'I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't conscious': Tuivasa-Sheck lesson in bold Suaalii code hop plan
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has revealed that Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will likely make his Test debut this year despite having never played a senior game of rugby.
Suaalii was a rugby standout at The King's School in Sydney and a member of the Australia under-18 team that beat New Zealand Schools in 2019.
The 21-year-old NRL convert has now been fast tracked into the Wallabies squad after just two training sessions.
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Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii during Wallabies training at the AIS, Getty
"Part of it is that we play the Lions next (year)," Schmidt said.
"So if he doesn't debut on this tour, then there's very little window - there may be one opportunity to play before the Lions next year - and that would be it. So for us, yeah, we feel a little bit of pressure to be able to fast track him."
Schmidt said there had been no pressure from Rugby Australia to pick him but the external noise was impossible to ignore.
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Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt speaks to media. Getty
The coach was peppered with Suaalii questions throughout a 30 minute press conference attended by several league reporters.
"I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't conscious of the big deal that he's on and the profile that he has because you can't not be aware of that. But what our responsibility is, is to try to help him become the best rugby player and contributor to the team that he can be."
Schmidt worked with another high profile NRL convert, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, during his time coaching the Blues.
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Tuivasa-Sheck played three Tests for the All Blacks before being discarded and returning to league.
"The collision area was no problem for him, but just post-collision - some of those things that are very different around the ruck in rugby league versus around the ruck in rugby union," Schmidt said.
"So those aspects, we'd just like to fast track as much of that as we can in training and in any game time that he may get."
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the All Blacks celebrates victory at Eden Park. Getty
Schmidt said Suaalii's rugby background was a massive plus.
"We're not sure he's ready but the best way to find that out is to have him in camp and to get to know him a bit further," he explained.
"I've seen enough of him as a rugby league player in the midfield there and have got really good feedback from other players about him when he was in the school system, the under-18 system...
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii talks to Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt at the AIS. Getty
"One of the things that gave us real confidence in the (training) hub was how his rugby reaction was around the collision area.
"Very, very good, very quickly."
The million dollar question is what position Suaalii will play.
Joseph Suaalii of Samoa breaks with the ball. Getty
The easiest option would be via the wing but Schmidt is considering his physicality and aerial ability as a centre or fullback too.
Schmidt was also asked about former RA chairman Hamish McLennan's plea in the Sydney Morning Herald to pursue NRL superstar Nathan Cleary.
The coach said he hadn't considered the bold play despite having some relationship with Ivan Cleary from his time in New Zealand.
"I watched the (NRL grand) final and watched Nathan Cleary look pretty good in that," he said.
"So I'm not saying that I don't fully respect him as a generic footy player, whether it's league or union....
"I'd like to think that we look fairly broadly but at the same time we want to invest in people who are investing in the game."
WALLABIES SQUAD
Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Isaac Kailea, Fraser McReight, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Billy Pollard, Tom Robertson, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Will Skelton, James Slipper, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Seru Uru, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson, Ben Donaldson, Tane Edmed, Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Samu Kerevi, Noah Lolesio, Tate McDermott, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Nic White, Tom Wright
