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Four years after making his debut against the All Blacks in Sydney, Noah Lolesio is set to return to the No.10 jersey and partner Nic White for the Wallabies’ Bledisloe opener on Saturday at the Olympic Stadium.
But the 24-year-old will hope to flip the script of the 43-5 baptism of fire he copped in 2020, where the All Blacks rang rings around Dave Rennie’s side in the wet in Sydney.
It will also be Lolesio’s first Test against the All Blacks since 2021, where the Brumbies fly-half wore the No.10 jersey for the opening three Tests of the series before Quade Cooper re-entered the conversation.
The playmaker returns to the hot seat after missing the second Test rout the Wallabies copped against Los Pumas in Santa Fe because of a knock he suffered late in their late win a week earlier in Argentina.
The Roar understands he will be one of a handful of changes to the Wallabies’ line up, with Hunter Paisami slated to wear the No.12 jersey despite missing the past two Tests because of an MCL injury.
It’s a rapid return that has surprised everyone, including the inside centre.
“I’m still going through some sort of return-to-play policy at the moment,” Paisami told reporters on Tuesday.
“So I’m still up in the air. I’ve got to get the knee strong and fitness first.”
After scoring on debut during their heavy defeat against the All Blacks in Sydney, Noah Lolesio is expected to form a halves pairing alongside Nic White. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
But after coming through unscathed in their Test match Tuesday, Wallabies selectors haven’t sat on him and decided to start the hard-hitting centre as they seek to keep the Bledisloe Cup alive before next week’s return encounter in Wellington.
As expected, Tom Wright is set to return at fullback.
His inclusion gives the Wallabies backline a distinct Brumbies feel, with White, Lolesio, Len Ikitau and Wright playing together for years in the nation’s capital.
White’s return in somewhat of a surprise.
Although the 34-year-old brings plenty of experience, the first-year Force halfback struggled with his accuracy against the Springboks in Perth after limited minutes in the earlier Tests.
But the halfback’s prickly nature is believed to have swung the call his way ahead of Jake Gordon.
White has form against the All Blacks too, having come off the bench to score a match-winning try in 2015. Four years later, White played his part in their boilover over the All Blacks in Perth.
Experienced lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto is expected to return via the bench after being another who missed the second Test in Argentina because of a bang he copped a week earlier.
Hunter Paisami will be rushed straight back into Joe Schmidt’s side to take on the All Blacks in Bledisloe I in Sydney. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
He won’t be the only piece of heavy artillery to be brought on as a return either with hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa in line for his first Test in three years.
The duo will help put some meat on the scrum bones but the All Blacks will view it as an opportunity to run a couple of Joe Schmidt’s heavier men around ragged, especially given Paenga-Amosa hasn’t played since the end of March.
Reds loose-forward Fraser McReight is also in line for an immediate recall having missed the opening four Tests of The Rugby Championship because of a thumb injury sustained against Wales in Sydney.
Despite making a good fist of their opportunities, Force duo Carlo Tizzano and Hamish Stewart will make way.
The Wallabies are expected to run out in front of a crowd of around 70,000 for Saturday’s rare afternoon Bledisloe Test. The strong Sydney crowd will see a slice of history as they watch James Slipper break George Gregan’s national record by playing his 140th Test.
But they will be hoping for much more as the Wallabies try to wrestle back the Bledisloe Cup after a 22-year drought.
Schmidt’s men are considered rank outsiders against Scott Robertson’s men, with the Wallabies $6 outsiders despite the All Blacks dropping three of their past Tests.
The All Blacks might not have the same aura after farewelling a generation of stars following last year’s World Cup, but the three-time world champions still pushed the Springboks twice in South Africa by losing consecutive Tests by less than a converted try.
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Allan Alaalatoa, Brandon Paenga-Amosa and James Slipper are expected to take on the All Blacks in Sydney. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Forwards coach Geoff Parling said the side was under “no illusions” of the task ahead of them but were adamant they would turn around their second half embarrassment from Santa Fe.
“We’re playing a bloody good team as well this week, aren’t we?” said Parling, speaking from the team’s base at Olympic Park. “We have to be right on.
“We have made progress across lots of areas, that’s how we feel. But we can’t sugarcoat what happened. You can’t. Jeez, it was a terrible scoreline.
“But we have to get back up and get ready because of the Test that’s coming on Saturday, literally just there [next door].”
