Wallabies player ratings vs Italy | Nations Championship 2026

The Wallabies have brought an end to a six-game unbeaten streak, sending off departing coaches Joe Schmidt and Laurie Fisher in style with a commanding 57-10 win over Italy in Perth. It’s the first time the Wallabies have defeated the Azzurri since 2018.

Josh Canham stole the show during the first half with some important lineout work and a double, only to complete a hat-trick during the second term. Front-rowers Angus Bell and Brandon Paenga-Amosa also got on the scoresheet during the opening 40.

It was a dominant performance from the Wallabies, who will have a new head coach when they play Japan in two Tests next month. Rugby Australia announced last year that Les Kiss would be taking over from Schmidt, who has led the team since early 2024.

Here’s how the Wallabies rated in Schmidt’s final Test in charge.

1. Angus Bell – 7.5/10
Bell is probably the most consistent front-rower in rugby when it comes to regular impact with the ball. The prop was top five overall for total carries with 11, despite being replaced with just under 30 minutes left in the Test. Australia dominated possession, so Bell wasn’t able to have a game-defining impact in defence.

The 25-year-old, who just spent a season with Irish outfit Ulster in the URC, crashed over from a maul to score a five-pointer deep in the first half. But at scrum time, Bell did give away a penalty for collapsing midway through the first term.

2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa – 8
Paenga-Amosa was sensational for the Wallabies a week ago, playing about 75 minutes in the front row against world number four France. The hooker was brought into the run-on side for the Italy Test and was almost just as good.

The Western Force rake scored a Wallabies try in the 12^th minute, fighting over the try line from a pick and drive 12 minutes in. Paenga-Amosa carried the ball eight times and made nine stops in defence, in what was generally another solid performance.

3. Allan Alaalatoa – 7
This was Alaalatoa’s 91^st appearance in Wallaby gold, and the importance of the world-renowned loosehead to this side cannot be undersold. Alaalatoa was one of the team leaders in defence with nine tackles and put up solid numbers in attack. The Wallabies’ set-piece was fairly good, but was bested by the Azzurri pack on occasion.

4. Josh Canham – 9.5
For the second time in three Nations Championship Tests, Canham was right up there as one of the best on the night for the Wallabies. It’s actually hard to believe the now five-Test lock hadn’t started an international match before facing Ireland a fortnight ago.

Canham touched down for two first-half tries, burrowing over on both occasions from close range. The USA-born second-rower made it a hat-trick 12 minutes into the second half, as the Wallabies continued to charge towards victory. The 25-year-old laid down a marker, leading the way with a game-high 15 carries after 63 minutes.

Brandon Paenga-Amosa regularly looked to Canham at the lineout, continuing to step up as a general at the set-piece. It was a fairly faultless knock from Canham, having made a tremendous impact in all areas of the contest.

5. Jeremy Williams – 8
Western Force captain Williams was fairly consistent across all three Nations Championship matches. Williams put up good numbers against Les Bleus, and it was a similar story on his home deck at HBF Park, finishing with nine carries and seven tackles. The lock was turned to as a lineout target multiple times and even got busy around the breakdown, getting over the ball and winning a pilfer penalty just before half-time.

6. Rob Valetini – 8
Valetini is right up there as one of the most important members of this Wallabies squad, with the backrower almost always stepping up as one of the team’s best. The blindside flanker made the second-most tackles of any Wallaby and made an impact in attack – getting over the gain-line often, and producing some decisive cleanouts at rucks.

7. Carlo Tizzano – 8.5
Tizzano was presented with an almost rare opportunity to start at openside for the national team, with Fraser McReight instead named on the bench. The Perth-born backrower only made one start during the 2025 international season, but took the opportunity to play big minutes against the Azzurri with both hands.

The backrower made more tackles than any other Wallaby during the first term and clocked in with an equal game-high 11 carries. Those trends continued during the second term, before the now 15-Test Wallaby was replaced after 63 minutes. “Job well done, commentator Rupert Cox said on the RugbyPass TV broadcast.

8. Harry Wilson (c) – 7.5
Wilson continues to lead by example on both sides of the ball and was even turned to as a lineout option by Brandon Paenga-Amosa. The Wallabies skipper put in another mammoth 80-minute shift – the only Australian loose forward to have played every minute of the Nations Championship.

With 11 carries, seven tackles and an offload, Wilson was certainly able to make an impact. The only real downside or negative talking point to speak of was the No. 8 knocking the ball on in the lead-up to what otherwise would’ve been a Max Jorgensen try in the first half. But it was a tough tackle, and Wilson doesn’t lose many points for that at all.

Points Flow Chart

Australia win +47

Time in lead

78

Mins in lead

0

95%

% Of Game In Lead

0%

49%

Possession Last 10 min

51%

7

Points Last 10 min

0

9. Ryan Lonergan – 8.5
Without any doubt, this was Lonergan’s best performance in a Wallabies jersey. The scrum-half looked composed and comfortable and was able to drive the team around the park with quick deliveries. Lonergan hooked a tough conversion attempt way left early on but bounced back with two successful shots at the poles.

One moment that may have gone unnoticed by some came 26 minutes into the match, with Lonergan sprinting away from a scrum to force a miskick from Louis Lynagh. That saw the Aussies set up for a lineout inside the Italian red zone.

10. Declan Meredith – 7.5
It’s been a big two weeks for Meredith, who was retained in the run-on side at fly-half after getting the chance to debut against France. Meredith stepped up as a reliable playmaker for the Wallabies, who appeared eager to get involved and make an impact. The Wallabies have had nine players play minutes at fly-half in the last 12 months, but it seems Meredith could be a real prospect for the team moving forward. That’s not to say it was an error-free or perfect outing, but it was one that Meredith and the Wallabies can certainly build on.

11. Harry Potter – 8
Potter was named in the Wallabies starting side for the first time since November 23, and the winger almost made an immediate impact against Italy. The flyer was stopped a metre short of the try line just two minutes in, before Josh Canham crashed over for the opener soon after. Potter finished with a game-high 149 running metres, which was almost 100 more than teammate Jermy Williams in second place.

The No. 11 made a game-high four line breaks, ran the ball 14 times, and made some tackles on the defensive side of the ball. It’s true that wingers are often graded on their ability to score tries, but Potter was still superb without getting on the scoresheet.

12. Len Ikitau – 9
Ikitau is the reigning John Eales Medal winner (Wallabies Player of the Year), and it’s not hard to see why. Ikitau got over the ball to win a pilfer penalty 34 minutes in, scored a try just before half-time, and went into the break with an equal game-high 11 carries. In the second half, Ikitau almost set up centre partner Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii with a clever kick ahead. Then consider the stat sheet: the No. 12 made 15 carries and was solid defensively. It’s performances like this that remind you why Ikitau is considered one of the best centres in the sport.

13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – 7.5
Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui said on Stan Sport this week that he never wants to see Suaalii play outside centre again. Suaalii has played some solid rugby over recent weeks, but Turinui noted the importance of defence in that Between Two Posts clip. The 21-Test Wallaby didn’t miss any tackle attempts against the Italians, but was required to make four stops across an 80-minute shift. In attack, Suaalii enjoyed some good moments, but failed to reel in a Len Ikitau kick to potentially score during the second term.

14. Max Jorgensen – 7
Jorgensen thought he had touched down for a try 25 minutes in, but that five-pointer was ruled out by the TMO for an earlier knock-on. The winger was still able to play fairly well, running the ball six times for almost 50 metres. That included a long break down the left edge, which saw ‘Jorgo’ put a kick ahead for Declan Meredith to chase, but an Italian defender managed to deflect that attempt. Jorgensen was good overall, but did go quiet for some periods.

15. Tom Wright – 7.5
It was a dream start to the Test for Wright, who sliced through the Italian defensive line to score just eight minutes in. Wright ran around former Melbourne Rebels flyer Monty Ioane en route to the try line. The fullback then set up Max Jorgensen for a try later in the half, only for that effort to have been ruled out by the TMO for an earlier knock-on. Wright was fairly quiet for the rest of the match, running the ball just six times for 33 metres.

Replacements – 8
The second half has been a big talking point for the Wallabies in recent weeks, having faded away in matches against Ireland and France. But the bench came on against Italy and did a decent job, with the likes of Fraser McReight and Ben Donaldson standing out. McReight made one long break downfield, while ‘Dono’ had the final try-scoring say of the match. Miles Amatosero also had some good moments on debut for the Wallabies.