Wallabies teammates expect Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to relish the occasion when the moment that lured him back to rugby arrives alongside a “freakish” head-to-head battle.
The NRL convert is the host’s trump card in a spicy midfield clash when the British & Irish Lions begin their Test series in Brisbane on Saturday.
Suaalii has played five Tests and completed an injury-interrupted Super Rugby Pacific season with the NSW Waratahs since his high-profile exit from the Sydney Roosters last year.
Capable of the incredible, his match-up with Melbourne-born Scottish captain and fellow powerhouse Sione Tuipulotu shapes as a defining battle to ignite the once-in-12-year tour.
The pair exchanged words during last November’s Test clash, after the Australia had felled Tuipulotu with a big tackle, injuring himself in the process.
Both men have attempted to talk back the existence of a feud ahead of a Test series that Suaalii has credited as a carrot for his big-money code-hop.
Coach Joe Schmidt said Suaalii had the potential to produce solo brilliance but, more importantly, also bring teammates into the game.
Wallabies captain Harry Wilson said it was their job to give him a platform to shine.
“The way he carries himself is top class … I’m just really excited and the more he gets his hands on the ball, the better it’ll be for us,” the skipper said.
Flanker Fraser McReight expects Suaalii to “go hunting for the ball, because he wants to get involved” while scrumhalf Jake Gordon is confident he won’t get ahead of himself on Saturday.
“He’s a pretty focused guy, a cluey guy and you can’t really predict for stuff,” he said.
Tuipulotu, a former Junior Wallaby and Melbourne Rebels player, will be the first Australian since Tom Richards in 1910 to play in a Test match for the Lions.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii of Australia clashes with Sione Tuipulotu of Scotland as he leaves the field after picking up an injury during the Autumn Nations Series 2024 match between Scotland and Australia at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on November 24, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
He beat Bundee Aki for a starting role to set-up the mouth-watering clash with Suaalii, six years after leaving Australia to pursue a career in Japan and then with Glasgow in Scotland.
“We’ve seen him perform many-a-time in big games,” Lions coach Andy Farrell said of Tuipulotu, who qualifies due to his Scottish grandmother.
“He seems to be that type of player, when he goes over the whitewash, he’s just being himself.
“His energy he gives off is infectious. I’ve enjoyed watching him and (centres partner) Huw (Jones) … understanding what they can bring to the team.
“Both have got pretty freakish ability and we need to see all of that come out.”
The Lions are heavy favourites to repeat their 2013 triumph and, after five wins since landing in the country, are targeting a rare 3-0 whitewash.
The Wallabies are without injured stars Rob Valetini and Will Skelton but have shown progress under Joe Schmidt since failing to progress from the World Cup group stage for the first time in 2023.
Former English rugby league and rugby union representative Farrell, now coach of Ireland, admits he’s rarely faced an Australian team that’s carried such an underdog status.
Andy Farrell, the British & Irish Lions head coach, looks on prior to the 1888 Cup international match between British & Irish Lions and Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on June 20, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
“I’m sure they’ll want to prove a point in regards to that kind of thinking,” he said.
The corresponding fixture 12 years ago is remembered for Wallabies replacement Kurtley Beale slipping as he attempted the match-winning penalty goal.
Beale blames himself for not wearing metal studs in the 23-21 loss.
“It’s a bit slippery to be honest. We’ll be packing some decent studs,” Wilson smirked of the surface on Friday when reminded of the incident.
“Obviously this field gets quite a lot of traffic. It’s something we’re wary of … hoping to not make the same mistake.”
