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Why Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii can do what Sam Burgess couldn't

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii poses during the Wallabies jersey launch for the 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour at The Royal Botanic Gardens on October 29, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Wallabies assistant coach Geoff Parling believes Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s big-game experience could help him make a seamless transition from rugby league to the Test arena.

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Suaalii was parachuted into the Australia squad for the Autumn Nations Series less than a month after he played his final game for the Sydney Roosters, a 48-18 defeat to Melbourne Storm in the NRL preliminary finals.

It means the 21-year-old could make his Test debut before he has played a single match for his new Super Rugby side, the Waratahs but Parling has been impressed with what he has seen in training.

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Wallaby scrumhalf Jake Gordon and lock Will Skelton presser

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Wallaby scrumhalf Jake Gordon and lock Will Skelton presser

“He’s looking good, I’ve been really impressed with him,” Parling said.

“He’s a bit different in that you get some guys that are fresh into this sort of environment and they’re not used to the big games out of the big occasion.

“Well, he is used to some big games and big occasions.

“In terms of his application, his prep, I know his very first day, when he was watching training, he was talking to himself, through the calls, when he saw things, so I can’t be more impressed with how he’s applied himself so far.”

Fixture
Internationals
England
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9 Nov 24
Australia
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Former England lock Parling is well aware of the pitfalls attached to players switching codes having been part of Stuart Lancaster’s squad when Sam Burgess was drafted in ahead of Rugby World Cup 2015.

But he thinks that Suaalii’s age combined with his previous experience in union as a schoolboy and the long lead-in to Australia’s home World Cup in 2027 can work in his favour.

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Parling added: “It’s a fine balance. I do feel it’s slightly different to Sam because Joseph played union at school.

“He’s got a decent union background and he’s younger than Sam was.

“Obviously, we want to play him when we think he’s ready, but I honestly couldn’t be more impressed with how he’s been so far. Certainly as a professional, he’s been really good.”

Indeed, Parling refused to rule out the former NRL star being involved at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday, saying only that “we’ll have to see”.

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Parling was brought back onto the Wallabies coaching staff by Joe Schmidt at the start of the year as the Kiwi attempts to return the team to its former glories.

The former Newcastle Falcons, Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs player says there is a certain amount of “goodwill from people” as they set about that task.

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And he believes that in the likes of Suaalii, Will Skelton and Samu Kerevi, the squad possesses the talent to be challenging the world’s best sides again.

“There are some great athletes and great players in Australia,” Parling said. “In general I feel like the population there move slightly better than the population here (in England).

“I don’t know whether it’s being brought up on an outdoor lifestyle, in terms of being athletic and moving.

“We’ve got some good athletes, can we put them all together now? That’s our challenge as coaches.

“You see these guys that have just come into the squad, if they’re going to be involved, can we get it so they’re putting their strengths out on the field for us, whilst also being really aligned to how we want to play? It’s exciting, it’s a great challenge.

“It’s hard at times, but I do certainly think we’ve got some really good players.”

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Watch the highly acclaimed five-part documentary Chasing the Sun 2, chronicling the journey of the Springboks as they strive to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup, free on RugbyPass TV (*unavailable in Africa)

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RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Mutual regard makes way for enmity as the flames of a very modern rivalry are fanned

In his excellent autobiography, Obsessed, Johnny Sexton says: “It’s an incredible memory, especially the lap of honour, seeing all sorts of familiar faces in an unfamiliar context.”


The book is really excellent. Incidently, I don't know if the humour is deliberatelty deadpan or not deliberate at all but some of it is extremely hilarious.

eg O'Driscoll was trying to mend things between O'Gara and Sexton who were competing for the no 10 Jersey for Ireland. O'Driscoll said he was writing a book but didn't know what to write into it about the two guys, who were rivals and cool towards eachother. O'Driscoll's book had mentioned game winning drop goals and clutch penalties by O'Gara and this had irked the super paranoid and competitive Sexton. But O'Driscoll had got through about how valuable it would be if all energies were used by both men toward driving Ireland forward. Apparently next day O'D and Sexton are playing for Leinster against a Welsh club, game tied. Ball is available and Sexton is in the pocket waiting for a pass for a drop goal....and the wisdom of O'Driscolls words come back to him. It actually gets him into a serene state where he knows with certainty he will nail the (not very) straight forward drop. Over it goes, Sexton turns and shouts at O'Driscoll "STICK THAT IN YOUR F**KING BOOK!!"

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