August 9, 2026 — 1:33pm
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii finished the 35-32 win against Japan on the wing - and that was a preview of where he will end up under new coach Les Kiss.
A number of push and pull factors are at play - including the value that Hunter Paisami offers in the way Kiss likes to attack - but ultimately Suaalii’s strengths and weaknesses are better suited to the outside backs.
The 23-year-old is a sight to behold with ball in hand - and showed it in Osaka - but his distribution isn’t good enough for an elite Test midfielder, and his defensive issues persist.
Interestingly, the Wallabies picked an out-and-out midfielder on the bench for the first time this year, so Kiss might have always had a plan to have a look at Suaalii on the edge.
