New Look Wallabies Prepare for Japan Clash with Inexperienced Halves Duo
New Australian coach Les Kiss has placed his trust in the inexperienced halves pairing of Ryan Lonergan and Declan Meredith for his inaugural match in charge of the Wallabies against Eddie Jones’s Japan in Osaka on Saturday. Kiss, at 61 years old, aims to build on the foundations laid by his predecessor Joe Schmidt, who managed only 12 wins out of 31 Tests over the last two years. Lonergan, the Brumbies No 9, has been named to start in the last three matches, while his clubmate Meredith joins him in the lineup after an injury crisis. Despite the presence of rugby league returnee Carter Gordon and scrumhalf Tate McDermott, who will start from the bench for his 54th Test, Kiss has opted to stick with Lonergan and Meredith. He noted the competitive spirit of the squad: “Every single player in the squad has pushed hard over the last fortnight to get us to this point, making selecting the matchday 23 a real challenge for the coaches.” The team sees some changes, including: Aidan Ross and Miles Amatosero earning their first Test starts Hunter Paisami stepping in at inside centre for the injured Len Ikitau Harry Potter, Max Jorgensen, and Tom Wright retain their spots in the back three, while No 8 Harry Wilson will captain the side for the 24th time. With the World Cup just over a year away, Kiss faces urgency in developing key combinations, largely continuing with players favored by Schmidt. A recent 57-10 victory over Italy marked a positive end to Schmidt’s tenure, following a streak of six losses. Kiss was appointed as the Wallabies coach over a year ago and has finally taken charge after completing his contract with Queensland. His long-standing relationship with Schmidt dates back to their time in Ireland. In his first squad, only three new faces appeared, with Isaac Henry potentially debuting from the substitutes bench against Japan.
Source: The Guardian Sport - 2026-08-06