped on the wing there for a period of time as well.

“’Su’ could jump in anywhere. You could mould him into an inside centre if you wanted him to. You could give him enough time to play five eight, I think he’d also jump at the opportunity to do that.

“He’s going to be brilliant wherever we put him. I’ve seen his game grow so, so well in the 13 position… such a good player for us and such a team-first guy. No mention from him as to he wants to do this, doesn’t want to do this.

“We talk about team-first in this group and he’s absolutely leading that.”

Warner Dearns scored a try in the dying stages to make it a one-score game against the Wallabies, but the visitors held on for a three-point win on the road. Japan and Australia will go head-to-head again this weekend in Townsville.

Queensland Country Bank Stadium will host four pool stage matches during Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, but rugby fans in North Queensland will have the chance to watch international rugby at the venue in just a matter of days.

“We spent the best part of the week preparing [for the heat] which gave us the best chance to get acclimatised, which was good,” he reflected.

“Les was awesome, brought his own touch to the week prior to leaving to go over to Japan as well.

“Obviously a good familiarity with a lot of the Reds guys giving us a little bit of insight as to the way that he goes about stuff and the way that he views the game.

“Albeit it wasn’t the polished performance we were chasing, a win’s a win, in particular at Test level.”