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Un Wallaby issu du XIII totalement novice à XV aligné contre l’Angleterre

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii va faire ses débuts avec les Wallabies contre l'Angleterre alors qu'il n'a jamais joué au rugby à XV en club. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

L’Australien Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, issu du rugby à XIII et qui n’a jamais joué le moindre match en club à XV, sera aligné au centre de l’attaque des Wallabies pour affronter l’Angleterre, samedi à Twickenham dans le cadre des Autumn Nations Series.

Pour affronter l’Angleterre samedi à Twickenham, le sélectionneur de l’Australie Joe Schmidt n’a effectué qu’un seul changement dans la composition de son équipe par rapport au dernier match des Wallabies, perdu 13-33 devant la Nouvelle-Zélande le 28 septembre dernier.

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Toutes les stats et les données

Mais quel changement ! Les Wallabies vont en effet jouer avec Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 21 ans, qui va à cette occasion disputer son premier match de haut niveau de rugby à XV.

Suaalii vient en effet de délaisser la NRL, la puissante ligue de rugby à XIII australienne, pour tenter sa chance à XV, attiré par un pont d’or offert par la fédération australienne.

Sa titularisation au poste de trois-quarts centre intervient en raison du forfait de Hunter Paisami.

« On sait tous que Joey va devenir une star »

La pression sera immense sur les épaules de la désormais ancienne star des Roosters, qui a paraphé un contrat de trois ans d’une valeur de cinq millions de dollars australiens (un peu plus de trois millions d’euros) avec Rugby Australia.

Une somme qui avait fait grincer des dents au moment de la proposition, notamment parmi les anciens Wallabies, mais le joueur semble désormais bien intégré.

« Tout cela n’est que du vent et ne regarde que les gens qui essaient de créer le buzz », a balayé le pilier Angus Bell avant de s’envoler pour l’Europe dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi.

« On ne s’attarde pas sur ce genre de trucs, et dès qu’il mettra un pied sur la pelouse, tout le monde se rendra compte qu’en fait c’était une bonne affaire. »

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Et tant pis si Suaalii n’a jamais foulé un terrain de Super Rugby jusqu’à maintenant.

« Il a toutes les qualités pour devenir un joueur de classe mondiale, pas seulement en Australie, mais probablement l’un des meilleurs au monde.

« Il n’a que 21 ans, il est donc très impressionnant et j’ai hâte qu’il prouve aux gens qu’ils ont tort. On sait tous que Joey va devenir une star. »

Les Wallabies ont perdu cinq de leurs six matchs cette saison en Rugby Championship sous la direction du Néo-Zélandais Joe Schmidt qui avait succédé à Eddie Jones après l’échec de la Coupe du monde 2023 où l’Australie avait été éliminée dès la phase de poules.

La composition de l’Australie

XV de départ : Wright – Kellaway, Suaalii, Ikitau, Pietsch – (o) Lolesio, (m) Gordon -McReight, Wilson (cap), Valentini – Williams, Frost – Tupou, Faessler, Bell.

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Remplaçants : Paenga-Amosa, Slipper, Alaalatoa, Salakaia-Loto, Gleeson, McDermott, Donaldson, Jorgensen.


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J
JW 13 hours ago
The Fergus Burke test and rugby's free market

I can guarantee that none of the three would have got a chance with Ireland in the state they arrived from NZ.

Why would you think they would?

Two of them were at Leinster and were bench-warmers when they arrived

Sometimes you can be beyond stupid JW.

Haha look who's talking! Hello? Can you just read what you wrote about Leinster to yourself again please lol

It took prob four seasons to get James Lowe's defence up to the required standard to play international footy. If Jacob Stockdale had not experienced a big slump in form he might not have gotten the chance at all.

I'm really not sure why you're making this point. Do you think Ireland are a better team than the All Blacks, where those players would have been straight in? This is like ground hog day the movie with you. Can you not remember much of the discussions, having so many readers/commentors? Yup, 26/7/8 would have been the perfect age for them to have been capped by NZ as well.


Actually, they would obviously have been capped given an opportunity earlier (where they were ineligible to for Ireland).


TTT, who was behind JGP at the Hurricanes, got three AB caps after a couple of further seasons acting as a backup SR player, once JGP left of course. In case you didn't see yourself contradicting your own comments above, JGP was just another player who became first choice for Ireland while 2nd (or even 3rd/outside the 23 in recent cases) for Leinster. And fair enough, no one is suggesting JGP would have surpassed TJP in three or four years either. He would have been an All Black though, and unlike in your Leinster example, similar performances from him would have seen TJP move on earlier to make way for him. Not limited him like he was in Ireland. That's just the advantage of the way they can only afford so many. Hell, one hit wonders like Seta Tamanivalu and Malakai Fekitoa got rocketed into the jersey at the time.


So not just him. Aki and Lowe both would have had opportunities, as you must know has been pointed out by now. It's true that the adversity of having to move to Ireland added a nice bit of mongrel to their game though, along with their typical development.


Aki looked comfortable as the main 12 in his first two seasons, he was fortunate SBW went back to league for a season you could say, but as a similar specialist he ultimate had to give the spot back again on his return. There's certainly no doubt he would have returned and flourished with coachs like Rennie, Wayne Smith, and Andrew Strawbridge, even Tom Coventry. All fair for him to take up an immediate contract instead of wait a year of course though.


It's just whatever the point of your comments are meant to make, your idea that these players wouldn't have achieved high honors in NZ is simply very shortsighted and simplistic. I can only think you are making incorrect conclusions about this topic because of this mistake. As a fan, Aki was looking to be the Nonu replacement for me, but instead the country had the likes of Laumape trying to fill those boots with him available. Ditto with Lowe once Rieko moved to center.

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