Schmidt on the ‘risk’ of starting Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii against England

Joe Schmidt accepts it’s not going to be easy, speculates it won’t be perfect and admits, yes, it’s a risk.

But the Wallabies coach hopes the long-term rewards they’ll glean from thrusting Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii into one of the most eagerly awaited international rugby debuts in years at Twickenham could end up paying huge dividends for the Australian game.

The unveiling on Thursday of his 23 to play England was not so much a team announcement as another Suaalii talking shop, such was the clamour accompanying the news that the 21-year-old will start at outside centre on Saturday less than a month since his first training session with his new teammates.

But after explaining his decision to blood the former NRL star for his first game of rugby union in five years since he was a schoolkid, with a baying 82,000 full-house  ready to make him feel far from home, Schmidt admitted to a long-term vision.

“Everything’s a risk, but I would challenge that with ‘everything’s an opportunity’ — and it’s a fantastic opportunity for a young man who’s really excited about getting the chance,” said Schmidt, adamant that, first and foremost, he expected the recent Roosters’ flyer to “hit the ground running”.

“For us, there’s four Test matches left this year before we embark on a massive Lions tour next year. So if not now, when? It makes some sense. It’s unlikely that it’ll go perfectly, but it will be a benchmark that he can build from.

“People would say, is it a risk? Well, it’s another opportunity, isn’t it? You’ve just got to be excited about the opportunity at Twickenham. There’s not many places more special.

“It’s a really special stadium to play in, and I think the cauldron that it is, it’s a good grounding, a good experience for any of our players – including Joseph Suaalii.”

Never mind the Lions to come, the England lions’ den is No.13 Suaalii’s first formidable port of call, and the question is whether, backed by 35-cap Len Ikitau in a potentially interchangeable midfield, he’ll be able to cope with the varied lines the hosts will invariably run to attack what they’ll see as a potential weak spot.

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

3

Draws

0

Wins

2

Average Points scored

29

24

First try wins

40%

Home team wins

40%

And when you’ve been painted as some sort of multi-million dollar cross-code saviour, how he’s expected to live up to the hype?

Schmidt, doing all the talking on Thursday with Suaalii kept out of view, couldn’t help but smile, “I mean, we don’t do press conferences about the team anymore. We do them around Joseph – and I guess we try to protect him from that.

“But he’s a really level-headed kid, and so that gives us some confidence he will cope. But we’ve got to find out sometime…

“He’s been excellent (in training) and that’s part of what gives us confidence not to wait another week or two weeks, or until next year.

“We just thought, particularly with Hunter Paisami picking up an injury, and Samu Kerevi coming into camp late, that (Ikitau/Suaalii) was the best combination for us.”

Schmidt was also keen to remind his audience of Suaalii’s union background, even if it was only coming through the schoolboy ranks.

“Most guys who come in, they’re relatively shy. He’s a very humble young man, but is very forthright about his preparation, and that gives us confidence.

“He played a lot of rugby through the age grades, through the pathway of Australian under-18s and he knows a number of the players through those teams as well.

“Joseph is our 17th or 18th debutant this year, it’s the most common situation that we’ve had this year – we see it as an opportunity more than as a risk.”