Wallabies confirm back-to-back sold-out Tests to start season

The Wallabies will face Six Nations champions France in front of a packed house in Brisbane on Saturday evening, confirming back-to-back sold-out matches to start the men’s international season.

Australian and Irish rugby fans brought the noise in the opening round of the inaugural Nations Championship last weekend in Sydney, with a record crowd packing the stands at Allianz Stadium for the 33-31 thriller.

Dylan Pietsch gave supporters in gold plenty to cheer about inside the opening couple of minutes in that Test, touching down for the team’s first points of the season. But the Wallabies were pipped late in the piece by the team ranked third in the world.

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With another juggernaut of Northern Hemisphere rugby set to play their first match on Australian soil in a number of years, Wallabies fans have already shown immense support, selling out the Test hours before kick-off.

It’s the second marquee sporting event of the week at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, following the Men’s State of Origin decider on Wednesday. Queensland were beaten by New South Wales, but Wallabies captain Harry Wilson has a message for heartbroken Maroons fans.

“I think there’ll be a few supporters coming on Saturday who need a win after Wednesday night,” Wallabies captain Harry Wilson told reporters outside Suncorp Stadium.

“I know Queenslanders, how vocal they are in supporting and I think it’s going to be no different.

“We didn’t come in [to watch Origin]. We watched it at the hotel. We had a big Thursday session so had to do the right thing by the body but we’re at the hotel watching, the boys supporting both states and it was quite fun in the team room.”

France last played at Suncorp Stadium on July 18, 2021, with the Wallabies claiming a tense 33-30 triumph that evening. Les Bleus have won the last three straight since then, which were all at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

There are two Australian-born players in France’s matchday 23, and Emmanuel Meafou also grew up in the Sunshine State. Meafou played for Brothers Rugby Club in North Brisbane and attended Ipswich Grammar School.

Moses Elo-Emile went to Brisbane State High School and Thomas Staniforth used to play for the ACT Brumbies and NSW Waratahs. It looms as a bit of a homecoming for those three, who are all yet to play a Test at the Brisbane venue.

“I played Queensland Schoolboys with Moses Elo-Emile and haven’t seen him since then. It’ll be pretty cool to go up against him again. He’s a big boy and he’s been plying his trade in France now for a long time in the front row,” Wilson said.

“Emmanuel Meafou, a Brothers boy, we versed him last year and gee whiz he’s a presence on the field. It’s the first time he’s playing a Test match in his home stadium here in Brisbane, Australia.

“They’re going to be a handful but gee whiz, the rest of the team will be a handful too so we’re going to be fired up and ready.”