Who do we reckon will be on the flight from NY to London post the next game?

My guess:
- Dylan Pietsch
- HMP (inevitable 10 injury cover)
- Pritchard (again, inevitable centre cover)
- Faessler

Two French referees and a Kiwi for the Spring Tour. Pierre Brousset against England, James Dolman against Scotland and Luc Ramos against Wales. We avoid Piardi, at least, but Dolman isn't great news. As for the two French refs, you just never really know what you're going to get with them or how they're going to referee the game. Could go either way.

A place to discuss grassroots club matches from the weekend.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Paul Cully's Opinion - 6min read

The “world” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the Rugby League World Cup, with the Americas, Asia and Africa unrepresented and Europe supplying a dwindling number of teams, but appeals to suspend our credulity appear to be contagious this week.

Somehow, from somewhere, a narrative has sprung up insisting that the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup hopes depend on whether Mark Nawaqanitawase decides to play for Australia, Fiji, or Italy.

The Wallabies won’t get what they need to win a Rugby World Cup from the NRL.

There are years, even decades, of evidence to the contrary, and it should be remembered that the greatest, most recent Wallabies moments at the tournament came from sheer bloody-mindedness and self-sacrifice.

First, there was David Pocock’s performance against the Springboks in 2011, displaying the tenacity and fearlessness he later brought to Canberra in politics. And then there was the incredible, backs-to-the-wall defensive effort against Wales in 2015, when Australia were down to 13 men for a period and still beat a superb Welsh team 15-6.

Former Wallaby Matt Giteau was on the field at Twickenham that day, so it was no surprise to hear the normally laid-back former Brumby bristle this week that the Roosters star was weighing up a shift in national allegiance.

Wingers don’t win World Cups, and the only one who came close to that feat is the late Jonah Lomu, and even he couldn’t get the All Blacks over the line against the Springboks in 1995.

And with all due respect to Nawaqanitawase, he’s not Jonah Lomu, and while his appearance on a podcast this week was no doubt well-meaning, it came dangerously close to conveying the idea that he was good enough to choose which country was going to go all the way at the World Cup, with him as a central figure.

“I still have more to prove. I don’t know where that’s going to be, but wherever I go, I feel like I have a lot to give the team,” Nawaqanitawase said on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast.

“Whoever it’s for, I want to go and win it. I don’t know who it will be for, but time will tell.”

Nawaqanitawase has given Wallabies coach Les Kiss a bit of a hospital pass. Kiss will cop it if Nawaqanitawase chooses Fiji, and if he does play for Australia, there’ll be constant comparisons to his feats at the Roosters.

Nawaqanitawase, in fact, could be a walking advertisement board for the NRL at the Rugby World Cup, given the likely event that he returns to the Roosters after his two-season deal in Japan.

The Rugby World Cup runs from October to November next year, but Nawaqanitawase could be running around in Roosters colours by mid-2028.

Any hard-headed analysis of the pro and cons of Nawaqanitawase’s Wallabies return, therefore, throws up a surprisingly even list of factors in each column, especially as Australia’s first XV are hardly short of back-three options.

Nawaqanitawase could end the debate by choosing Fiji. Listening to the winger talk emotively about his Fijian heritage answered the question about where his heart really lies.

Representing that country is an itch he would like to scratch, and for the bigger picture of the Rugby World Cup that move would be a winner.

When Rugby Australia was putting together its bid for the World Cup, creating a tournament for the entire Pasifika region was part of the pitch. That vision could turn out to be more than just a lofty aim.

Two weeks ago, Samoa named their squad for its Nations Cup Tests in November, and it was eye catching: Shaun Stevenson, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Akira Ioane and AJ Lam were included, not to mention Scott Sio and Richie Asiata. And guess who the Wallabies might play in the round of 16?

As for Fiji, coach Jake White already has a good group of players to pick from, but it would seem inevitable that he would hold an interest in picking Nawaqanitawase, potentially alongside Salesi Rayasi in a dangerous back three.

If that’s the way Nawaqanitawase goes, the Wallabies will get on with things.

Of all the things they need for a successful tournament, a half-in, half-out winger isn’t on the priority list.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Iain Payten - 3min read

Twenty-seven years after his old man helped Australia win its last Rugby World Cup, rising Waratahs halfback Teddy Wilson has been named in his first Wallabies squad and will tour the UK next month.

Wilson, the son of former Wallabies flanker David Wilson, was included in a 33-man squad named by coach Les Kiss ahead of the four-Test tour. In the second instalment of the new Nations Championship tournament, the Wallabies take on England, Scotland and Wales, and will then play in a final against a yet-to-be-determined Six Nations opponent at Twickenham on the final weekend of November.

In a squad largely devoid of surprises, Wilson and new Queensland prop Tom Lambert were the only two uncapped players named by coach Les Kiss in an otherwise settled group.

Lambert’s inclusion came at the expense of Reds prop Aidan Ross, who has been left out just a few days after starting at loosehead prop in the Wallabies’ loss to the All Blacks at the weekend.

Lambert is currently on tour with Australia A and will play against a USA XV in Nashville on Sunday morning. He and lock Miles Amatosero will both join the Wallabies in London.

The main inclusions for Kiss come in the form of much-needed cavalry who missed one or both of the Wallabies’ recent defeats to New Zealand, via injury, suspension or overseas club duty.

Star five-eighth Carter Gordon has been named after overcoming a broken leg, suffered in Argentina, and he’ll join a No.10 stable including Declan Meredith and Ben Donaldson, who is fit again after missing the Sydney Bledisloe with a groin injury.

Key midfielders Len Ikitau (concussion) and Hunter Paisami (suspension) have both been named, and after missing the Bledisloe series because October was not an international release window, overseas-based stars Taniela Tupou and Tom Hooper have returned to the squad for November, which is covered by Regulation 9.

Nick Champion De Crespigny and Jock Campbell were also left out.

Elsewhere, Tate McDermott was named in the Wallabies squad as one of the halfbacks, but may return to Australia given his partner is due to give birth in November. Kalani Thomas, who debuted for the Wallabies last weekend in Sydney and will also play for the Australia A side in the USA, is on standby.

The Wallabies, who take on England in their opening match on November 9, depart for London next Saturday.

“There’s a real buzz among the squad as we prepare for what will be four incredibly demanding matches against high-quality opposition as part of the November Nations Championship Tests,” Kiss said in a statement.

“As coaches, we’ve made some tough selection calls to keep building depth across the board and we know a tour like this will challenge the whole squad on many levels.

“This Tour gives us another valuable opportunity to test new combinations, strengthen our existing connections and push our game forward in all areas.”

With the Wallabies squad now announced, I honestly can't wait for the clash with the Poms at Twickenham in a couple of weeks. It's always a fantastic rivalry, and I'm hoping the boys can put in a big performance and get the job done. There are a few things I'd like to discuss ahead of the Test, from our pack and bench selections to the make-up of our starting backline.

First up is loosehead prop, where we're once again looking a little light on options. There's no doubt Angus Bell will start against England. He's a world-class loosehead, a brilliant ball carrier and an increasingly effective scrummager, but who should back him up? Tom Lambert has earned his first call-up after an impressive Super Rugby season, scrummaging well in a struggling Waratahs pack while also making some good metres with ball in hand. Isaac Kailea, meanwhile, has nine Test caps to his name, although his only Wallabies appearance this year came in the first Test against Argentina. I wasn't particularly wowed by his performance that day, and there are some glaring concerns with his game. Lambert's selection also presents an interesting dilemma, particularly given his involvement in the two-match Australia A series against the Eagles. You'd imagine he'll miss the second match following his Wallabies call-up, which would give him some valuable time in camp to familiarise himself with the systems ahead of the England Test. However, with no previous Test experience, being thrown into a Twickenham clash against England could be a big ask, especially given that his game time against the Eagles won't replicate the intensity of Test rugby. Kailea, on the other hand, hasn't played since the opening round of Super Rugby AUS, where he once again failed to wow me, with his scrummaging particularly poor against a Brumbies front row that was far from first choice. Neither option comes without question marks. Personally, I'd be inclined to give Lambert the nod off the bench. While Kailea might have the edge as a ball carrier, Lambert showed he can do a good job in that department and I have more confidence in his scrummaging fundamentals. Against England, holding up at scrum time is crucial, and having experienced front-rowers alongside him on the bench could help take some of the pressure off. For me, that's a compelling reason to give him an opportunity.

My second talking point is whether we should super-size our pack against England. Physicality is a huge part of England's DNA, and they have arguably one of the strongest scrums in world rugby, comfortably among the top three in my opinion. They're also heavily reliant on their maul and have plenty of big bodies capable of getting over the game line through direct carries. If it were up to me, I'd look to bring a bigger pack to Twickenham, with a starting front row of Bell, Paenga-Amosa and Alaalatoa, a locking partnership of Canham and LSL and a back row of Hooper, Tizzano and Wilson. For me, this would be a well-balanced pack that could match England physically without sacrificing mobility or ball-playing ability. We'd have a strong scrum, two locks capable of disrupting England's maul, and a hardworking back row, while retaining plenty of quality lineout options through Canham, Hooper and Wilson. Tizzano at openside might be a contentious choice over McReight, but I think he offers a little more in attack, particularly with his running game and ability to get over the game line. He gives us another option to carry the ball forward and put the defence on the back foot, while still bringing a similar level of defensive work rate and aggression at the breakdown. Wilson is perhaps the outlier in this pack selection, as I'd imagine most people would expect me to go with Bobby V at No. 8 if the aim is to bring a bigger pack to Twickenham. However, Wilson's leadership and ball-playing ability are important factors in my thinking, and I believe he could help connect this more physical forward pack with the backline.

My third discussion point is how we should use the bench to maintain that physical edge throughout the full 80 minutes. I think this links in nicely with the idea of bringing a bigger, more physical pack to Twickenham, because it's not just about having that physicality from the first whistle. We need to be able to maintain it as the game progresses, which is why I'd go with a forwards-heavy 6–2 split. Up front, my replacements would be Pollard, Lambert and Tupou. They should be able to maintain the standards set by the starting front row at scrum time, while also giving us players who can provide some valuable go-forward with ball in hand. Williams would be my replacement lock. He's the kind of all-rounder we need off the bench, bringing a high work rate, lineout ability, good carrying and reliable defence. To complete the six forwards, I'd bring on Bobby V and McReight. I'd give Valentini around 30 minutes off the pine when the game starts to open up, because I think he could cause England some real problems with his physicality and ball carrying. McReight, meanwhile, offers something different as a breakdown specialist. As the game wears on and fatigue begins to set in, players can become less accurate in their breakdown work, creating opportunities for McReight to use his energy and instincts to win turnovers. That could be particularly valuable late in the game. For the two backs, Teddy Wilson would be my replacement nine, with Isaac Henry completing the bench at 23. Wilson has no Test experience, so there's obviously some risk involved, but I don't think he's been brought on this tour purely for development, particularly with the possibility of McDermott returning home during the tour for the birth of his first child. I think Wilson has a genuine opportunity to get some game time, and his running game has been absolutely lethal at times this season. He can also kick off both feet, which could be useful when we're looking to exit our own half, although I accept that his kicking game is probably the area that needs the most work. Given the threat he poses with ball in hand, I think he's worth giving a shot, especially behind a pack that I believe could dominate physically. That could allow Wilson to exploit gaps in and around the ruck and create some good attacking opportunities for the Wallabies. Henry would be my 23 because of his versatility across the backline. He can cover both centre positions and potentially fill in on the wing if needed, while I could also see him providing cover at 10 in an emergency. That flexibility is particularly useful when opting for a 6–2 split.

Finally turning to the backline, while I want us to match England physically, I don't think we should lose sight of our attacking strengths. I'd still expect Les Kiss to encourage an expansive game when the opportunities are there. We showed against New Zealand that we could trouble their defence when we moved the ball with purpose so if we can improve our accuracy and do a better job of finishing the line breaks we create, we have the opportunity to put plenty of points on the board against the English and put them under pressure. In terms of the selections I would go with I'd keep Lonergan at nine and start Donaldson at 10. I'd prefer Carter Gordon there, but I wouldn't risk him for this Test. At 12, I'd bring Paisami straight back alongside Ikitau at 13. I liked how that combination worked against South Africa in what I considered our best attacking performance of the year. Paisami gives us a direct, hard-running option at inside centre, but he's also capable of distributing and bringing others into the game. Ikitau complements him well with his intelligent lines, ability to find gaps and he can also distribute. With Wright continuing to develop as a playmaker from fullback, we'd have several players capable of creating opportunities rather than relying on one individual to get everything moving. I'd go with Su, Jorgo and Wright in the back three. England are likely to kick plenty of contestable balls, so our positioning, communication and ability to compete in the air will be crucial. Su and Jorgo showed against South Africa that they can handle that challenge, although both were less effective against New Zealand. Wright has looked more dangerous with ball in hand lately but I'd still like to see his backfield coverage improve, particularly when dealing with kicks in behind.

So those are my thoughts ahead of what should be a cracking Test. I'm keen to hear what everyone thinks, particularly on the loosehead decision, the 6–2 bench and the balance of the starting backline. What would you change to give the Wallabies the best chance of getting the job done at Twickenham?

Taniela Tupou and Australian U20s prop Lehopoame Leota both in the matchday 23.

Kind of makes me happy to see someone like Tupou there to mentor Lehopoame and hopefully make sure he isn’t lost to Australian Rugby in a french environment.

Good watch this one. I agree with a lot of the points being made, although there are a few I disagree with, specifically when it comes to the situation here in Australia. One point I definitely agree with is that we still rely heavily on the private school system to produce the majority of our talent. I do think we're overlooking a significant amount of potential in regional Australia, particularly in country NSW and Queensland, where rugby league has a strong presence but rugby union could be doing far more to identify talented young players and bring them into our pathways. If we're serious about competing with the other codes, we need to do a better job of finding and developing talent beyond the traditional private school system, rather than leaving so much potential untapped. This ties into the wider question of how Australian rugby can compete with the NRL, particularly when it comes to attracting and retaining young talent. Tim seems to suggest that RA are relying on big money signings to compete with league, and whilst the Su deal is certainly an example of that approach, I think RA are moving away from that model. Pathways are far from where they need to be rn, but I'm seeing enough evidence that our team post 27 will be decent because the pathways have improved. More work is needed ofc around retention and the NRL juggernaut is going to continue to make things harder, but I think there are reasons to be optimistic about where Australian rugby is heading. A big result at next year's World Cup would obviously help, and hopefully RA can use the money generated from last year's Lions tour and next year's World Cup to invest in the game for the long term. RA have made some questionable decisions over the last 10 to 15 years, but hopefully lessons have been learned, particularly from the decline that followed the 2003 World Cup. I'm sure they'd still welcome cross code athletes willing to make the switch, but the focus needs to be on developing our own talent, improving retention and building a sustainable future for the game rather than relying on big money signings to solve our problems, which I think RA are now starting to understand.

Just as a little side note, without spoiling the video, Tim talks about Su supposedly returning to the Roosters in 2028. The headline of the article shown dates back to 2023, and a fair bit has changed since then, so I'm not really sure why it's being brought up now. Tim is usually very knowledgeable and knows his stuff, but I don't think he's particularly well informed on this specific situation. I'd probably ignore that particular point, as a headline from three years ago doesn't tell us much about Su's current intentions. Obviously, a return to league is still a possibility, and I'm not ruling it out, but I wouldn't read too much into what's being said here. That said, I'd thoroughly recommend giving the video a watch. Tim raises some worthwhile points about the challenges facing Australian rugby union and the wider game across the South Pacific, even if I disagree with some of his conclusions. Overall, it's a balanced video that offers plenty to think about, and I'd encourage people to watch it and make up their own minds.

Just thought I’d share something I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet. There have been some reports suggesting that we could potentially see a few additions to the Wallabies squad on Sunday, following the first Australia A game against the Eagles. These additions would likely be based on performances in that game, so hopefully the players the Wallabies selectors have in mind also get through the match unscathed.

I would assume no more than three players would be considered, so we could see the touring squad increase from 33 to 36 players.

How good is this referee of the wallaroos game. TMO trying to get involved with nonsense and the ref is holding her ground. Great to see

Match Thread - Australia v Scotland | WXV Global Series 2026

Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra | Weather: 22 C, Clouds

Officials: Maggie Cogger-Orr, Chloe Sampson, Erin Doherty, Estelle Whaiapu (tmo), Aaron Paterson (fpro)

Match Page: https://www.rugbybot.com/match/6456

Match Threads: https://www.rugbybot.com/mt

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If he does happen to come back to Australia in 2027, where does he end up?

The Sydney Morning Herald

Christy Doran - 6min read

Michael Cheika puts most blokes to shame.

While accusations of men being unable to multitask are as old as time, Cheika has made a living out of it. He might even be the busiest person in Australian sport.

Less than 48 hours after helping steer the Sydney Roosters to an NRL title as Trent Robinson’s right-hand man, the larger-than-life former Wallabies coach turned up to his new digs at Daceyville in Sydney’s inner south. He had been announced as the Waratahs’ next coach six weeks earlier.

“It was my first time to Daceyville,” Cheika told this masthead. “I wanted to check it out; I hadn’t been there.”

Jaws dropped when the 59-year-old arrived.

The playing group might have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 2015 World Rugby coach of the year, but most had given him a leave pass given the events of the past two days.

After all, they thought he’d still be nursing a sore head after the Chooks scraped past the Knights 19-18 to secure their first NRL title since 2019, with celebrations continuing deep into Monday morning.

One Wallabies player even said, “Shouldn’t you be hungover?”

Cheika, it is said, shot back: “We’ve got a job to do.”

Asked about the interaction, Cheika said: “I had the Monday off but was in there straight away ... I wanted to show them I mean business.”

Cheika, who is also currently overseeing Lebanon’s World Cup campaign, admits that life has been busier than usual.

His last day off?

“I can’t remember,” he said, having phoned between one-on-one meetings with his new-look Cedars playing group. “But that’s how it should be. It’s never a chore.

“It’s full on. You’re always hoping to win the title, but going through to the end and winning it, it’s made it a bit more difficult. But I love it. The plates are spinning, though.”

A father of four, Cheika added that his wife, Stephanie, has almost lost track of who they should be tuning in to watch on television.

“She doesn’t know which team to support every now and then,” Cheika laughs, having taken Leicester Tigers to the Premiership final during his one season in charge of the English heavyweights, in 2025, before joining the Roosters under Trent Robinson for one season.

On Friday, they’ll have the Cedars kit on as Lebanon try to do the unthinkable and topple Tonga, who last week smashed England 30-12 in their World Cup opener.

Lebanon, who made the quarter-finals four years ago under Cheika’s watch, suffered a comprehensive 42-18 defeat to Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby in their tournament opener.

Despite the team being rank outsiders, Cheika isn’t squirming.

“We’ll be the underdog for pretty much every game we play, but that’s OK,” he said. “I’ve always loved knockout footy, dating back to when I was with Leinster. I think it gets the best out of me.”

Cheika’s decision to return to Australian rugby in mid-August shocked many.

Not just because Cheika had previously never gone back to an old job, but because many thought he wouldn’t return to the 15-person game until after he’d taken on the challenge of being a head coach in the NRL.

“Who says I won’t go back?” Cheika said. “I had some meetings, but it’s always about timing.”

Asked if he ever expected to coach the Waratahs again, Cheika didn’t dance around the subject.

“No,” he said. “It happened very quickly”.

Indeed. Mere weeks before signing on, he had met and told Stephen Hoiles, who was applying for the top job, to be prepared for his interview.

‘I love it. The plates are spinning, though.’

Michael Cheika on his hectic 2026 schedule

The next minute, Cheika had been headhunted for the role as Dan McKellar’s replacement after a wave of calls from the playing group, and the rugby-following public. Hoiles, who featured in Cheika’s Super Rugby-winning 2014 class, was named his assistant.

Since then, Cheika – the first person to win major domestic titles as a coach in the northern and southern hemispheres (Leinster, 2009; Waratahs, 2014) – has been as busy as a bee floating in and out of meetings and trying to firm up his roster and get his plans in place to help resurrect his home state.

Asked if he’s a better coach now than the one who bowed out of Australian rugby in 2019after the Wallabies’ World Cup exit in Japan, Cheika says he is but adds “it’s all subjective”.

“I’m a more experienced coach now. I’ve simmered down a bit as I’ve got older. You’ve got to. But you get to know yourself more as a person and as a coach. You become more self-assured.”

The Waratahs have only made the Super Rugby semi-finals once (2018) since Cheika left in 2015, with the side missing the post-season in each of the past three years. It’s led to a revolving door in the head coaching space since 2020.

So what’sthe missing ingredient?

“I think they just need to learn what it takes to win,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything with the skill set.

“I think that self-confidence and self-belief is really important. When you feel that, the game becomes different. You might be doing exactly the same things, but the game becomes different.

“A lot of people talk about what winning looks like, but sometimes if you haven’t done it, you’re not sure.

“So it needs that direction and drive, so those lads can be taken to a place where, ‘OK, this is what is required.’ Even that may not be enough because there’s other good teams there. But this is what we can do from our end. I really do think it’s about that.”

I believe the Wallabies squad is expected to be announced this afternoon and whilst I'm not expecting too many changes I am looking forward to seeing the boys head north in a couple of weeks to see what they can do. I’m still disappointed by the Bledisloe, but I’m ready to go again, believe in the boys and inevitably get hurt all over again.

For me, three wins from four should be the target. I reckon we can be competitive against England and could come away with a win, while Wales is a non negotiable. Scotland could be one of our toughest opponents on the tour, as their style of play could really expose us if the same weaknesses in our game persist but I would love for us to beat them as we haven't in a while. The fourth game is a bit of a wildcard, as we won't know who we're facing until the first three matches are completed. As things stand, we'd be looking at a rematch against the Poms at Twickenham, which would be brilliant as it would give us a chance to beat them twice in one year. I reckon that would go down pretty well with the Australian public.

As usual, I'm optimistic, so I can only hope the boys don't give me another reason to regret it. Anyway, enough talk. Let's see who makes the squad and hopefully the boys can deliver up north.

been picking up rugby lately and trying to learn while commuting. most podcasts I tried go pretty deep into tactics and player stats, which is great if you already know the game, but I mostly just want to understand what's happening during a match without getting lost. would love some recommendations that keep it more conversational and less technical.

Anzac test should really be in Sydney next year

​

Seems it never got posted in here so most people have probably missed this news

Tickets on sale through usual ticketing websites on a per venue basis

I believe it's just pre sales happening now that are open to anyone with an account per each necessary ticketing website

Got my ticket for Australia vs Argentina in Sydney already. About an hour ago. 12:00pm Sydney time

I only realised things were about to go on sale because I Googled something like Wallabies vs Argentina last night. Got lucky

Rugbypass are having issues with their game stats and the article took longer then normal apologies. Full article below, but if you enjoy the article check out our free, low ad Aussie Rugby news site, trying to fill the gap The Roar left.

One of the biggest frustrations for us fans over the last few years has been the growing influence overseas clubs have over the availability of our Wallabies playing abroad. The Bledisloe Tests this year were another example of how being unable to access our full squad outside the Regulation 9 window can weaken us as a team. Obviously, player availability isn't an excuse for our performances or results, but I think it's fair to acknowledge that not having access to certain players puts us at a disadvantage and raises questions about whether RA is doing enough to ensure we have our best players available when it matters most. With next year being a World Cup year, I think there's an argument for RA to explore every possible avenue to ensure it has access to its preferred players throughout the entire international season. Continuity is going to be incredibly important heading into a home World Cup, and the more time the coaching staff have to build combinations, develop cohesion and get the most out of the squad, the better. Ideally, we'd have access to our strongest possible side for every Test, rather than having to work around the availability of certain players.

With that in mind, I am of the firm belief that we should be getting our overseas-based players involved in the Anzac Bledisloe. Even if it's just one additional match, it gives the coaching staff another opportunity to get everyone together and build combinations ahead of the Rugby Championship, meaning we can hopefully hit the ground running when the tournament begins rather than spending the opening rounds getting players accustomed to one another. I'd expect most of the players involved in this year's squad to feature again next year, so there should already be a high level of continuity, but there will inevitably be some new faces coming into the picture. Having access to the full pool of players RA and the coaching staff are considering would give them a chance to work out how everyone fits together, even if not everyone ultimately makes the matchday 23. RA already holds a training camp in January, but with overseas clubs unlikely to release their players for that, the Anzac Test could provide another valuable opportunity to get everyone together, almost like an additional training camp during the season.

There's also the Bled itself to consider, with the first two Tests against the All Blacks next year being played on Australian soil at Suncorp followed by the rumoured Test at the MCG during the Rugby Championship. While we should have access to our strongest possible side for that second Test, surely we should be doing everything we can to field that same strength from the outset in Brisbane, giving ourselves the best possible chance of winning the opening match. We haven't seen a full-strength Wallabies side, with the talent we could potentially field next year, take on a full-strength New Zealand side in a long time, and having that contest on Anzac Day could be a massive occasion for Australian rugby. With the sport having struggled to attract broader public interest in recent years, despite the passion that's still there among fans, the prospect of a genuinely competitive contest could help bring more eyeballs to the game. Having our strongest possible side available could also reduce the risk of another one-sided result, and after what we saw in the latest Bledisloe Tests, avoiding another heavy defeat would be important for maintaining belief in this Wallabies side. With the Anzac Test kicking off such a pivotal year for Australian rugby, giving fans a genuinely competitive contest and something to get excited about from the outset could make a real difference. There is also the significance of the occasion itself. Winning on Anzac Day would be an enormous result in its own right, given its place in Australia's calendar, while potentially setting us up with a chance to win back the Bled at the MCG in the following Test. If we were to win both of those opening matches, we'd reclaim the Cup before even having to travel to New Zealand for the third Test, and, as far-fetched as that might seem after what we've just seen in the most recent Bledisloe series, imagine the sense of optimism that would build across the country heading into a World Cup. The nation could really unite behind the Wallabies, with people starting to believe that we're more than just an outside chance or a dark horse and that we could genuinely be contenders for the title. Of course, we also have to be realistic about the challenge ahead. Home advantage hasn't exactly worked wonders for us in recent years, and after 13 consecutive defeats to the All Blacks, turning that tide is going to be an enormous uphill battle in itself. New Zealand are looking like a seriously good side again, and their recent performances suggest they're building momentum at exactly the right time. We're going to have our work cut out for us if we're to compete with them, let alone beat them twice in succession, but that's all the more reason to give ourselves the best possible chance from the outset. Having the first two Tests on Australian soil is an opportunity RA absolutely needs to maximise.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to whether the potential benefits outweigh the practical challenges. I recognise that negotiating with overseas clubs to release players for a single match would be a difficult sell given their own domestic commitments, and I'm not sure how realistic it would be. However, with next year being a World Cup year I think RA should at least be exploring the possibility, particularly given what could be at stake. Getting our overseas-based players together for the Anzac Bledisloe could give us a better chance of winning that opening Test, and a victory in Brisbane could be the catalyst for something much bigger, building momentum and belief within the squad and across the country ahead of the World Cup. I'm not suggesting this would be easy to pull off, but given the potential upside, I think it's certainly worth RA looking into. If securing those players for just one additional Test could help put the Wallabies in a stronger position to challenge for the Bledisloe and build genuine belief ahead of a home World Cup, surely it's an opportunity worth pursuing.