Waratahs' Suaalii sub undaunted by size of boots to fill

Triston Reilly is undaunted by the challenge of replacing the Wallabies’ $5 million man in the NSW Waratahs’ Super Rugby Pacific derby against the Reds.

He’s no Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, but Triston Reilly is promising to bring his own edge when he fills the biggest backline boots in Australian rugby on Saturday night.

Usually a winger, Reilly has been tasked with deputising for the injured Suaalii at outside centre in the NSW Waratahs’ Super Rugby Pacific derby against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

“It’s not too unfamiliar for me. Throughout the pre-season, I was training a little bit in outside centre with ‘Su’,” Reilly said on Thursday.

“I’ve played there in the past, mainly in Shute Shield level and going through school and my junior days I was playing outside centre, fullback, so I feel pretty comfortable there.”

The one-time Wests Tiger is particularly looking forward to the position’s defensive challenge and reckons the extra “toughness” garnered from his 2023 stint in the NRL will stand him in good stead.

“I’m sort of defending by myself out there, so just getting my connection with my back rower and my outside man, that’s been the biggest difference,” he said.

“Then attack-wise, I’ll be getting more carries, a bit more contact, so great.”

With Sid Harvey on one wing, across from in-form superstar Max Jorgensen on the other and Reilly’s Randwick clubmate James Hendren at fullback, the Waratahs will field somewhat of a baby back three.

“They do bring a lot of energy being new faces in the team and they’re going to want to put a really good performance in,” Reilly said.

“They are class players when they get time and space. They can make things happen.”

The Waratahs tamed the Reds 36-12 in Sydney in round one but, a month on, are backing up from a 40-point home loss to the Hurricanes.

The Reds, in contrast, are fresh off an impressive, last-gasp 34-31 comeback win over the Brumbies in Canberra.