1. A drawn Bledisloe series would fuel Wallabies’ belief: There is a booby prize awaiting the winner of the Wallabies-All Blacks pool stage clash at the Rugby World Cup next year – a likely quarterfinal against the Springboks.
So, beating the All Blacks might not actually serve the Wallabies well at the home tournament in 2027. That said, the momentum starting to build under Kiss would be maintained if the Wallabies can go 1-1 with the All Blacks in the next two weeks.
As tempting as it must be to rush Len Ikitau back from his ankle injury, holding him back until the Sydney test might be the smarter play. A win by the Wallabies at Eden Park would be an extraordinary achievement, but a loss isn’t the end of the world if they can reverse it in Sydney.
With two out of the three Bledisloe Tests set to be in Australia next year, including the Anzac Day fixture in Brisbane, winning back the famous trophy won’t be an unrealistic goal if they get one win across the line in Sydney in a fortnight.
2 Fitzy’s chat with Kiss chat taps into something valuable: Colleague Peter FitzSimons’ piece with Wallabies coach Les Kiss made me want to drape myself in an Australian flag and belt out Waltzing Matilda, even though I’m not Australian.
It was stirring stuff, full of promises to play the Wallaby way and references to “the backyard spirit”. If this is not authentic it could come across as glib marketing drivel, but the Wallabies’ performances over the past five Tests suggest it is a genuine motivational tool.
Kiss is obviously a technical coach as well, but in Test rugby a sense of national purpose is vital even if it gives the team an extra few per cent in performance.
Can anyone other than an Australian coach deliver this messaging? Arguably not. Looking from the outside, it appears this Wallabies squad can almost feel the home Rugby World Cup next year – it has given them something tangible to aim towards, and everyone saw how the British and Lions tour lifted the players.
3 How the All Blacks could line up: Does item 2 mean a famous win at Eden Park next Saturday is on the cards? It’s not that simple, especially with the unavailable Taniela Tupou and Tom Hooper representing huge losses for the Wallabies.
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie gave a radio interview at the weekend and was still frustrated with the tour of South Africa – both the All Blacks’ own mistakes and some of the officiating at the scrums.
After three straight Test losses the All Blacks will likely attack the first Bledisloe Test with some purpose of their own.
They are down a few troops with injury – notably captain Ardie Savea – but this starting XV won’t be too far from what Rennie reveals on Thursday: Damian McKenzie, Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett, Josh Moorby, Richie Mo’unga, Cam Roigard, Peter Lakai, Anton Segner, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland, Josh Lord, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot.
4 Waratahs cop an old-fashioned hiding: The Western Force were crowned Super Rugby AUS champions with a 53-26 win over the Waratahs, and in perfect Perth conditions they again showed what a well-run rugby team they are.
New recruit Harry McLaughlin-Phillips played as if he had been in the Force system for about a decade, former Waratah Will Harris has used the competition to reinvent himself as a hard-nosed option in the second row, and midfielder Boston Fakafanua is one to watch. Fakafanua, out of the King’s School, is built low to the ground and played in the No 13 jersey on Saturday, although his long-term position could be at No 12.
The Waratahs were never at the races against the Force and it was a reminder of the size of the job facing Michael Cheika, especially with NSW losing so many good players across to Perth.
5 Suaalii’s versatility could be his trump card: Cross-code star Mark Nawaqanitawase has conquered the NRL over the past few years, but there is a real logjam building in the Wallabies’ back three.
Dylan Pietsch was the headline act in the Force’s big win over the Waratahs in the Super Rugby Aus decider after his return from injury, and it is easy to forget that he was arguably the form winger in the country before his layoff.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii also enjoyed his best Test in ages against the Springboks last week, and as remarkable as it sounds Nawaqanitawase doesn’t just walk back into the Wallabies’ best 15.
Tom Wright and Max Jorgensen are banks, so in effect there is only one place up for grabs, pitting Nawaqanitawase against Suaalii, Pietsch and Harry Potter. That’s a good problem, of course, but it is still an interesting situation given the Wallabies now have two blokes with star billing who could be the face of the Rugby World Cup.
In that respect, Suaalii’s ability to cover the midfield is a big advantage.
Paul Cully is a rugby columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
About the Author
