The Wallabies will line up against England on Sunday morning (AEDT) without any of their England-based Premiership players in what has become a farce of World Rugby Test windows, with England set to run out with a loaded deck.
With the Wallabies clash against England at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham falling outside the World Rugby Reg.9 window, overseas based players do not have to be released to their national teams but can be picked up for a fee national unions pay to the player’s contracted clubs. England have chosen to do just that ensuring they have their best players on deck, while Rugby Australia have not.
It means Joe Schmidt will be without Len Ikitau – this year’s John Eales Medalist – Tom Hooper and James O’Connor, all three of which have played pivotal roles in the Wallabies revival over 2025.
What makes the situation more embarrassing for the world body, the England Premiership is currently enjoying a months’ break.
The timing couldn’t be worse with the Wallabies set to be without Lukhan Salakai-Loto and Josh Canham, both injured within the opening 20-minutes of the side’s tight 19-15 win over Japan in Tokyo last week.
It’s forced Schmidt to send an SOS call to Darcy Swain, who hasn’t been sighted in a Test jersey in three years but recently had an impressive showing for Australia A in their 71-7 hammering against Japan XV two weeks ago.
While Nick Frost will likely to make his return to the starting line-up on Sunday after he was rested against Japan, and Jeremy Williams continues to be strongout at the lineout, the absence of Hooper is a big miss for the Wallabies who would have enjoyed his strength over the breakdown and presence midfield.
The absence of O’Connor also means Schmidt has just two options at fly-half; young and inexperienced Tane Edmed, who has played just five Tests and started three times in the Wallabies last four, or Carter Gordon who has only recently been released from NRL and hasn’t played Test match rugby since the side’s disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign in France.
It’s clear RA view Gordon as the future playmaker for Australia and will be determined to get him in the middle sooner rather than later, but given he only returned to the set up two weeks ago and is still learning Schmidt’s system, a Test start seems unlikely with Edmed expected to take the No. 10 jersey against England.
The lack of experience is a body blow as the Wallabies enter a happy hunting ground for England who have lost just once to Australia at Twickenham since 2015 – last year’s after-the-siren heroics from Max Jorgensen has long been viewed as the catalyst for the side’s recent revival – but Wallabies back-row Rob Valetini said the venue wasn’t weighing on anyone’s mind.
“Not for me,” Valetnin told reporters on Tuesday morning. “I think in rugby it’s just another game and obviously to play at Twickenham is awesome.
“I got the opportunity to play last year and that was an awesome feeling for the team and, look, I think to play at stadiums like Twickenham is very special.
“I guess you try to treat it as any other game because I think if you put games on like a high stake and then sort of put pressure on yourself to perform well, and I think you just have to try to go with the flow for that. I think that’s just me.”
The lack of playmaking experience is especially disheartening given the weight this Test – and the end-of-year tour as a whole – has on the Wallabies’ 2027 World Cup draw.
Currently sitting outside the top six on the world rankings, the Wallabies will be drawn alongside one of the top six nations in Pool A, this includes France, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand. Only multiple wins on their northern tour will ensure their elevation into the top six and keeping clear of the world’s best in pool play.
According to Aidan Ross, the fifth player to represent the All Blacks and the Wallabies after taking the pitch last week against Japan, the world rankings aren’t a focus for the squad.
“No, I don’t think so,” Aidan Ross told reporters when asked if rankings were a focus. “I think at the moment, it’s a five-match tour and you’re just week by week. Last week was Japan, done that. Now it’s England over here this week.
“I think that’s where the mindset is at the moment, we’re just week by week, the next job in front of us, and that’s England on Saturday.”
The Wallabies will be bolstered with the return of both Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Suallii, both of whom played integral roles in last year’s win with Suallii named player of the match in his rugby debut, while he’s expected to be partnered with Hunter Paisami in Ikitau’s absence.
The experience of Jake Gordon at halfback and Andrew Kellaway at fullback will be vital with an otherwise relatively inexperienced backline with Dylan Pietsch expected to retain his role. While in the forwards, Schmidt is expected to recall Fraser McReight to the back-row after a week off alongside Harry Wilson, who came off the bench against Japan, and Valetini.
