TNT Sports coverage of the Autumn Nations Series often starts around one hour before the big games are due to kick off. The virtues of an extended build-up were amply illustrated before the start of the England-Australia match at Twickenham.
As the telly pundits gathered pitchside to chew the fat against a background of sparsely-populated seats, new wunderkind Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii casually strolled into shot in the background. He was wearing shorts and a Wallaby training top, and that was all. No socks, no shoes.
The young man’s toes flexed and dug into the lush green grass carpet. He raised his head slightly and looked up at the stands, as if drinking in the applause to come. It was as if Sua’ali’i was connecting to the international grid at rugby’s most ancient of power sources; tapping into the ley lines, summoning the old ones.
It was a simple action but it showed the faith Suaalii has in rugby, and the faith Joe Schmidt has in him. As the debutant commented after the match: “I have come in, I am 21 and I just feel I’m being myself.
“It’s a funny story – back in 2003, Samoa and England played [here], and my old man took me down. I was only a couple of months old, and my dad loves rugby that much. Honestly, to play against England today at Twickenham, it’s just amazing.
“I just stuck to the process of just playing footy. I’ve been playing footy since I was four years old – and my teammates, they played their role and helped me big time, even throughout the game too.”
There is some personal history at the old cabbage patch and there is strong sentiment. This is not a newbie from league who is crossing the great divide with no emotional background or feeling for the game.
After the opening kick-off, Suaalii’s debut recalled Jordie Petaia’s first game at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, against an Eddie Jones-mentored England. Petaia was Australian rugby’s ‘next big thing’ five years ago when he made his first appearance in the green and gold as a callow 19-year-old. Both men are of similar height and share the same curly locks and wiry-strong physique.
Five years later, Petaia looks to be on his way out of rugby in what ought to be his physical prime, weighing up a move to the NFL and due to attend the International Player Pathway development camp in Florida next January. Australia beware: every sensational entry into the spotlight has a wagging finger of reproof waiting just off-stage.
At the post-match press conference, Schmidt was rightly pleased his opening gambit had paid off in the wake of Australia’s last-gasp 42-37 victory.
“I thought [Joseph] was strong,” he said. “I thought he was really well supported by Lenny Ikitau. Lenny was outstanding.
“I thought those two dove-tailed pretty well through that midfield. Joseph obviously got a few kick-offs back for us. He’s a bit of an aerial freak, but at the same time it was a good learning experience for him as well.
“There were some doubts expressed about him being selected and the risk [involved]. I think people would now see the opportunity of involving a young man like that. Particularly the way he prepared during the week, I thought he was really professional.
“He certainly has a rugby pedigree, albeit having played a few years of professional rugby league, which has made him a really professional young man.
“He is incredibly diligent around his preparation. That diligence pays off in the way that he performs. He’s still probably finding his feet in the game. There are subtleties that are very different, but with that diligent work ethic, that professionalism and the athleticism that he possesses, I thought it was a really confidence-boosting debut.”
Suaalii’s stats were nothing special: seven runs for 30 metres, the least of any Australian outside back. Four tackles missed out of eight attempted, with two offloads allowed, for another unwanted number one ranking. Only three cleanouts attempted and one turnover conceded.
His work-rate was low as Schmidt looked to limit his exposure to unfamiliar situations, but his impact on the scenarios where the head coach knows he has raw ability was very high indeed. There were four successful offloads, two break-assists with one going for a seven-pointer; four kick-offs either reclaimed, or with an error forced on the receipt by the strength of his challenge in the air.
There were two sides to the Suaalii story at Twickenham, and in the months leading up to the British and Irish Lions tour next July it is sure to provoke more, rather than less debate around what his best position on the field truly is.
Last Saturday in West London, the theory on defence was to start Suaalii outside Len Ikitau on first phase, then tuck him away on the short side as often as possible to minimise the movement and decision-making necessary. It got Australia into very hot water indeed early in the game.
After a clever kick through the middle by Marcus Smith is collected by Ollie Lawrence, both Wallaby centres [Ikitau and Sua’ali’i] default to the short side, and as the bird’s eye view widens it becomes obvious there are five Wallabies on the wrong side of the next play – all marking one Englishman who is never a realistic option to get the ball.
When England finally did get to pick on Suaalii’s defensive game in the second period, they made hay while the sun was still shining – at least in the figurative sense.
The Wallaby superstar-in-waiting is first cut out of the play by Lawrence’s straightening run on first phase, then he has a choice to come up and take man and ball or backpedal on the second. He chooses to drop backwards and sideways and that gives England back-rower Alex Dombrandt all the time and space he needs to release Ollie Sleightholme down the left for the score.
For a man of Suaalii’s very limited experience it is not a criticism, but it does raise the more long-term question whether he is better suited to defence in the back three, where his range of movement and high-ball ability would be huge assets, rather than plugged into the midfield where his reading of the attack at the line can be exposed.
The big positives to emerge from the game were two-fold: [1] Suaalii’s Sonny-
Bill Williams-like facility on the offload and in instinctive passing situations, and [2] his imperious, Izzy Folau-esque untouchability in the air. Try to bring the heat on Joseph-Aukuso on the pass, and it rapidly became obvious you are asking for trouble.
The second ‘basketball’-style offload was a harbinger of things to come less than three minutes later.
It is not just Suaalii’s capacity to stand tall, up to his full height of 6ft 5ins and deliver the offload, it is his instinctive nous to run towards the last defender and engage him before popping the ball over the top to Tom Wright to simplify the run home. That skill belongs to a natural full-back. ‘Man cannot live by the ruck alone’, he also has to make a living by the offload, and that is where Schmidt is discovering a new continuity in Australia’s attacking game.
The major plus point of the ex-leaguer’s performance was his capacity to reclaim kick-offs. Suaalii enjoyed a battle royale with England’s premier restart receiver Maro Itoje, coming out well in the black with four wins out of six against one of the top aerial forwards in the world.
It is not just the new man’s leaping range, it is his expertise at shouldering an even bigger big opponent off the ball within the contest. Suaalii is losing nothing in the backs-forwards comparison in the physical battle.
That gave the Wallabies new momentum after conceding a score, and it really counted at the end of the game, with the visitors needing to get the ball back by hook or by crook and make the final play of the game count.
We all know what happened from the ensuing scrum.
It may have been only Australia’s second win in their past dozen attempts against the old enemy, but it was mightily worth the wait. The euphoria of a last-ditch comeback may even be enough to screw agreement with ex-RA chairman Hamish McLennan to a sticking point – at least temporarily.
“The game needs another five Josephs as the World Cup in 2027 is just around the corner and the clock is ticking,” McLennan said recently. “Thank God for Joseph, because that’s all everyone is talking about. Australia is number 10 in the world and needs an injection of talent or there will be nothing left to sell.”
In the cold light of day, it is obvious Suaalii is an international great in the making. It is equally clear there is an awful lot of work to do to convert him into a Test-worthy centre. He is good for the game in Australia and will give a huge marketing boost to the Lions tour, but it is unlikely he will remain at 13.
With his quality in the air and ability to break defences in space with the pass or offload, full-back must be his natural spot. Australia does not need another unfulfilled talent. It is a race against time to convert him and it is one Schmidt has to win.
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