Potter backs Suaalii as a potential Wallabies winger
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union – Rugby Championship – Australia Captain’s Run – Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa – August 15, 2025 Australia’s Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii during training REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo
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SYDNEY, Sept 23 : Harry Potter thinks Joseph Suaalii would make a good go of it if he was to replace him on the wing for the Wallabies against world champions South Africa this weekend.
Suaalii has made all of his starts for the Wallabies at outside centre but Australian media reports suggest coach Les Kiss, who will name his team on Friday, might move him onto the wing for Sunday’s test in Perth.
Potter, who has played three of the four tests since Kiss took over, has enjoyed playing outside Suaalii in Super Rugby and at the Wallabies but thinks the big-money convert from rugby league would also thrive out wide.
“Absolutely. I think he’s incredibly athletic and got loads of attributes that would be awesome on the wing,” Potter told reporters in Perth on Wednesday.
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“(But) he’s going really well at centre, and I love playing with him there at the moment.”
Australia are unbeaten in four games under Kiss having beaten Japan twice and secured a win and a draw in Argentina.
Part of the reasoning behind moving Suaalii out to the wing would be to counter the threat presented by South Africa under the high ball, which the Springboks made good use of in their recent 3-1 series triumph over New Zealand.
“It’s going to be a massive area of the game for sure,” Potter added.
“There’s maybe slightly different personnel this week, but (wingers Ethan) Hooker and (Edwill) van der Merwe are both good in the air.
“We think we’ve been doing quite well in that area as well. We probably had an off game, or games, maybe against Argentina. I thought Argentina chased really well … they’ve got some world class threats in the air.
“It’s going to be a step up this week in the air. But we think our preparation has certainly got some focus on that for sure.”
South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes when he named his team on Tuesday but Potter thought there was still a lot of quality in the line-up.
“There’s certainly plenty of World Cup winners in that team,” he said.
“They’ve had a big four weeks and they’ll be picking a team I suspect a bit fresher, and a good bench as well, and they’ll come out firing.”
Source: Reuters
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