Australia benches Suaalii for Wales Test

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii previously played rugby union for Australia schoolboys prior to commencing his professional career in rugby league. Details for the Autumn Nations Series match between Wales and Australia are as follows: The event will take place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday, 17 November, with a kick-off time of 16:10 GMT. Coverage will be available live on S4C, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, and via live text and commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. For the Autumn Nations Series fixture against Wales in Cardiff this Sunday, Australia has moved its new prominent centre, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, to the substitutes’ bench. Samu Kerevi will take Suaalii’s place as part of six roster adjustments implemented by head coach Joe Schmidt. These changes follow the team’s narrow 42-37 victory over England at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. Due to a concussion, captain Harry Wilson will not play, leading to flanker Seru Uru joining the lineup and Rob Valetini shifting to the number eight position. Prop Allan Alaalatoa will step in for Taniela Tupou and will also take on the role of captain. Will Skelton, a lock based in France, will make his initial Test appearance of 2024, replacing Jeremy Williams. Wing Max Jorgenson, who secured the decisive try as a substitute last weekend, will start in place of the injured Dylan Pietsch. Additionally, scrum-half Nic White will replace Jake Gordon. Both Valetini and Kerevi are set to earn their 50th international caps. The 21-year-old Suaalii delivered an outstanding player-of-the-match display during his debut professional rugby union match against England. Notable aspects of his performance included his proficiency in aerial contests during restarts and his effective offloading, exemplified by an excellent one-handed pass that set up Australia’s initial try for full-back Tom Wright. This performance occurred less than a month after his transition from rugby league, immediately showcasing his capacity for game-changing plays. Kerevi’s most recent Test rugby appearance was during the 2023 World Cup, prior to his move to play club rugby in Japan. Australia arrives in Cardiff with a strong record, having secured nine victories in their last 11 visits to the Welsh capital. Furthermore, the Wallabies previously overcame Wales 2-0 in the 2024 summer series. Wales aims to prevent a record 11th consecutive Test defeat, following their 24-19 loss to Fiji last weekend. The starting lineup is as follows: Wright; Kellaway, Ikitau, Kerevi, Jorgensen; Lolesio, White; Bell, Faessler, Alaalatoa, Frost, Skelton, Uru, McReight, Valetini. The replacements include: Paenga-Amosa, Slipper, Nonggorr, Salakaia-Loto, Gleeson, McDermott, Donaldson, Suaalii.