Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii delivered one of the most eye-catching Test debuts in living memory, but the code-hopper’s grand arrival at Twickenham almost never occurred.
Had regular Hunter Paisami not missed the Test because of a calf injury, Suaalii, who ended up wearing the No.13 jersey in his first professional match of rugby after switching from the NRL, might never have wowed the world in the same extraordinary way.
Now, Paisami, who was always due to miss half of the Spring Tour as he prepared to welcome his second child, wants his jersey back.
“Yeah, obviously I was gutted that I wasn’t on tour, but I was glad that I was there for my little one and my partner,” Paisami said.
“The boys played awesome footy on that tour, so it was good to watch.”
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii put the world on notice with his spectacular debut for the Wallabies at Twickenham against England on November 09, 2024. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
After Suaalii combined well with Len Ikitau, who seamlessly shifted to inside centre for most of the tour, the expectation is that Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will stick with the combination for the upcoming Lions series.
But given neither player played in those positions during Super Rugby, Lions coach Andy Farrell will undoubtedly see the midfield as an area to attack and will have Finn Russell sending a barrage of traffic down that channel.
Paisami is realistic about his chances of taking the field against the Lions in the opening Test on July 19 in Brisbane, but says all he can do is chip away at training in an attempt to win the coach’s approval.
“Obviously, Lenny’s combination with Su worked out really good,” Paisami admitted. “I think for me it’s just to put my head down and train and try and push for a spot.”
Wallabies Hunter Paisami (L) and Len Ikitau (R) are vying for the Wallabies No.12 jersey. Photo: Rugby Australia, Julius Dimataga
Fullback Tom Wright, who established himself as Schmidt’s first-choice No.15 last year and sat next to Paisami during their media session in Sydney, said the competition for places was already clear from the first couple of days of training.
“I think the training intensity is always at its peak the first day,” he said. “Everyone’s just chomping at the bit.
“There’s a little bit of Super Rugby niggle that might translate for guys to see if they’re on the opposite sides. So this guy (Paisami) and Lenny were on the same team today, so there was no fireworks at training, which was nice. But it’s the best part about coming together, right? You get to challenge for your spots, you get to mix and mingle with, as I said, guys from different Super Rugby sides.”
Should Paisami play a part in the series against the Lions, he will likely go head-to-head with former Rebels teammate Sione Tuipulotu.
Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu celebrates scoring against the Wallabies at Murrayfield on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Funnily enough, neither midfielder was rated high enough by the then Rebels management and both went on their separate ways.
But as history shows, both players made their Test debuts within 24 months of leaving the Rebels.
Tuipulotu, who featured at outside centre against Argentina last weekend, is the front-runner to wear the No.12 jersey against the Wallabies on July 19.
Paisami, who joined the Reds in 2020 and played the first of his 31 Tests later that year, said the Scottish skipper hadn’t changed much since they went through the pathways together in Melbourne.
“Yeah, it’s exactly what he’s been doing now,” Paisami said. “He’s a skilful, powerful player, so to see someone like him doing well on that side of the world is awesome.”
