Former Sydney Roosters outside back Joseph Sua’ali’i will make his professional rugby union and international debut on Saturday, with the former NRL star being named in Joe Schmidt’s starting XV to take on England at Twickenham.
Sua’ali’i will start at outside centre for the crunch Autumn International fixture after impressing union bosses since making his $5million switch.
He’ll become the latest player to cross over from rugby league to union, following in the footsteps of illustrious names including Jason Robinson and Sam Burgess.
His code switch sent shockwaves through the NRL with the 21-year-old having only played rugby union at schoolboy level.
He is the only change to the starting 15 that lost to New Zealand in Wellington, coming in for Hunter Paisami. Len Ikitau will move to play No 12 while Sua’ali’i will don the 13 jersey.
Joseph Sua’ali’i will start for the Wallabies at Twickenham on Saturday against England
Joe Schmidt has chosen to hand the former NRL star his professional rugby union debut
The ex-Sydney Roosters star made the switch after agreeing a whopping $5million deal
Explaining the decision to include the former NRL star, Schmidt claimed that an injury to both Hunter Paisami and Samu Kerevi paved the way for Sua’ali’i’s international debut.
‘We just thought particularly with Hunter Paisani picking up an injury and Samu Kerevi coming in late that it was the best combination for us and a really good opportunity,’ Schmidt told reporters.
‘I think when a player starts they get a little bit more training time with the team so getting those reps with the team I think is an advantage when you’re trying to slot someone in for the first time.’
While Schmidt also admitted that there was a risk in bringing the 21-year-old into the fold straight away he added that Sua’ali’i was Australia’s 18th debutant this year.
‘It’s not a new situation for us to have a debutant,’ he said. ‘In fact, it’s the most ocmmon situation that we’ve had this year.
‘In an effort to build depth and an effort to stabilise the group that we have, we see it as an opportunity more than as a risk and he’s been excellent, which gives us confidence not to wait another week or two or even next year.’
The outside back has been training with the Waratahs in preparation for his professional debut, with Kerevi, among others, having previously spoken very highly of the former Roosters star.
‘You’ve seen him play Origin, you’ve seen him play in the top level of rugby league, and even though it’s a different game, the translation of how he competes is there. Physically, he’s there. He’s ready,’ Kerevi said.
Schmidt explained that Sua’ali’i (pictured) will come into the fold with Hunter Paisami and Samu Kerevi both injured
Schmidt claimed there was a risk with dropping Sua’ali’i into the Test cauldron so soon but was confident he could deliver
Schmidt has also been impressed by the work ethic and dedication of the young centre, adding: ‘He’s a very professional young man. He’s had plenty of experience both playing rugby union and being professional as well with rugby league in the past and coming back to rugby union so those things give us confidence and give Joseph confidence, hopefully, that he can hit the ground running in a couple of days’ time.
‘He’s meticulous with his planning before he even gets to his preparatio,’ Schmidt said before speaking out on Sua’ali’i’s previous experience in union.
‘He makes sure that he ticks all the boxes and asks a lot of questions… He played a lot of rugby, obviously, in school, through the pathway of Australian under-18s and he knows a number of the players through those teams as well.’
Mail Sport exclusively revealed earlier this week that Sua’ali’i had been convinced to join up with Rugby Australia after having attended a BBQ with controversial ex-Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and former Rugby Australia chair Hamish McLennan.
McLennan claimed Sua’ali’i’s code switch was bigger than Burgess’ in 2014, after he parted company with the South Sydney Rabbitohs with a move to join Premiership club Bath before being called up to Stuart Lancaster’s Rugby World Cup squad in 2015.
Saturday’s crunch clash will also see 14 members of Schmidt’s squad play at Twikenham for the first time.
Harry Wilson will start at No 8 and will captain the Wallabies at Twickenham on Saturday
Len Ikitau (pictured) will accompany Sua’ali’i at No 12, with Dylan Pietsch and Andrew Kellaway starting on the wings
Fourteen members of Schmidt’s squad will make their Twickenham debuts this weekend
No 8 Harry Wilson will lead out the young squad, with Rob Valetini and Fraser McReight also starting at No 6 and No 7 respectively.
Jake Gordon and Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio will partner in the halfback positions while Dylan Pietsch and Andrew Kellaway will start on both wings.
Schmidt has also picked a strong front row to take on England after Steve Borthwick’s side looked dominant against New Zealand at the scrum in the first-half of their opening Autumn Nations clash last weekend.
Western Force hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa will start alongside James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa. Behind them, Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams will make their Twickenham debuts, with this being the fourth time the pair have started alongside each other.
England, meanwhile, have named a virtually unchanged squad for the match, with Luke Cowan-Dickie returning to the squad and could make his first appearance for the international side off the bench for the first time since 2022.
