Suaalii wins fitness battle to start in Australia’s Dublin date with Ireland

  • Tane Edmed gets surprise selection in replacements
  • Farrell retains Prendergast at fly-half for the hosts

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has won his battle to be fit for Australia’s final Test of their British Isles tour and will hope to bow out against Ireland in the spectacular fashion that he began on his debut against England.

Coach Joe Schmidt, hoping to down the team he once led to glory for six years, has also offered up one final surprise selection to finish the rugby year as he’s primed to make replacement fly-half Tane Edmed the Wallabies’ record-extending 19th debutant of 2024.

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Samu Kerevi’s three-match ban opens door for Suaalii’s Wallabies return

  • Australia centre’s tour ended after red card in win over Wales
  • Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in frame to return for Test against Scotland

A three-match suspension has ended Samu Kerevi’s tour, jolting his longer-term Wallabies hopes and opening the door for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s return against Scotland.

The centre’s yellow card for a high shot was upgraded to a 20-minute red in Australia’s defeat of Wales in Cardiff. On Wednesday the 31-year-old’s fate was sealed, a disciplinary committee upholding the on-field decision and halving the standard six-week ban due to his guilt, remorse and good record.

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Wales at risk of record low with World Cup rout of Australia a fading memory

Warren Gatland’s side take on the Wallabies knowing defeat will mean they surpass their longest run of Test losses

Another match, another inquest into the state of Welsh rugby. This time, the hand-wringing is particularly fervent, for Wales stand on the brink of an unwanted threshold. Should they lose to Australia in Cardiff on Sunday they will surpass their longest run of Test defeats.

Losing to Fiji last weekend was upsetting on any number of levels, but the sharpest pain was the fact it was a 10th defeat in a row, equalling the run under Steve Hansen that stretched from 2002 to 2003, the year they last collected the wooden spoon in the Six Nations.

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