On 26 minutes came the glimpse of talent that Wallabies fans had been hoping to see. A step and a skip around Ollie Sleightholme, a deft drop over the top for Tom Wright to provide the finishing touches on Australia’s first try; Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii had arrived.
Australian rugby union fans have suffered for years of the nation’s top athletic talent being lured to rugby league or the AFL, tempted by the riches and ruder health of the competing codes. Now, though, union had pinched a princely talent of their own. The $5m man is Suaalii, a pretty penny paid for a player that Rugby Australia hope will sparkle in next summer’s British & Irish Lions series and at a home World Cup in 2027. His signature was a significant statement, and in search of a sprinkling of stardust, Joe Schmidt had wasted no time getting Suaalii in the starting side.
