Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii © Gallo Images

Australia boss Joe Schmidt insists a Test debut for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii against England is “more of an opportunity than a risk”, despite it being the former rugby league star’s first senior rugby union game.

Less than a month after switching codes, the 21-year-old will be at outside center in the Wallabies’ tour opener at Twickenham on Saturday, with England still reeling from last week’s agonizing 24-22 loss at home to New Zealand.

An Australian schoolboy rugby union player, Suaalii made his name professionally in rugby league, featuring in his State of Origin and representing Samoa as they reached the 2022 World Cup finals.

But he recently signed a three-year deal with Rugby Australia worth A$5.3m (£2.7m, US$3.5m), which runs until the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

Given such a large outlay, it was undoubtedly only a matter of time before Suaalii was drafted into a Wallaby side that finished last in this year’s Rugby Championship after five losses in six games and is missing the injured Hunter Paisami.

But there is another reason why former Ireland manager Schmidt is throwing Suaalii into the cauldron in front of an 82,000 capacity crowd at Twickenham.

The match is the first of a tour in which Australia play England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland on consecutive weekends, 40 years after the Wallabies’ celebrated Grand Slam in 1984.

As it stands, those matches will be Australia’s only tests ahead of next year’s showpiece series at home to the British and Irish Lions, with the combined team coached by Schmidt’s former Irish protégé, Andy Farrell.

With Australia having won just four of nine caps so far in 2024 – the same record as England – the selection of Suaalii is not the gamble it might seem from Schmidt, often described as a cautious coach.

“IF NOT NOW, WHEN?”

“Everything is a risk, but I would challenge it with everything is an opportunity,” Schmidt said.

“And it’s a great opportunity for a young man… And I guess for us there’s four Tests left this year before we go on a massive Lions tour next year.

“So, if not now, when? It’s unlikely to go perfectly, but it will be a benchmark he can build off of.”

The New Zealander added: “He’s a very professional young man. He’s had plenty of experience both playing rugby union and being professional with rugby league in the past and coming back into rugby union.”

England captain Jamie George said there was “this element of the unknown” regarding Suaalii, and the whore added that it was his team’s job to “make sure he knows what Test match rugby is all about”.

Steve Borthwick, the England manager, has named an unchanged starting XV after a third narrow loss to New Zealand this year, with his side squandering another lead in the final quarter after being 22-14 to the All Blacks.

Borthwick was criticized for taking off half-backs Ben Spencer and Marcus Smith when England were on top against New Zealand.

Substitute fly-half George Ford hit the post with a penalty before missing a last-ditch goal – a mistake due to a poor scrum with front-row substitutes.

England have brought in winger Ollie Sleightholme to their bench, with attack coach Richard Wigglesworth saying: “It would have been great if we had a couple of those experiences where they’ve learned how to win instead of these feelings of ‘next time we’ve got to do this’.”

He added: “It hasn’t happened overnight and it never will, but I feel as a group, I’m really confident we’ll get there.”