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The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-09-25 · by Jonathan Drennan
Les Kiss has named Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii as a starter at left wing for Australia’s upcoming Test match against South Africa in Perth. This move allows Len Ikitau to return to outside centre, while Hunter Paisami plays inside centre, with Ben Donaldson as the starting five-eighth. The Wallabies have prepared by naming six forward replacements to counter South Africa's powerful bench, which includes world-class players like Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche. Coach Kiss noted that preparations in Perth are going well ahead of Sunday’s clash against the world champion Springboks.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Sunday, September 27, Australia will host South Africa at Perth Stadium in a one-off rugby test. The Wallabies enter this match unbeaten in their last five Test matches with four wins and one draw but face a formidable opponent in the reigning world champions. Coach Les Kiss has made significant changes to the lineup by shifting star player Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii from his usual position to play on the left wing, allowing Len Ikitau to return to outside center for the first time since November 2024.
Meanwhile, South Africa's team features numerous alterations following their dominant series win over New Zealand. Only two players—lock Eben Etzebeth and winger Ethan Hooker—are retaining their starting positions from that series finale in Baltimore. The Springboks’ bench is packed with world-class talent capable of turning the tide of the match, including Jasper Wiese and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Despite these changes, South Africa's depth remains a significant advantage, particularly given the potential impact of their powerful reserve players who can disrupt fatigued opponents. The match promises to be an exciting contest between two strong teams with contrasting strategies and player dynamics. Perth, known for its large expatriate South African community, is expected to see another enthusiastic turnout at the stadium.
Written for “Rugby Test Between Australia And Sout…” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 15 other(s) covering the same event.
Wallabies coach Les Kiss has confirmed Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will make his first Test start on the left wing against South Africa this Sunday in Perth.
asserted
Suaalii → confirm → Perth
This masthead revealed on Wednesday that the former NSW Origin player would be given an extended opportunity on the wing after making a cameo in the position against Japan in Osaka in August.
asserted
player → reveal → August
Suaalii has never started on the wing in professional rugby, but the Waratahs star played right wing for Australian Schools in games against Fiji and New Zealand six years ago, and also spent time in the position at the King’s School.
asserted
star → start → School
Suaalii’s shift out wide allows Len Ikitau to move back to outside centre for the Wallabies for the first time since November 2024, when they beat Wales in Cardiff.
asserted
they → allow → Cardiff
Ikitau will reunited with experienced inside centre Hunter Paisami.
asserted
Ikitau → reunite → Paisami
The two last played together as a centres combination in a Test against Georgia two years ago.
asserted
two → play → Georgia
Ikitau also partnered Paisami for his first Test start five years ago against France.
asserted
Ikitau → partner → France
Ben Donaldson will start at five-eighth, but there is no experienced playmaking option on the bench, with halfback Tate McDermott and winger Harry Potter named as the replacement backs.
asserted
McDermott → start → backs
Potter is one of the Wallabies’ best in the aerial contest and can cover centre, wing and fullback.
asserted
Potter → cover → centre
If Donaldson goes down injured, fullback Tom Wright would likely have to slot in as an emergency playmaker.
asserted
Wright → go → playmaker
As forecast, the Wallabies have named six forwards on the bench to combat the Springboks’ “bomb squad” – their reserves list customarily stacked with powerful forwards.
asserted
list → forecast → forwards
Tom Hooper, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Carlo Tizzano and Taniela Tupou are all named as replacements to provide the Wallabies with reinforcements against the expected Springbok physical challenge.
asserted
Hooper → name → challenge
The Springboks have two of the world’s best players in hooker Malcolm Marx and loosehead prop Ox Nche on the bench.
asserted
Springboks → have → bench
Tupou in particular is primed to make an impact on the scrum in Perth.
asserted
Tupou → prim → Perth
In a statement, Kiss said preparations in Perth had been going well ahead of Sunday evening’s clash against the world champions.
asserted
preparations → say → champions
“We’ve had a solid preparation window here in Perth ahead of what’s going to be a massive Test against South Africa,” Kiss said.
asserted
Kiss → have → Africa
“Playing against the No.1 team in the world focuses the mind, and we have worked hard on key areas to meet this challenge and continue to grow our game.
asserted
we → play → game
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