SYDNEY — The hits keep on coming for the Wallabies, with veteran prop Allan Alaalatoa to miss the third and final Test against the British and Irish Lions in Sydney on Saturday.
Alaalatoa suffered a shoulder injury in the Wallabies’ devastating 29-26 loss at the MCG, a result that wrapped up the Lions’ first series win since 2013, when they were last in Australia.
The tighthead was replaced by Tom Robertson at halftime, with the Wallabies’ scrum struggling for much of the second half thereafter as the Lions unleashed an entirely new front-row and began to boss the set-piece.
Alaalatoa’s absence could open the door for one final hit-out for departing prop Taniela Tupou, who impressed in the First Nations-Pasifika XV’s narrow loss to the Lions in their final tour match last week.
Tupou has signed a two-year deal with French club Racing 92 and while it is expected Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will look to move on from the out-of-favour prop for the Rugby Championship as a result, the tighthead could earn a reprieve this weekend.
The other options are Tom Robertson, who replaced Alaalatoa off the bench in Melbourne or Reds prop Zane Nonggorr, while James Slipper could also theoretically switch from the loosehead side which would allow Angus Bell to start in the No. 1 jersey.
Meanwhile, the fall-out from the controversial ending to Saturday’s thriller at the MCG continues to roll on, with the Wallabies on Monday rejecting assertions from the UK media that Carlo Tizzano had “taken a dive” in the match-defining clean-out from Jac Morgan.
Former England back-rower James Haskell was one of many pundits to accuse Tizzano of play-acting, saying: “The only bit of foul play and nonsense in the incident was the Australian player diving, that should have been red carded, because that is utter crap,” Haskell said on his The Good, the Bad and the Rugby podcast.
But speaking to media on Monday, Wallabies lock Nick Frost denied Tizzano had feigned injury to help draw the attention of the officials, who later deemed the clean-out legal after several replays.
“It’s tough, it’s hard when you’ve got guys who aren’t on the field, they’re ex-players and different things, but when the people who are on the field day in and day out and putting their body [on the line], especially a guy like Carlo who always gets over the ball, guys like that competing, it is tough,” Frost said.
“And then even in the tight five, you put your body in harm’s way. It’s a tough one for him [Tizzano].” The Wallabies will have a new winger on Saturday too, with Harry Potter already set for an extended stint on the sidelines because of a hamstring injury.
That could see Dylan Pietsch earn his first Test start of the year, while there have also been calls for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to move one spot wider to the wing, opening up the opportunity for Hunter Paisami to return at No. 12 and Len Ikitau to shift to his more favoured outside centre position.
There is uncertainty also around Rob Valetini, who like Alaalatoa didn’t return at halftime on Saturday, but Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said that decision was more precautionary as the back-rower had been “tightening up”.
