Suaalii named on wing as Wallabies stack bench to combat Springboks’ bomb squad

September 25, 2026 — 3:50pmWallabies coach Les Kiss has confirmed Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will make his first Test start on the left wing against South Africa this Sunday in Perth.This masthead revealed on Wednesday that the former NSW Origin player would be given an extended opportunity on the wing after making a cameo in the position against Japan in Osaka in August.Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will start on the wing for the Wallabies against the Springboks in Perth on Sunday.Getty ImagesSuaalii has never started on the wing in professional rugby, but the Waratahs star played right wing for Australian Schools in games against Fiji and New Zealand six years ago, and also spent time in the position at the King’s School.Suaalii’s shift out wide allows Len Ikitau to move back to outside centre for the Wallabies for the first time since November 2024, when they beat Wales in Cardiff.Ikitau will reunited with experienced inside centre Hunter Paisami. The two last played together as a centres combination in a Test against Georgia two years ago. Ikitau also partnered Paisami for his first Test start five years ago against France.Ben Donaldson will start at five-eighth, but there is no experienced playmaking option on the bench, with halfback Tate McDermott and winger Harry Potter named as the replacement backs. Potter is one of the Wallabies’ best in the aerial contest and can cover centre, wing and fullback.If Donaldson goes down injured, fullback Tom Wright would likely have to slot in as an emergency playmaker.As forecast, the Wallabies have named six forwards on the bench to combat the Springboks’ “bomb squad” – their reserves list customarily stacked with powerful forwards.Tom Hooper, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Carlo Tizzano and Taniela Tupou are all named as replacements to provide the Wallabies with reinforcements against the expected Springbok physical challenge.The Springboks have two of the world’s best players in hooker Malcolm Marx and loosehead prop Ox Nche on the bench. Tupou in particular is primed to make an impact on the scrum in Perth.South Africa’s world-class loosehead prop Ox Nche is named on the bench, with Taniela Tupou aiming to curb his influence.APIn a statement, Kiss said preparations in Perth had been going well ahead of Sunday evening’s clash against the world champions.“We’ve had a solid preparation window here in Perth ahead of what’s going to be a massive Test against South Africa,” Kiss said.“Playing against the No.1 team in the world focuses the mind, and we have worked hard on key areas to meet this challenge and continue to grow our game.”More to come...From our partners