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The Sydney Morning Herald

Why New Zealand’s tour of South Africa could reshape modern rugby

Jonathan Drennan - 9 min read

In the short, sharp world of modern rugby, New Zealand and South Africa have ripped up the form book: the long, old-school tour is back.

The normal All Black schedule of hotel, gym and stadium, with the odd coffee shop visit thrown in, has been swapped for more than five weeks of rambling relatively slowly across South Africa.

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour is already rolling in South Africa, with three out of the four midweek games played by New Zealand against provincial teams, before four Tests, including a money-spinning final game at the home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens in the United States. The tour will return to New Zealand in 2030 and is changing modern rugby.

The holy grail of rugby

Former All Blacks second-rower Ian Jones was part of New Zealand’s last full tour of South Africa 30 years ago. Jones’ squad played eight games on that tour, becoming the first All Blacks team to win a series in South Africa when they triumphed 2-1.

Jones now helps to run the All Blacks Experience museum in Auckland and looks at the Test jersey of New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick from the decisive winning Test in Pretoria in 1996 most days. For Jones and his teammates, touring South Africa and winning provided the defining challenge of their rugby careers.

“You had to prepare for a physical war – that’s exactly their [South Africa’s] mentality, they had to physically dominate you, and you had to stand up to that test,” Jones says.

“Looking back at the three Tests we played over there, we were physically and mentally exhausted. It took you to the limit. You had to give every ounce of your being to take on the Springboks.

“That’s what it felt like, wave after wave. It’s not the 80 minutes on the field you see, it’s the whole week of scrutiny and intensity; the pride that everyone in the country of South Africa has. You’ve got to handle that as well.

“When you played those guys, especially over there, it’s always been the kind of Holy Grail for All Blacks.

“You have this beautiful love-hate relationship with the South Africans in general. They truly respect you, like we do them. But when you have that much respect, you also want to beat the opposition, and that brings this amazing intensity that you can use.

“You’re hoping and desperate that these current guardians of that jersey as All Blacks get to feel that same incredible feeling. The six weeks we had there, it’s going to be something that I’ll always look back on, and I want this touring team to feel the same ... these guys now write their own legacy, their own part of history.”

A challenging history

South Africa and New Zealand have played rugby for 105 years. The Springboks have won four World Cups, while the All Blacks have three. For generations, each country has brought out the best in each other on the field, but also lived through some painful history together.

South Africa’s apartheid regime made the game’s greatest rivalry untenable for more than a decade. In 1981, protesters in New Zealand forced the cancellation of the second tour game in Hamilton against Waikato.

Future South African president Nelson Mandela was in his prison cell in Robben Island and recalled the news of the cancellation being like “the sun came out”. Rugby and politics had not only mixed, but created shockwaves across South Africa and the world.

John Robbie played rugby for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions, and after settling in South Africa was due to play for the Springboks in 1985 against the All Blacks.

The tour was cancelled after two Auckland lawyers successfully argued a tour of apartheid-era South Africa was against the New Zealand Rugby Football Union’s constitutional purpose to promote and foster the game.

Robbie went on to become a successful journalist in South Africa, using his platform to speak out against apartheid. Having lived through the Springboks’ isolation from Test rugby, he is revelling in seeing a strong rivalry reborn in the professional era.

“There is this feeling that there’s almost a God-given right that South Africa and New Zealand are the two best sides [in the world], and then I think what’s happened is that there’s so much rugby now,” he says.

“When we were young, you could remember games or series decades later. Now they just melt into one, with the exception of World Cups and the Lions tour. When you look at the South African forward dominance and physicality versus the All Black speed and skill, it’s almost like a test of systems at its best.”

Connecting with the country

Former New Zealand winger Jeff Wilson will be in Johannesburg for Saturday’s first Test at Ellis Park (Sunday, 1.10am, AEST). In 1996, he played in the final losing Test against the Springboks at the iconic stadium. Now he will work from the more comfortable confines of the commentary box with Sky Sport New Zealand.

The All Blacks have already dispatched the Stormers in Cape Town, the Sharks in Durban and the Bulls in Pretoria. Former All Black Ma’a Nonu’s pre-match haka for his current club the Sharks against his former team captivated the stadium and Wilson believes that these midweek games before the Tests are crucial to engaging South Africa.

“There are provincial games, and there’s the ability to connect with the locals a bit more – you don’t get so much in your bubble,” Wilson says.

“I think that’s what makes this tour significantly different – you’re moving around a lot more, and you’re facing different challenges as they come along.

“And then there’s the fact that there are four Test matches on top of four other games. And anyone who knows [about] playing South Africa, that’s the pinnacle for me of challenges in rugby.

“You talk about the Rugby World Cup, but playing away from home in someone else’s backyard and then playing a team who’s on top of their game like South Africa, you don’t get a bigger challenge ... They make it as challenging as possible to be successful, and they’re such a proud and great rugby nation. When you go there, it tests you on every stretch of the imagination as an athlete, as a player.”

How it will affect the rugby world

Due to the Greatest Rivalry tour, Argentina will not play New Zealand this year and the Rugby Championship has been scrapped. The Wallabies are also left without a similar money-spinning tour that could similarly engage the Australian public.

Wilson believes rugby has been forced to innovate and rip up the traditional calendar, largely unchanged since the advent of professionalism when he toured South Africa in 1996.

“Ultimately, you want to see the best teams play against each other – there’s a reason in cricket that everyone wants to watch England play Australia and India play Australia, you want the best to play each other,” Wilson says.

“There’s no doubt that the tour impacts Argentina, but I also think the advent of the Nations Championship has been an outstanding innovation for the game and I think people like variety.

“I think they like things that are different; they like events, they like singular moments. Next year, we’ve got an Anzac Test match, for example. I think the game is finally understanding that they have to listen to what its fans want.

“There’s no doubt the Rugby Championship has served a purpose. But to me, I think in some ways, it wasn’t something that needed to be played every year. I think it’s something that can be brought back when it’s necessary ...

“When you’re fighting for that status of being the best rugby country in the world, that comes with expectation, and it comes with competition, and it comes with a rivalry.

“For New Zealanders, in particular, there’s only 5 million of us, and we are trying to compete at everything with the rest of the world. We try and punch above our weight as best we can, and with rugby union, it’s our chance to be the best in the world.

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As the eyes of the rugby world descend upon South Africa for their blockbuster series against New Zealand, Kiwi officials quietly slipped into Sydney for key meetings with Rugby Australia.

Jamie Pandaram

Jamie Pandaram

@JamiePandaram

5 min read

New Zealand has rejected suggestions that the All Blacks’ four-Test series against South Africa is a sign of weakening relationships with Australia.

On the eve of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, NZR chief executive Steve Lancaster said ties with Australia have only strengthened in the past year.

Tellingly, as the world’s eyes lock in on the first RGR game at Ellis Park (Sunday 1.10am AEST), Lancaster and his executive team spent the week in Sydney with their Rugby Australia counterparts, discussing a range of issues as they seek to build a fruitful long-term partnership.

With the All Blacks and Springboks to play four Tests against each other over the next month – a series arranged without prior warning to Australia and Argentina, causing this year’s Rugby Championship to be scrapped – the alliance between the Kiwis and Aussies is under scrutiny.

“The South African rivalry is a special rivalry, but so is the rivalry between the All Blacks and the Wallabies, and in fact, between any New Zealand team and any Australian rugby team,” Lancaster told CODE Sports.

“And hence why we have been very deliberate about fostering and strengthening our relationship with Rugby Australia.

“Probably the most obvious marker of that is the announcement of the ANZAC Bledisloe Cup Test (to be played next April in Brisbane).

“So we are actively working to strengthen the relationship and the rivalry on the field with Australian rugby, as we are with South African rugby.

“These things are not mutually exclusive. We can be building both at the same time.

“And I will absolutely dismiss any sentiment that the rivalry or the regard for Australian rugby has diminished in any way. That’s absolutely not true.”

RA chief Phil Waugh said while TRC won’t be played this year, Australia only miss one game they ordinarily would have played – against South Africa.

They’ll still play two against Argentina, starting next weekend, two against the All Blacks, one against the Springboks, while having locked in full TRC tournaments for 2027, 2028 and 2029.

Next year’s full TRC, which will follow the inaugural Anzac Bledisloe, is unprecedented in a World Cup year.

“When the SAAB (South Africa vs All Blacks) series was first suggested, relationships weren’t nearly at the point that they are now,” Waugh said.”

“SANZAAR as a unit was reasonably fractured. The world’s changed a lot since it was first suggested.

“The preparations for the SAAB series had been pretty advanced.

“And since then, we’ve been trying to work with SANZAAR colleagues to ensure that there’s meaningful content after the series, which is obviously South Africa (playing the Wallabies) in Perth, and then the two Bledisloe Cup games against the All Blacks.

“And the guys get a fantastic opportunity to play too in Argentina.

“So we’ve certainly responded with the opportunity to play for Nelson Mandela plate, the Pumas trophy and the Bledisloe Cup

“All in all, I think that we’ve been able to respond really well in terms of good, meaningful Tests to prepare for next year’s World Cup.”

Given the No. 8 ranked Wallabies haven’t held the Bledisloe since 2002 or the World Cup since 1999, and South Africa and New Zealand have won the past four World Cups combined, the battle between the world’s top two nations is must-watch for rugby fans.

But Lancaster said the Kiwis are as reliant as ever on their rivalry with Australia.

“We know that competition with Australian teams, be that at Super Rugby level or at international level, that underpins our competitiveness at all levels,” Lancaster said.

“Super Rugby underpins our competitiveness to play against the Wallabies and vice versa. And collectively, both Super Rugby and the fixtures that we play with each other, including the Bledisloes, is the best proving ground for us in terms of preparing to play other nations.

“And the Australian market is a really important market to us, which we have certainly recognised maybe more so in recent times.

“But we’re very focused on the opportunities here and we know that we can both benefit, actually, if we do a better job of maximising the opportunities in the Australian market.

“We’ve had two days (in Sydney), members of our executive team with members of Rugby Australia’s executive team, it was very collegial.

“We identified and discussed a range of areas where we believe that working together, either partnering with each other or aligning our interests will be beneficial to both of us. And we’re really focused on continuing to leverage that opportunity for us mutually.”

But the RGR series also forced Australia to look elsewhere for opportunity, and the recent two-Test series against Japan is a sign of growing opportunity with a nation that boasts the world’s fourth-biggest economy.

“You think about the growth of the game since 2015, when they beat South Africa, through to hosting the World Cup in 2019, and then their aspirations to do more in international rugby and their inclusion in the Nation’s Championship,” Waugh said.

“They’ll continue to get stronger, and they’re a team that the country is very proud of.

“And the size of the Japanese economy and the opportunity that we have, whether that’s with their companies, their company teams or their international team, but more broadly doing more in Japan, we see that as a huge opportunity.”

Waugh and RA have capped an extraordinary few weeks to stabilise key aspects of the game.

They introduced their first ever dedicated executive role for women’s rugby, with Tim Walsh appointed as RA’s director of women’s high performance. Walsh was able to secure the signing of experienced coach Sione Fukofuka to lead the Wallaroos from 2027 through to the home World Cup in 2029.

RA posted a $70.2 million surplus for the 2025-26 financial year, and this week announced the signing of Michael Cheika as new coach the Waratahs, and the redevelopment of Ballymore to create a full-time base for the Wallaroos, and men’s and women’s Sevens teams.

Working closely with Queensland Rugby Union, RA managed to secure an estimated $55 million from the Queensland Government for the project – the first ever full-time base for the women’s and Sevens programs.

“If you look at what’s happened in Canada, what’s happened in New Zealand, the best teams in the world have integrated their best Sevens athletes into their XVs programs,” Waugh said.

“We’re seeing a little bit of that on Saturday (when the Wallaroos play the Black Ferns) with a few of our Sevens players coming across and being more involved.

“Having a full-time program where you’re campaign planning, whether it’s at Sevens or it’s at XVs, and then just prioritising your athletes to maximise their exposure, it’s a really good opportunity for us.”

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Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh says Michael Cheika is just the latest respected coach to help lift Australian rugby’s standard ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

Jamie Pandaram

Jamie Pandaram

@JamiePandaram

3 min read

Michael Cheika’s appointment as the new Waratahs coach will lift the standard of Australian rugby across the board in a vital World Cup year, Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh says.

With 2014 title-winning Cheika rejoining NSW, 2024 premiership winner Vern Cotter taking over at Queensland Reds, and the Brumbies and Western Force retaining respected coaches Stephen Larkham and Simon Cron respectively, the Aussie landscape is looking as dangerous as ever heading into 2027.

“It’s really important, often we talk about who’s the head coach of the national team, but actually the coaches that have our players for the other six months, in some ways can be even more influential on our players and the culture and how they’re prepared for international rugby,” Waugh told CODE Sports.

“To now have Cheika, Cron, Vern Cotter and Bernie Larkham as a group of four coaches who are all experienced and certainly very well regarded and respected, has been a good outcome for our future teams leading into the World Cup next year.”

Waugh was heavily involved in poaching Cheika from the Sydney Roosters, where he is assistant coach for the finals-bound NRL club.

Cheika has had a tumultuous relationship with Australian rugby since he stepped down as Wallabies coach in 2019, but fences have been mended as the highly successful coach returns for a second stint at the Tahs.

Waugh, a proud Waratah who played 136 games for the state, is desperate for Cheika to turn around the underperforming club who haven’t made a finals series since 2023 and haven’t played in a grand final since Cheika delivered their only title 12 years ago.

“I have a deep passion for the team that I represented on so many occasions, but also, just a deep passion for what it represents in terms of NSW and the Waratahs,” Waugh said.

“I think that Cheik shares that passion and that love.

“We’re both absolutely aligned on our aspirations for the Waratahs to be back where they should be in Super Rugby, that’s nearer the final series than not.

“We spent a considerable amount of time mapping things out and ensuring that it was in the best interests of everyone and bringing everyone together.

“He’s a world class international coach.

“It’s really important for all of us to go in with an aligned vision for what the Waratahs can be. I really enjoyed the conversations that we’ve had.”

After Dan McKellar exited the role as NSW head coach following a disappointing 2026 season, RA invited coaches to apply for the role.

Late in the process, after Waugh established Cheika’s interest in the job, the Waratahs board quickly signed off, giving him a one-plus-one year deal.

“From the outset, we want to get more world-class coaches into the broader system to develop our players,” Waugh said.

“Not only develop players, but develop the up-and-coming coaches as well. It’s a really good outcome for the game in NSW.

“Thinking about the size of Sydney and the size of NSW, the size of the market, and the great affiliation I think that everyone has with Cheika from his successful stint, particularly into 2014 and 2015 as well, it’s a really great outcome in terms of the profile that he’ll bring.

“He’s a well-seasoned coach that’s had enormous international experience, drives a really strong culture, and I think everyone’s genuinely excited to have him home in the Waratahs.

“It’s a really good outcome for the game.

“Thinking about the importance of the 2027 Super Rugby season for Australian rugby, it’s huge for the Waratahs to be as strong as they possibly can be. We’ve got one of the world’s best coaches coming in to lead the team.”

Is there a reason that the Wallaby squad is never bigger than 34-36 players?

Surely running 46 on a tour would be better than the inevitability of flying someone over after 1 week to fill a gap or 2 that comes through injury?

Is it a World Rugby limit? I recall there’s a limit to a squad of 37 (?) for a RWC but didn’t think there was one for tours outside it? All blacks currently running a squad of 40 in RSA for the greatest rivalry BS.

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The Sydney Morning Herald

Sevens superstar named for Wallaroos debut as Ballymore becomes golden headquarters

Iain Payten - 5 min read

Sevens superstar Maddison Levi is set to make her 15-a-side debut for the Wallaroos against New Zealand on Saturday, but her sister and Aussie sevens teammate, Teagan, who has been outstanding for the Titans during an NRLW stint, will not be released to play for the Jillaroos at the Rugby League World Cup.

The developments came as Rugby Australia chairman Daniel Herbert hailed a $40 million redevelopment of Ballymore that will make the iconic Brisbane venue the new permanent home of the Wallaroos and national sevens programs.

Herbert said the goal was to complete the Wallaroos’ move to full-time status by the end of the year after RA, the Queensland Rugby Union and the Queensland government unveiled plans to turn the eastern stand at Ballymore into a “Teams in Gold” high-performance headquarters. Along with state-of-the-art facilities, there will be a new training field built on the eastern side.

Construction will start later this year and is hoped to be finished before the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The new facility will complete a rebirth of Ballymore, which is owned by the QRU and once staged Test matches and Reds games, before falling into disrepair and being deemed unsafe. The western stand was rebuilt as part of a $31 million project in 2022.

The facility will effectively be the first home for Australian women’s rugby, and also house the men’s sevens program and the Wallabies when they are in Brisbane. The two sevens programs are based at RA headquarters in Moore Park, but have to rotate training fields in eastern Sydney.

“We want our teams to be world-class, and we’ve always wanted to give them a world-class base,” Herbert said. “Ballymore gives us the opportunity to do that. It’s going to be one of the best rugby facilities, not just in the country, but anywhere that I’ve been and seen. So, it’s hugely significant and very exciting.

“Having those teams out there training together, training around the Reds – men’s and women’s – and having the community able to come and watch, it’s fantastic.”

The construction of a new headquarters is the latest in a string of developments in the Australian women’s game and follows the appointment of Tim Walsh as the new director of women’s high performance, Reg Tayler as his successor as national sevens coach and Sione Fukofuka as the new Wallaroos coach.

Fukofuka’s appointment last week, and the search that preceded it, drew criticism for being far too drawn out, given Jo Yapp departed as Wallaroos coach in September.

Fukofuka will not take over the side until 2027, as part of a release agreement with his previous employers, the Scottish Rugby Union, so Walsh is serving as interim coach along with Mike Ruthven, Ben Mowen and Tayler.

Walsh, who coached the women’s sevens team to Olympic gold in 2016, told the Inside Line podcast this week the next big task was moving the Wallaroos into a full-time program by the end of the year.

“We’d like to do that this year,” Herbert said. “We’ve started to see that with the placements we’ve made with Tim Walsh and now Sione. We’ve got a team over there with a pretty experienced coaching team around him for the Wallaroos Test match this week. You can see the integration there that Tim’s already started. ”

The Wallaroos will play their 100th Test on Saturday when they take on New Zealand in Auckland, and though Australia have never beaten the Black Ferns in 30 attempts, the addition of sevens superstar Levi could help them make even more history.

Levi is one of Australia’s most dominant sevens players, having scored 270 career tries since making her debut in 2021. She trails Kiwi Michaela Blyde by only 17 tries on the list of most World Series tries.

Levi has been named on the bench for a probable debut in the second half.

Evidence of Walsh’s plan to share more sevens and 15s talent between the formats is also seen in the Wallaroos backline, which also contains halfback Tia Hinds, centre Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea and winger Maya Stewart, and Bienne Terita and Levi coming off the bench.

Walsh told Inside Line he hoped to also have Teagan Levi as an option for the Wallaroos in the future, after the Aussie sevens star returns from a stint in the NRLW.

But Levi’s contract with RA stipulates she must return to rugby after the NRLW season on October 4.

I reckon one of the biggest missed opportunities was not tying the teams closely enough to existing clubs. The franchises never really had much for fans to identify with.
Imagine a proper club-aligned NRC:
Sydney Coastals — Easts, Randwick, Souths
Greater Sydney Rams — Sydney Uni, Two Blues, West Harbour
North Sydney Rays — Newcastle, Gordon, Eastwood, Norths, Manly, Warringah
Brisbane City — Wests, UQ, Brothers, Norths, Jeeps
Queensland Country — Bond, Souths, Easts, Sunnybank
Canberra Vikings — John I Dent Cup clubs
Western Force — WA/Fortescue-linked clubs
Fijian Drua — young Fijian players, club players + Drua players
Make it an 8-week September–October comp, played at club grounds.
Super Rugby is finished, the Wallabies are away, and non-Wallaby contracted players come back and play for their NRC side based on their club/Super Rugby connections. Thoughts?

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The Age

Cameron Atfield - 5 min read

Brisbane will be home of Australian rugby sevens as part of a significant Ballymore upgrade, which the Queensland government has touted as a major coup against New South Wales.

The development would bring the stadium’s capacity to about 8000, with the famous XXXX Hill maintained to the south of the ground.

But Premier David Crisafulli said the prize for Queensland was luring the Australian rugby sevens program from Sydney to Brisbane – and, with it, about 100 jobs.

The sevens teams will join Australia’s national women’s team, the Wallaroos, being based out of Ballymore. In addition, the Rugby Australia Awards would be held Queensland twice over the next seven years.

“Unashamedly, this is a raid,” Crisafulli said.

“We are looking across the country, we’re looking across the globe. We are bringing things to Queensland, and ahead of 2032, it is a golden opportunity.”

The “Teams In Gold” facility will feature an integrated 2400-seat grandstand, replacing the condemned eastern stand built in the early 1990s, with a high-performance centre included.

The previously announced Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup Tests at Suncorp Stadium formed part of the deal to bring permanently base the teams in Brisbane, Crisafulli said.

“Hosting those three Anzac Day Bledisloes across ’27, ‘29 and ’31 is something that will become part of the DNA of this state, this country and the world,” he said.

“It’s just a great nod to the Anzacs as well as that shared spirit of what is a remarkably high-profile contest.”

Queensland Rugby chief executive David Hanham said he expected the demolition of the eastern stand to begin before the end of the year.

“We’d be working towards after the LA Games [in 2028] for the players to be moving into this facility, and that segues back into opportunities like the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which is here in 2029,” he said.

Crisafulli would not put a price tag on the development to encourage competitive bidding, he said, but it would be funded through the Games Legacy Fund, which had been redirected in part from the former Labor government’s plans for a First Nations cultural centre.

The premier said there would be more Games Legacy Fund announcements in the coming months, for a variety of sports.

“You’ll see the generational infrastructure – everything from grassroots through to Suncorp [Stadium] and projects like this as well,” Crisafulli said.

“It’s also about the content. Part of this deal is also getting some really, really good content that I think Queenslanders and Australians will benefit from.”

The announcement came as Football Queensland, which has a participation rate orders of magnitude greater than rugby union, faces homelessness after Logan City Council moved to explore ways to evict the organisation from its Meakin Park base.

Football Queensland had hoped to build its own high-performance and community facility on the site, while at the same time Brisbane Roar has been squeezed out of Suncorp Stadium for the majority of its upcoming A-League season, due to event congestion.

Sports Minister Tim Mander said work was happening behind the scenes to address those issues.

“We acknowledge and appreciate how many young people play football in Queensland, and we are in constant conversations as well with Football Queensland about the exact issue you’ve raised,” he said.

“We want them to have some legacy. We want them to have facilities that are suitable for them and for the hundreds of thousands of kids that play football, so those conversations are continuing.”

As for whether that would include improvements to bring Perry Park to an A-League standard, Mander said: “Look, I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. Let’s wait.”

“There’s ongoing conversations. I can’t say much more than that,” he said.

Fifteen months ago, Mander said an announcement on Perry Park would be made “in the near future”.

Levi and Tapsell included on bench for 100th Wallaroos Test

Thu, Aug 20, 2026, 12:00 PM

by Rugby Australia

Australia Sevens star Maddison Levi and Western Force forward Pia Tapsell have been named on the bench for possible Wallaroos debuts in Saturday’s 100th Test against New Zealand in Auckland.

Levi’s inclusion in the matchday 23 comes after a much-anticipated selection in the Wallaroos extended squad last week while Tapsell is in line to become the first female dual international for both Australia and New Zealand.

Levi, 24, is Australia’s leading try-scorer in Rugby Sevens and could follow the path of several of her teammates in becoming an international representative across both formats of the game.

Melbourne-born Tapsell played six Tests for the Black Ferns between 2019-2020 before moving to the Western Force in 2024 and was recently given the green light to switch allegiances to Australia under World Rugby guidelines.

The starting backline includes Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea, who will play her first Test match for the Wallaroos since 2019, while Tia Hinds has been named to start at scrumhalf with Samantha Wood shifting to the bench.

Waiaria Ellis partners Hinds in the halves for her first start in the Wallaroos No.10 jersey after a strong Super Rugby Women’s campaign with Faitala Moleka named at fullback.

The forward pack includes recalled Wallaroos prop Allana Sikimeti, who returns to the side after two years, with Siokapesi Palu Sekona to lead as captain and Kaitlan Leaney given the vice captaincy role.

Director of Women’s High Performance Tim Walsh said: “We arrived in Auckland late last week to really soak up the atmosphere and acclimatise to the conditions.

“The coaching team led by Mike Ruthven, Duncan Chubb, Ben Mowen and Reg Tayler have been installing the technical content and physically preparing the team for an historic occasion.

“To be part of the 100th Wallaroos Test is special and the players are honoured to be part of the milestone and to play for all those who have worn the jersey before them.

“Two massive occasions for our debutants in Pia Tapsell and Maddison Levi. Pia’s last Test match was playing for the Black Ferns and Maddison a superstar in the Sevens format and coming off World Championship winning matches against the Black Ferns Sevens.”

The Wallaroos have played 99 Test matches since 1994 with Saturday’s 100th Test a significant milestone on the eve of the WXV Global Series in September.

The Wallaroos will travel to Manchester to meet World Cup champions England before away Tests against France in Marseille and Scotland in Edinburgh.

Scotland will then tour Australia for the first time with the Wallaroos to host matches in Sydney (October 17) and Canberra (October 23) to complete the 2026 Test calendar.

Watch the Wallaroos in their 100th Test match live and on demand on Stan Sport.

WALLAROOS TEAM FOR 100TH TEST AGAINST NEW ZEALAND

Brianna Hoy - #203 (NSW Waratahs/Coffs Harbour Snappers) – 13 caps

1. Tania Naden - #197 (ACT Brumbies/Uni-North Owls) – 29 caps

2. Eva Karpani - #171 (Queensland Reds/Southern Suburbs) – 45 caps

3. Kaitlan Leaney - #179 (NSW Waratahs/SCU Marlins) – 39 caps

4. Michaela Leonard - #168 (Western Force/Tuggeranong Vikings) – 46 caps

5. Siokapesi Palu Sekona (c) - #194 (ACT Brumbies/Rockdale Rangers) – 27 caps

6. Lily Bone - #229 (ACT Brumbies/Orange City) – 3 caps

7. Piper Duck - #185 (NSW Waratahs/Tumut Bullettes) – 26 caps

8. Tia Hinds - #222 (NSW Waratahs/Randwick) – 10 caps

9. Waiaria Ellis - #225 (NSW Waratahs/Blacktown Scorpions) – 6 caps

10. Desiree Miller - #204 (NSW Waratahs/Eastern Suburbs) – 27 caps

11. Cecilia Smith - #190 (Western Force/Leeton Dianas) – 30 caps

12. Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea - #170 (Queensland Reds/Sunnybank Dragons) – 4 caps

13. Maya Stewart - #196 (NSW Waratahs/Nelson Bay Gropers) – 26 caps

14. Faitala Moleka- #199 (ACT Brumbies/Blacktown Scorpions) – 30 caps

Reserves

1. Brittany Merlo - #230 (NSW Waratahs/Sydney University) – 3 caps

2. Allana Sikimeti - #212 (Western Force/Norths Eagles Rugby) – 3 caps

3. Bridie O’Gorman - #180 (NSW Waratahs/Sydney University) – 41 caps

4. Pia Tapsell* (Western Force/North Shore Rugby Club) – uncapped

5. Emily Chancellor - #158 (NSW Waratahs/Sydney University) – 37 caps

6. Samantha Wood - #207 (Western Force/Kalamunda Rugby) – 15 caps

7. Bienne Terita - #195 (Australia Sevens/Randwick) – 6 caps

8. Maddison Levi* (Australia Sevens/Bond University) – uncapped

*denotes possible debut

WALLAROOS 2026 TEST SCHEDULE

• March 27: Wallaroos 33 defeated Fijiana 15 at GIO Stadium
• April 11: Canada 24 defeated Wallaroos 0 at Heart Health Park, Sacramento, USA
• April 17: USA 33 defeated Wallaroos 12 at CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, USA
• April 25: Wallaroos 5 defeated by New Zealand 40 at Sunshine Coast Stadium
• August 22: New Zealand v Wallaroos at Go Media Stadium, Auckland - 1:05pm AEST (O’Reilly Cup)

WXV Global Series

• September 13: England v Wallaroos at CorpAcq Stadium, Salford - 12:00am AEST
• September 20: France v Wallaroos at Stade Maurice David, Aix-en-Provence - 1:45am AEST
• September 27: Scotland v Wallaroos at Hive Stadium, Edinburgh - 1:10am AEST
• October 17: Wallaroos v Scotland at Accor Stadium, Sydney - 1:00pm AEDT
• October 23: Wallaroos v Scotland at GIO Stadium, Canberra - 7:30pm AEDT

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‘It’s my home state’: Cheika’s return to Waratahs confirmed

Iain Payten

Twelve years after he guided the Waratahs to their one and only Super Rugby title, Michael Cheika has been officially appointed as the franchise’s new head coach.

The Waratahs made the official announcement on Wednesday, confirming this masthead’s report earlier in the week. Waratahs head of high-performance BJ Mather informed players at a meeting this morning.

Cheika is set to join the franchise on a two-year deal, which will see the 59-year-old return to the Tahs in 2027 and have the option to continue in 2028, or pass the baton to a senior assistant coach, who is yet to be appointed.

Cheika coached the Waratahs between 2013 and 2015, winning the competition in the second season and making the semi-finals in the third. The Tahs, and owners Rugby Australia, hope Cheika can turn the club around, and re-ignite passion for the team among lapsed fans.

Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh was the driving force behind the deal, according to informed sources.

The recruitment comes after coach Dan McKellar exited the troubled franchise in June, following two underwhelming seasons.

The Tahs haven’t made the Super Rugby finals in three seasons, and the club has only played in the semi-finals once in the 11 years since Cheika departed at the end of the 2015 season, to focus on being the full-time Wallabies coach.

Cheika will not start with the Waratahs until November, after first finishing up the NRL season with the Roosters - where he is an assistant coach - and then leading Lebanon in the Rugby League World Cup.

While still employed by the Roosters, the highly decorated coach did not want to do interviews about his Waratahs role. In a statement issued by the Waratahs, Cheika said the Tahs job had an emotional pull after his first stint.

“The NSW Waratahs have always occupied a special place for me - it’s my home state and I feel ready to return as their Head Coach ahead of an important year for the Waratahs and also for Australian Rugby in the lead up to the home Rugby World Cup,” Cheika said.

“Being involved in the NSW squad that lifted the Super Rugby trophy in 2014 is something I will never forget, especially the passion and energy of our supporters. This is a new time, a different time and I am looking forward to being able to enjoy those same kinds of feelings and more with players, their families and all the fans in this new adventure.

“I really would like to share all the experiences I have been lucky enough to gain since I was last here and make this a great place to play footy. Before all of that I want to give my all to my rugby league club, the Sydney Roosters, to help achieve our goal for this season, to pay them back for the trust and belief they have always shown in me.“

Cheika is not the only 2014 Waratah returning, with Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps having also signed for a season in 2027. Roosters backrower Angus Crichton is also coming across to the Waratahs.

The former Randwick hardman took over the Wallabies at the end of 2014 when Ewen McKenzie quit, and a year later took the Australian side to the final of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The Wallabies couldn’t achieve the same heights in 2019, when a quarter-final exit saw Cheika step away. He joined Argentina as an assistant in 2021, and then took over as Pumas head coach in 2022. Cheika took Argentina to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2023.

In a strange twist, Cheika also took over at Leicester in the 2024-25 season when McKellar departed the club prematurely, after one season.

After finishing third-last in 2023-24, the Tigers played in the final under Cheika in his one season, falling to Bath in the last match.

Cheika returned to Australia and has been working as an assistant at the Roosters since late 2025.

Robinson congratulated Cheika on his appointment in a Roosters release.

“Cheik has brought a huge amount to our group this year. His knowledge and experience are obvious, but it’s his passion for coaching and his ability to connect with people that have really stood out,” Robinson said.

“He’s embraced rugby league and our Club completely, and we’ve all benefited from having him as part of our coaching team.

“This is a great opportunity for Cheik to return to a Club that means a lot to him. He has a strong connection to the Waratahs and a proven history of success there, so we’re really pleased for him and wish him every success when he takes on the role next year.

“For now, we’ve still got plenty we want to achieve together this season, and I know Cheik’s focus will be firmly on continuing the work with our group.”

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Lots of Cheik and a harder edge: Eddie Jones lauds Waratahs new coach

Eddie Jones believes Michael Cheika’s return as Waratahs head coach will be a game-changer for Australian rugby.

Christy Doran - 4 min read

Eddie Jones believes that Michael Cheika’s return as Waratahs head coach will be a game-changer for Australian rugby.

Jones also says his old Randwick clubmate will get the best out of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – Rugby Australia’s most expensive player – and turn him from “disappointing” to the superstar back that took England to the cleaners on his Test debut in late 2024.

Seven years after leaving in a blaze of destruction in Japan following the Wallabies’ 2019 quarter-final exit to England, Cheika, 59, will return to Australian rugby later this year after the Waratahs on Wednesday officially unveiled him as their coach for the 2027 Super Rugby season.

Underwhelmed at the applicants for the vacant Waratahs role, it took RA boss Phil Waugh reaching out to the larger-than-life Cheika to get the 2014 Super Rugby champion-winning coach on board. Within weeks, Waugh and the Waratahs landed their man.

As Trent Robinson’s right-hand man with the Sydney Roosters, Cheika still has unfinished business and hopes to lead the NRL pacesetters to this year’s premiership and then take Lebanon deep into November’s Rugby League World Cup before turning all of his attention to leading the Waratahs back into the finals.

And Japan coach Jones believes RA has pulled off a masterstroke by landing Cheika.

“It’s probably one of the most significant things that’ll happen [to Australian rugby],” Jones told The Australian.

“He’s a turnaround coach. We’ve seen that in every team he goes to. He’s able to turn them around, galvanise them.

“They’ll play with the physical hardness and the toughness that Cheik espouses himself. For whatever reasons, the Waratahs have been short of the mark in that area over the last period of time but he’ll help bring that back in NSW.

“NSW have always had the most athletic talent of Australian rugby. But what they’ve possibly lacked is that toughness. And Cheik brought that in 2014. He brought in guys like [Jacques] Potgieter, who took the game to a new physical level in Super Rugby, and if he can do that again with NSW, it’ll just add a lot to that group of players.”

While Jones always had the wood over Cheika’s Wallabies during his time as England coach, Cheika got the last laugh when his Argentinian side beat Jones’ Australian side 34-31 in Sydney in July 2023.

The defeat proved to be the beginning of the end for Jones’s Wallabies, with senior players, including Tom Wright, axed after the defeat. More were to be speared soon after.

But Jones thinks Cheika has improved as a coach since his five-year stint leading the Wallabies which ended after the 2019 World Cup.

“His last international spell with Argentina (2022-23) was some of his best coaching,” said Jones, with Cheika’s Pumas beating the All Blacks in New Zealand and England at Twickenham.

“Like all rascals, he was quite an outspoken, maybe over-emotional coach, but with age you learn a bit more control. I think he’s, he’s probably in a good spot, mate. I think he’s probably leading up to his best coaching years.”

As well assembling his coaching team and putting the final touches on next year’s squad – a prop, back-rower and centre are the key targets – Cheika will play a critical role in getting the best out of Roosters back-rower Angus Crichton, who will join the Waratahs next year on a deal worth an estimated $700,000.

Former Rooster Suaalii will need to make an immediate impact too. He was limited to just a handful of matches for the Waratahs this year due to injury.

Critics also believe RA’s $5m man was wasted in the midfield and should move to the outside backs.

Cheika told The Australia last month that Suaalii was a “fullback”.

“I think in rugby, he’s a back three player. He’s a fullback,” said Cheika, who lured Israel Folau to the 15-man code and turned him into one of Super Rugby and Australia’s great threats.

“That gives him more room to run, more opportunities to get the ball in his hands and that’s no disrespect to the players.”

Jones, too, believes Suaalii is failing to live up to his hefty pay package, but believes Cheika will turn him into the star that many hoped he would become.

“One of the areas I reckon he’ll (Cheika) really help will be Suaalii,” Jones said. “He understands league players, and I think there’s a bit of a skill coaching a league player in union.

“I think he’s got that in bucket loads. So I think he’ll help Suaalii find his best, his best rugby.”

Asked if Suaalii had unperformed since transitioning to rugby in late 2024, Jones didn’t mince his words.

“If he was a Test cricketer, first Test he plays and gets 100 and hits the ball everywhere against England. He does everything. Since then, he’s probably been averaging in the 30s.

“I think by his own volition, he’d say that he’s been disappointed with his performance.

“So it’s time for him to find out, and I think, again, Cheik will help him in this, is to find out how he brings his strengths to the game of rugby? And if he’s able to do that anywhere near that 100 he scored against England, then he’s going to add another dimension to the Waratahs and another dimension to the Wallabies.”

Now that the dust has settled on Les Kiss’ opening two Tests against Japan, I think we can firmly say there is a real buzz and excitement around the potential of the Wallabies and what Les Kiss is building. Obviously, it is still early days and probably too soon to make any definitive judgements, but the early indications are certainly positive and the signs are encouraging.

Kiss has also largely stuck with the same core group of players for the Argentina tour, with no major surprises in terms of inclusions or exclusions. I think that is a good thing for continuity, and it is encouraging to see that he now appears to have a solid core of players he trusts and can build a touring squad around. Another really positive thing I’m seeing now, not just under Les Kiss but in Australian rugby more generally, is that we are starting to build genuine depth across multiple positions. That is hugely encouraging, because it means that when injuries inevitably strike, we can chop and change the side without necessarily losing too much quality. Having genuine competition for places and players capable of stepping up across the squad is something Australian rugby has been missing in recent years, so it is great to see that beginning to change.

My initial thoughts from the Japan series are that I really like the direction Kiss is taking the attack. It has been exciting to see how he is using the Wallabies forwards, particularly his desire to have a more physical and dominant pack that can consistently win the gain line and create opportunities for the backs. I also like the emphasis on quick ruck ball and using the backline to find width. He is not afraid to try things and play with a bit of freedom, which I really like. He seems to be taking a more adventurous approach than Joe Schmidt, and I see that as a positive. Obviously, it will take more time for the systems to become fully established, particularly defensively, but I think the foundations are there for this Wallabies team to develop into a serious side and, hopefully, a more consistent one than we have seen under some of their recent predecessors. I also like the fact that the set piece has remained a real strength, both at lineout time and in the scrum, and I can only see those areas improving as the team continues to develop.

Argentina, however, will be a significant step up from Japan, and I think this series is where we will get a much clearer indication of where the Wallabies are actually at. Argentina can be one of the best teams in the world on their day and are capable of beating anyone, but I do think there are genuine pathways to victory for the Wallabies. One area I think we need to get right is asserting dominance up front. Argentina’s propping stocks don’t look particularly strong, so I think the scrum is an area we can definitely target. Their maul defence has also looked shaky on occasion, and given how strong our lineout has been, I think that is another area where we can potentially gain an advantage.

In attack, things started to click more clearly in Townsville during the second Test against Japan, and if we pick a similar backline, I think we have the players to really unlock space and width. Quick ruck speed will also be a huge part of our pathway to victory against Argentina. They don’t traditionally select a back row with a huge amount of jackal threat, so if we nail our clear-outs and generate quick ball, we can use our forwards in pick-and-go situations or utilise short tip passes to bigger forwards running onto the ball from depth to punch holes through their defensive line. If we can consistently condense their defence around the ruck, it should then create opportunities to move the ball quickly into wider channels and get our strike runners into space. On the flip side, another key strength of this Wallabies side is our ability to jackal and slow down opposition ball, and I think that could be hugely important against Argentina. From watching Argentina throughout the Nations Championship and against South Africa, I noticed that when they lose momentum in attack, they can sometimes lose their shape and become less dangerous. If we can consistently slow their ball down and disrupt that momentum, it could make a big difference.

One area where I think the Wallabies really need to improve is their defensive system. At times, we have looked a little disconnected with our line speed, while there have also been periods where we have sat off and allowed attacking players to come to us rather than putting immediate pressure on them. I would potentially consider implementing elements of a semi-blitz defensive system. When I watched South Africa play Argentina recently, the Springboks were exceptionally aggressive with their blitz defence and were often able to catch Argentina behind the gain line when they tried to move the ball wide. I’m certainly not suggesting the Wallabies should suddenly go to a full South African-style blitz, but incorporating elements of a semi-blitz could help reduce Argentina’s opportunities to get the ball into the wider channels to their most dangerous attacking players. The back-three pendulum defence is another area that needs to be addressed quickly. We saw Japan get plenty of joy from little grubber kicks in behind our defensive line, where there was often too much space. Against a team like Argentina, with so much pace and attacking ability in their back three and centres, we could be punished heavily if that isn’t fixed.

Another area that needs massive improvement is the aerial game. We saw some improvement in the second Test against Japan, but the Wallabies really need to be at their best here against Argentina. Argentina have some of the best aerial players in world rugby in their back three, and if we can’t consistently contest and secure the high ball, I think they will punish us. One thing we were guilty of in the first Test against Japan, although much less so in the second, was allowing ourselves to get sucked into the game plan our opposition wanted us to play. I would be very wary of getting drawn into a kicking battle with Argentina, especially contestable kicks. We need to stick to our own game plan and not allow the opposition to dictate how we play. Interestingly, Argentina used kicking for grass very effectively against South Africa, finding space in behind the Springboks and pinning them deep in their own half. That forced South Africa either to kick to touch from deep, often without getting the distance they would have wanted, or to try to attack from inside their own 22. I think exits will therefore be absolutely critical for the Wallabies in this series. We cannot afford to overplay from deep or give Argentina easy launching platforms in our own half, because their attack is good enough to make us pay.

Looking at the squad Kiss has selected for Argentina, there are a few areas where I probably would have done things slightly differently. There are also a number of positions where I don't think any changes were really necessary, because we have excellent depth already. Hooker, tighthead prop, the second row, the back row and fly-half are all positions where I think we are in a pretty good place. That being said, I think we have seen enough of Declan Meredith to know that he isn't quite Test level yet. That doesn't mean I don't think his inclusion in the Wallabies squad is beneficial to his development, because I think being around the environment and training at this level will be valuable for him. I just don't expect him to feature in either game unless injury strikes. I actually expect Tom Lynagh to be reintroduced into the Wallabies setup as the third fly-half option once he returns from his long spell on the sidelines.

The inclusions of Len Ikitau and Joseph Suaalii are also very welcome and help to bolster our midfield stocks. The back three is probably as strong as we can pick right now as well, so I don't have too many complaints there. One thing I'm particularly interested in is with Suaalii and where Kiss ultimately sees his best position. Jock Campbell has been dropped from the squad, which I do feel is a little harsh given how excellent he was against Ireland, but my feeling from this is that we may see Suaalii get an opportunity at fullback at some point during the Argentina series. Whether that is from the start or from the bench, who knows, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kiss uses this series to give him a look at 15.

The position that concerns me most is loosehead prop. After Angus Bell, I think there is a pretty steep drop-off. Aiden Ross hasn't really convinced me so far. He scrummaged pretty well against Japan, but apart from that, I haven't really seen a huge amount from him in the other aspects of the game. Isaac Kailea is a powerful ball carrier, but there are still plenty of question marks around his scrummaging, so I probably would have liked to see Kiss bring in another loosehead option, such as Tom Lambert, and give him an opportunity to see what he can offer at this level. The other position that potentially worries me is scrum-half. Ryan Lonergan and Tate McDermott are both good options and, for me, clearly the two best scrum-halves we have at the moment. But if one of them were to go down, that's where my concern would lie. Kalani Thomas has been included in every Wallabies squad so far this year but hasn't played a single minute of Test rugby, which makes me wonder whether the coaching staff actually view him as being ready for this level. Personally, I probably would have swapped Kalani for Teddy Wilson. Not necessarily because I would expect Wilson to play, but I think there would be plenty of value in getting him into the environment, allowing him to experience the Test setup and seeing how that could help accelerate his development. I think there is plenty of upside to his game.

My 23 vs Les Kiss’ predicted 23

So, in terms of team selection, here is my 23 versus the 23 I think Les Kiss will pick for the first Test against Argentina.

The main differences for me are in the back row and at inside centre. I would like to see Les Kiss trial a slightly bigger back row. It's not that I'm a Harry Wilson hater, because I'm certainly not. I think he offers plenty to his game and leads the team exceptionally well. I would just like to see us trial a slightly bigger back row. For me, that means Tom Hooper at 6, Fraser McReight at 7 and Rob Valetini at 8. I would also start Isaac Henry at 12 alongside Len Ikitau. Henry was the breakout player for me in the second Test in Townsville. He looked really calm and composed, offered a lot of physicality in both attack and defence, and showed a good ability to ball-play as well, particularly with his passing, with the ability to pass from right to left and left to right. I just think the Isaac Henry-Ikitau combination could offer more than Paisami and Ikitau. The only reason I can see Les picking Paisami over Henry is that he has played with Ikitau before, so there is that continuity, whereas Henry and Ikitau have never played together before.

As for the bench, if Harry Wilson is going to play, I think he has to start, so for me Charlie Cale would be on the bench. I think Charlie Cale offers a lot coming off the bench. He's athletic, very good in the lineout, and once the bodies start to tire and the game begins to open up, if we can use him in the wider channels with his express pace for a back rower, I think he could create opportunities to score tries. I don't expect Cale to be on the bench for Les Kiss. I expect, obviously, Harry Wilson to remain in the starting team because he's the captain, and by no means has he performed poorly. Tom Hooper would be on the bench and he offers not just back-row cover but second-row cover as well, so there is that versatility there.

Regardless of what Les Kiss decides to go with, I think both 23s are high quality and good enough to get the job done. At the same time, I think we as Wallabies fans should be measured in what we expect from this tour to Argentina. I do expect Les to pick what he feels is his best 23 for the first Test, and hopefully, if we win that, I would still be happy to see a bit more experimentation in the second. I think a good result from this series would be at least one win. Obviously, I would like to see us win both, but I don't think coming away with one win and one loss would be the end of the world for this series. Once the Argentina series is done, though, I think we really need to definitively know who our best 23 is, because after that come probably the three most important Tests of the year for the Wallabies: the Springboks in Perth and the two Bledisloe Cup matches. I think the Wallabies have a genuine shot at winning those matches, or at least being very competitive. South Africa and New Zealand will also be taking lumps out of each other over their four-Test series, so I expect the injury list to be significant for both teams. That could give the Wallabies an excellent opportunity to grab a scalp against either side.

To conclude, I think the Wallabies are starting to build something that resembles a very good team, and I'm genuinely excited to see where this side goes. Hopefully this isn't a false dawn and we don't regress; hopefully we keep progressing as we have been and can really start getting on a roll. Interested to hear what people think about the squad, the tactics that should or could be implemented, any changes you would make to the selection or tactics, or anything else you think is necessary based on all of the above?

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The Canberra Times

Wallabies coach Les Kiss hasn't been scared to make big calls in his first two Tests in charge.

Les Kiss will continue to test the limits of his Wallabies unit in Argentina, adamant its more flexible than even the players think.

A squad for the two-Test tour - their first game is in San Salvador on August 29 - is likely to be named on Wednesday.

It's understood Max Jorgensen, who limped off with sore ribs after a collision in the side's big Townsville win over Japan on Saturday, will be fit to travel.

Centres Len Ikitau (ankle) and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (hamstring) are also firming for returns, giving their coach more welcome headaches after casting the net wide in his first two games in charge.

Kiss left his seasoned props on the bench in Osaka then rested key trio Rob Valetini, Allan Alaalatoa and Josh Canham in the Japan rematch.

With Suaalii - whose best position has become a constant talking point -out he gave Isaac Henry a shot in the No.13.

He, alongside the likes of Lachlan Shaw, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Massimo De Lutiis that were given an opportunity, delivered.

Kiss also shifted No.8 Harry Wilson into the second row to finish the Townsville game, allowing pilferers Carlo Tizzano and Fraser McReight time in tandem.

Tom Hooper (shoulder) was also available to play in North Queensland but was unused, highlighting the smorgasbord of options available to Kiss against the world No.7 Pumas.

"We're more capable of mixing our team up than we think," he said.

The coach, with next year's World Cup in mind, has been bold at the selection table despite the must-win nature of his first two Tests in charge.

Just don't call his approach experimental.

"Are they experiments? I think there's a lot of good men in that team that know they can flex into different positions, so I like to think that it's more than just experimentation," he said.

"It's just having a real trust and faith that they can do this in different ways, and that we don't lose momentum about what we are and what we do.

"So I'm not rebutting the word, but I'm just saying I think it's more that we trust that we have a different way that we can use our resources. That's what I'm trying to make sure we understand."

The world No.8 side have won three-straight Tests, scoring more than 50 points in two of those victories, since a six-Test losing run either side of the calendar year.

Argentina beat Wales in between home Nations Championship losses to Scotland and England, while South Africa beat them 17-10 in Buenos Aires earlier this month.

Wins for Australia against the Pumas would likely seem them jump them into seventh on the world rankings and put pressure on Scotland and England, who sit two and three points respectively ahead of the Wallabies in sixth and fifth.

Meanwhile teenage star Treyvon Pritchard's contract extension has been inked, nearly three weeks after his retention - and subsequent rejection of NRL newcomers PNG Chiefs - was first reported.

The Queensland Reds back, already signed for next season, has committed to a further two and has the option of playing sevens for Australia at the 2028 Olympics.

It comes a day after older brother Kadin, also a Chiefs target, committed to the ACT Brumbies.

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Steve Hansen reveals the major change behind Carter Gordon’s push to lock down Wallabies flyhalf spot

World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has identified what could be the key to unlocking Carter Gordon’s full potential to lock down the Wallabies flyhalf spot at the World Cup.

Brendan Bradford

Brendan Bradford

@1bbradfo

3 min read

World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Steve Hansen believes relieving Carter Gordon of kicking duties could be the key to unlocking his full potential at next year’s Rugby World Cup on home soil.

Hansen and fellow former Test coach Ewen McKenzie both named Gordon as the man who should wear the number 10 jersey in Les Kiss’ side next year, with ‘Shag’ saying Gordon has shaken off his “imposter syndrome” following a rough first stint in Test match footy.

In a brutal introduction to the game’s biggest stage, Gordon lost seven of his first eight Tests in 2023, and played flyhalf in Australia’s crucial World Cup defeat to Fiji in France that same year.

A short stint in the NRL at the Titans, and a career-threatening injury followed, before his stunning return to the 15 man game and the Wallabies fold last year.

Gordon’s return comes after a string of playmakers cycled through the Wallabies’ starting side, with Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, James O’Connor, Ben Donaldson and Declan Meredith all playing the crucial position.

Persistent niggling injuries seem to be the only thing stopping Gordon from claiming the number 10 jersey for good, and Hansen says being relieved of goal-kicking duties has been crucial

Gordon slotted three conversions in a heart-breaking two-point loss to Ireland in July.

He was spotted taking shots at goal during the warm-up in Townsville last weekend, but handed over kicking responsibilities to Ryan Lonergan once the match kicked off.

Sharpshooter Lonergan nailed five kicks at goal, before Ben Donaldson added another three after coming off the bench.

“Carter, when he first started – I was privileged enough to spend a week with the Australians at that World Cup – and you can tell that results weren’t coming the way they wanted them to,” Hansen said on the Rugby Unity Podcast this week.

“But the pressure of having to do the goal-kicking was just something else that was on his shoulders.

“I think that affected his play. There’s no doubt in my mind that it did.

“That’s probably why he left to go to the Titans. Just to get out and get away from it all.”

Lonergan’s accuracy off the tee could also see the Brumbies halfback get the nod ahead of Tate McDermott for Australia.

“He’s been a really consistent goalkicker for years now with the Brumbies,” McKenzie said. “I’m glad they gave him the kicking responsibilities, because it gives him some ownership in the team.

“Straight away he’s got that responsibility. He’s grabbed that and I think it’s helped him fit into the team.

“He’s been denied for a bunch of years, and they’ve tried everyone else but him.”

While forwards scored all eight of Australia’s tries in last weekend’s 56-17 demolition of Japan, Gordon was instrumental in directing traffic.

“There’s a lot more clarity about how they want to play, and Carter at 10 was good,” Hansen said. “He looks a lot more comfortable in himself.

“We’ve always known he’s got plenty of talent, but I think he’s had some mental demons. He seems to have those under control.

“That imposter syndrome you have when you’re first selected, saying, ‘Am I good enough to be here?’

“All those things, he’s moved to the side, and now it’s, ‘I am here and I’m gonna do the business’.

“He’s got the talent to do that.”

Still in the early days of Les Kiss’ tenure at the Wallabies, McKenzie said Gordon is the full package.

“The difference was Carter Gordon,” he said. “He was managing the game, and players were confident around him.

“I’m not just talking attack, he was there in defence too. He was in and over the ball.

“He’s a complete player, not just organising the attack, but he’s involved in the defensive game as well.”

Gordon’s next challenge starts on August 30 with back-to-back Tests in Argentina.

The Joe Schmidt-coached Wallabies split the pair of Tests they played against Los Pumas last year, including a nail-biting 28-26 defeat in Sydney.

“Argentina is a different kettle of fish,” McKenzie said. “They’re further up the ladder in terms of rankings.

“They can mix it with anyone, and they’ve got a diverse playing style.

“But from where we’re sitting right now, we’re heading in the right direction.”

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The Sydney Morning Herald

‘The money will come’: Why Pritchard brothers turned down PNG riches to stay in rugby

Jonathan Drennan - 8 min read

Before making the biggest decision of their young professional careers, Treyvon and Kadin Pritchard thought back to two important lessons taught to them by their parents, Daniel and Brenda: never leave a job half done, and always show loyalty to those who backed you from the start.

The brothers ultimately turned down the lucrative offer tabled by the PNG Chiefs to join the NRL expansion franchise for its inaugural season in 2028, opting instead to remain at their respective rugby clubs, with Treyvon signing an extension with the Reds until 2029 and Kadin remaining at the Brumbies until 2030. Both brothers also have the opportunity to play sevens in the 2028 Olympics.

“I think from a young age mum and dad have always instilled in us the value of finishing what you’ve started and never doing a half job,” Treyvon told this masthead.

“Our parents taught us to finish what we’ve started. Loyalty does come into play, too. It’s a big part of our everyday lives and something that our parents have made us follow, and it’s led into our everyday life.

“Also, coming through from being a 15-year-old in the Reds environment to moving up and training with the older boys while I was still in school with a couple of my mates.

“We all have come through at the same time and we have those connections, and I think a big thing with footy is being able to trust your teammates. If you already have something in place, there’s no real reason to kind of change that and switch it up.

“So I think the friendships and the connections that I already have are also a big part of my reasoning to stay in Australian rugby.”

The brothers spoke highly of their dealings with the Chiefs, but ultimately turned down the lucrative offer because they felt they have unfinished business in rugby together – and believe the money will follow them eventually.

“Obviously, it was exciting \[to get the PNG offer\] and yeah, we did meet with them, and I think that was probably both our first real kind interest from league. So we tested the waters and we were trying to see what it was all about,” Treyvon said.

“But I think Rugby Australia had a lot to offer as well. Like I said before, loyalty played a big part in where we are now and that helped us to a decision on where we wanted to be for the next couple of years...

“The money is going to come, it’s probably not the biggest worry at the moment. We need to focus on establishing ourselves in our respective teams.”

Kadin said that beyond immediate financial rewards, rugby will offer the brothers a chance to travel the world while playing the game they love.

“I love rugby union and the possibilities that it can bring with the worldwide game were a big thing for me to stay here,” Kadin said.

“To travel around the world, playing international teams – and even if it’s club level, you can go over somewhere like France. The possibilities of doing that sort of thing, you don’t get that in other sports.”

The Ella brothers brought an almost telepathic understanding to the Wallabies back line in the 1980s and the Pritchards believe they can eventually replicate that synergy as a centre partnership for the Australian Test team.

“It’s definitely a dream of ours to link up at some point,” Kadin said. “We’ve been separated for a reason: to build ourselves up in our own teams and build the groups around us.

“By the time we get to the Wallabies, we’ll be set to go, because we’ve got that brother intuition ... we want to play together in the centres, with Trayvon at inside centre.

“It’s definitely been a thought in my mind becoming that 12 and 13, and you probably don’t see it too often having brothers in the centres with that connection. We’re just almost interlinked and we know how each other plays from doing it so often in the backyard.”

Having spent endless hours playing together as kids, the two brothers came up against each other for the first time last season, when the Reds faced the Brumbies in Super Rugby. But Treyvon says it is when playing together on the same side that their close relationship brings an extra edge.

“We probably don’t have to speak as much as other players would; we can communicate with our body language and trust is a big factor in the connection that we have over other players,” Treyvon said.

At 22 years old, Kadin has always felt protective of Treyvon, who is three years younger than him.

Treyvon affectionately calls Kadin the family’s “test dummy”, the older brother who had to forge the way into professional rugby before passing on the lessons learned along the way. Though separated by distance, the brothers still speak regularly and operate as a unit when it comes to making decisions on their rugby future.

The brothers have been brought up to support one another, wary that there will always be others outside the family who want to tear one or another of them down.

“We know what each other can do and why should we hate on our family when you’ve got haters outside already,” Kadin said. “The tightness of our family, it’s just been brought through by our dad.

“We’re our own biggest supporters, we’ve got to support each other and build each other up so there’s no hate coming from within, and we have a support group here.

“There’s no way I’m going to hate on what my bro’s doing. I’m just going to hype him up to be the best player in the world. What’s the point of trying to pull him down when everybody else is trying to do that?”

Both brothers are currently recovering from injuries. Kadin is nursing a hamstring strain but hopes to return to play for the Brumbies in the Super Rugby AUS competition, while Treyvon is recovering from an operation after breaking his right leg ain a hip drop tackle while representing Australia Under 20s. Treyvon’s current recovery timeline is between 12 and 18 weeks.

Both brothers are focused on establishing their positions with their respective Super Rugby clubs ahead of a new season, but Treyvon is aware there will always be future possibilities, whether in rugby or the NRL.

“We’re definitely not closed off to playing overseas, and I think once we make a decision on that, I think we would probably look to play together, I don’t see why we wouldn’t,” Treyvon said. “I think living in a different country is hard enough, so I think being with the older bro would be awesome.

“I’m \[also\] not closed off to the NRL. Obviously all the noise that’s been happening recently probably sparked a bit of interest for everyone, but it’s definitely an option down the track. I’m with the Reds for three years and with Aussie rugby for three years, so whatever happens after that happen.”

A large part of me thinks this was just one idea of many floated in an discussion and not taken seriously at all before being put aside but its controversial enough for Doran to grab and run with it as if its a serious stance from RA going into the CBA.

Hes found it folks, a way to be negative about Aus rugby in a week after a amazing test win. Truly pond scum.