Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s surprise take on special Wallabies debut

Debutant Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii leapt into the arms of Len Ikitau after a moment of magic at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium last November. Ikitau had practically won an Autumn Nations Series clash for Australia with a sublime flick pass try-assist against England.

Max Jorgensen was another hero for the Wallabies, who secured a dramatic 42-37 upset win during the Autumn Nations Series, with the winger flying past Englishman George Ford along the left sideline before unleashing a swan dive reminiscent of Matt Giteau in 2015.

That shock triumph at the spiritual home of rugby was a big step forward for the Wallabies but that wasn’t the only positive takeaway from this all-time classic Test. The decision to award Player of the Match honours to Suaalii was a win for Australian rugby.

Suaalii, 21, had been a somewhat surprise inclusion in Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies squad mere weeks after the Sydney Roosters’ NRL season came to a close. While some criticised the selection, Rugby Australia’s multi-million-dollar man silenced doubters with that sensational debut.

After wreaking havoc with a strong running game, a dangerous offload ability, a vertical leap that would be the envy of even NBA stars, and brick-wall-like defence that rocked English attacks time and time again, the midfielder was named best on ground.

But, before the new Super Rugby Pacific season got underway, Suaalii reflected on that taste of international rugby with a candid assessment as the exciting talent insisted the Player of the Match award should’ve gone to someone else.

“I shouldn’t have got it, it should’ve been Angus Bell in my opinion,” Suaalii told RugbyPass at the Super Rugby Pacific season launch.

“There were other teammates that, looking back at the game, they should have got Man of the Match.

“Obviously, I’ll take the award if I get it.

“Looking back at the whole occasion, it was honestly a whirlwind coming from league and then having a week in camp and then straight into playing at Twickenham, the home of rugby.

“It was just about taking that whole experience in – something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

In just 80 minutes of rugby union, Suaalii had become a key member of the Wallabies. There was also a genuine buzz about the sport Down Under, with even the most passionate rugby league fans confessing their love for Joe Schmidt’s valiant Australia side.

About two weeks earlier, Schmidt had spent more than 14 minutes speaking about Suaalii at a press conference at Rugby Australia in Sydney. Most expected the former NRL flyer to get a run for Australia XV, who were due to play Bristol Bears and England A.

 

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For Suaalii to not only make that squad but to also get a start against Steve Borthwick’s England was intriguing, but as we now know, that selection proved to be a masterstroke from Schmidt who will continue to coach the Wallabies until the end of this year’s Rugby Championship.

For all the hype, pressure and expectation that rested on young Suaalii’s shoulders, the 21-year-old wasn’t nervous. The chance to finally don Wallaby gold excited the marquee recruit who certainly repaid the faith and did the jersey justice in that particular outing.

“It was exciting the whole build up and I feel like my biggest thing was just taking everything in. Being able to play at Twickenham, my parents were there in the crowd and just being able to take in the whole experience, I feel like that was the best thing about it,” Suaalii reflected.

“The cheery on top was to get the win.

“I jumped into his arms,” he added with a smile when asked about Ikitau. “I took the carry maybe two phases before and then I’ve gotten up and I saw Lenny flick it and I just ran through the middle to support just in case anything happened.

“As soon as I knew Jorgo was about to score I ran straight to Lenny because I saw Lenny had the flick pass so I gave him an old-fashioned hug.”

Suaalii came off the bench a week later in Australia’s big win over Wales before returning to the starting side to play Scotland. There was plenty to like about the youngster’s potential and talent, although an injury at Murrayfield was a big talking point during the first half.

Three months after that debut for the Wallabies, Suaalii got a run for the NSW Waratahs in the team’s opening-round 37-36 win over the Highlanders in Sydney. It’s rare, well almost unheard of, for a player to play Test rugby before Super Rugby Pacific, but Suaalii is a generational talent.

“Honestly, I’ve just been enjoying playing with some of the boys I played with when I was younger, I played against,” he said before his Waratahs debut.

“I feel like I’ve been really enjoying just going into Waratahs every day and it’s an environment to get better.

“The Waratahs and the Wallabies have always been a dream of mine to play… something I dreamed about as a kid so I’d be a dream come true.”