Australian talent blooms in Twickenham spotlight

Rugby league convert Joseph Suaalii grabbed the headlines after Australia's last-gasp win over England on Saturday but the match was also a showcase for other quality talent emerging under the coaching of Joe Schmidt.

Joseph Suaalii's dream is about to come true as he makes his debut 😤

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— Stan Sport Rugby (@StanSportRugby) November 8, 2024

Max Jorgensen's swan dive as he scored the last-gasp try that gave the Wallabies the upset win at Twickenham already looks like becoming an iconic image of the long-awaited revival of Australian rugby.

The winger, only two months out of his teens, was also the target of the Sydney Roosters rugby league team that secured the prized signature of Suaalii when the latter finished at his rugby union-playing school four years ago.

Injury denied Jorgensen a potential World Cup debut under Eddie Jones last year and illness has hampered his progress at test level this season, but his sprint down the sideline on Saturday showed his pace remains.

Quick outside backs are only effective if you can get the ball to them in space, of course, so while Schmidt was happy to praise Suaalii's contribution on Saturday, he twinned it with a tribute to the other centre, Len Ikitau.

Ikitau, who also missed last year's World Cup through injury, put in his usual strong shift and conjured up the sensational offload that set Jorgensen racing towards the line for the winning try.

"I thought he was really strong," Schmidt said when asked Suaalii how had gone in his first professional rugby union match.

"He was really well supported by Lenny Ikitau. Lenny was outstanding, even right at the end of the game. He took the corner through the defender and released Max Jorgensen.

"So I thought those two, they dovetail pretty well through that midfield."

Another strong performer was free-running fullback Tom Wright, who like most Sydney kids played both codes growing up and had a spell in the National Rugby League before deciding to play union.

The Ella-Mobbs Cup is back in our hands 🇦🇺

Thanks for a cracking test, @EnglandRugby 🤝#Wallabies pic.twitter.com/SUWB3bbDFW

— Wallabies (@wallabies) November 10, 2024

In the pack, blindside flanker Rob Valetini and prop Angus Bell punched holes in the England defensive line with powerful runs, while unsung locks Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams made sure there was no let-up in defence.

While Valetini is a known quantity having won the John Eales Medal as Australia's best test player for the last two years, his back row colleagues, openside Fraser McReight and No 8 Harry Wilson, have largely flown under the radar.

"I thought Rob Valetini got (over the) gain line, Harry Wilson got gain line. Gee, they were really combative," said Schmidt.

"I thought Fraser McReight was a fantastic link for us ... That loose trio tonight, they were outstanding."

Wilson, who captained the side for the fifth straight match at Twickenham, took a head knock and will have to pass concussion protocols to take the field against Wales in the second match of the tour on Saturday.

Schmidt on Saturday laughed off the idea that further wins over Wales, Scotland and Ireland might secure the Wallabies a Grand Slam but was, for the first time, prepared to at least concede some progress.

"I think there's green shoots. Certainly," the New Zealander said.