England captain Jamie George has warned Australia’s new cross-code recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii he will be given a rough ride ahead of his debut at Twickenham on Saturday.
The hosts are preparing to give the 21-year-old former NRL star a challenging introduction to Test rugby in his debut match.
Speaking from England’s Bagshot base, George acknowledged the team needs to quickly get “clued up” about Suaalii, who will start at outside centre for the Wallabies.
The young Australian will make his first appearance in senior rugby, having last played the code as a schoolboy five years ago.
George was notably respectful about the debutant’s selection, pointing to Australia coach Joe Schmidt’s judgement.
“Joe Schmidt is someone that I’ve been a massive fan of, I respect hugely in terms of his understanding and knowledge and I know that if he wasn’t ready to play, then he wouldn’t be playing,” George said.
Jamie George is ready to face off against Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
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The England captain made it clear, however, that they intend to give Suaalii a proper welcome to international rugby.
“There’s this element of the unknown, but at the same time we’ve got to make sure we’re as clued up as we possibly can be,” he added. “And we also need to make sure that he knows what Test match rugby is all about.”
England have made tactical adjustments to their midfield pairing in response to Suaalii’s selection.
Ollie Lawrence has been shifted to outside centre, with Henry Slade at inside, in what England assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth described as a “slight tweak” to their experienced partnership.
The hosts are keen to maximise Lawrence’s attacking potential, with Wigglesworth noting they want to get the “great strike runner” more involved in play.
Meanwhile, Australia have paired Suaalii with Len Ikitau in the centres, with reports the duo have been interchanging positions during training sessions.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will make his Australia debut against England
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The combined experience of Slade and Lawrence, who share 94 caps between them, stands in stark contrast to Australia’s untested partnership.
England’s defensive preparations will lean heavily on Kevin Sinfield, the former rugby league great, to analyse Suaalii’s background.
“We’ll look at him in his rugby league. Kev will give us a good insight there and we’ll make sure we do our due diligence in the next couple of days,” Wigglesworth explained.
The England assistant coach expressed intrigue about Suaalii’s potential impact.
“It will be really interesting, won’t it? I don’t think Joe Schmidt, the world-class coach that he is, puts him in unless he’s ready,” he said.
“He’s obviously an incredible athlete and talent, which is why he’s come over with the reputation and the price tag he’s got.”
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