The Wallabies’ hopes of leaving Argentina with consecutive wins have suffered a setback, with Joe Schmidt to be forced into a series of changes.
The Roar understands Schmidt will be forced into a backline shuffle after fly-half Noah Lolesio and fullback Tom Wright pulled up lame from their gritty 20-19 win over Los Pumas in Buenos Aires last weekend.
The injuries are set to see Ben Donaldson start at fly-half, while Andrew Kellaway is likely to shift to fullback to cover Wright, thereby allowing 19-year-old Max Jorgensen to start for the first time on the wing.
Elsewhere, the Wallabies are expected to be without Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in a blow to their tight five stocks. The rest of the pack is likely to be very similar.
After a three-year absence from the international arena, the 27-year-old returned to some of his best form last weekend as he helped inspire the collective pack effort from the Wallabies.
Up against last year’s World Cup semi-finalists, Salakaia-Loto threw himself into everything and disrupted the home side’s ball at the lineout after an early bobble in attack.
But the experienced heavy lock was forced off early in the second half, with Jeremy Williams providing the Wallabies some starch and mobility to counter his departure.
After Matt Faessler and Josh Nasser nailed their set-piece duties last week, Schmidt isn’t likely to rush hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa into the squad either.
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto is expected to miss the Wallabies’ second Rugby Championship fixture in Argentina. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
The loss of Lolesio comes at an awkward time for the Wallabies.
Despite the Wallabies’ dramatic one-point win, the 24-year-old had yet to silence his critics despite Schmidt giving him every opportunity to make the jersey his own.
Schmidt said he was pleased with Lolesio’s desire to take the game on and back his vision but admitted there remained plenty of areas of improvement, especially after a great scare when he placed two of his forwards under immense pressure.
“We just wanted to keep some continuity, and we wanted to grow the confidence that Noah is starting to build,” said Schmidt following the Wallabies’ late win last weekend.
Ultimately though, Lolesio’s ability to spot and find space late in the second half put the Wallabies down in the right end of the field after his linebreak.
The linebreak, and the probability of a dry track after two torrid Tests in the wet, had the potential of freeing up Lolesio to allow him to ignite the Wallabies’ attack. But the expected withdrawal of him means Schmidt won’t be able to see him kick on.
Fortunately, Donaldson will head into the Test with his confidence up after landing a last-minute penalty to seal the Wallabies’ come-from-behind win.
Ben Donaldson and Max Jorgensen are set to start for the Wallabies against Los Pumas in Santa Fe. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Donaldson, who missed a match-winning conversion attempt after the siren against Italy almost two years ago, said he welcomed the pressure-cooker kick.
“I didn’t go back to the Italy game,” said Donaldson earlier in the week.
“There’s always pressure in those moments, they’re big moments in Test match footy, but as a player, as a kicker, you thrive for those moments, they’re the moments you want.
“I’ve said to people before, I’m probably lucky that I went through that moment in Italy, I think it’s made me grow as a player and as a person.
“We do a lot of work throughout the week, put ourselves in moments as kickers, so when we come to the game, we’re ready for it.”
Now, the Force fly-half will have the opportunity to atone for his patchy performance against Georgia when he starts for just the second time this year.
After largely being confined to an observer after two horribly wet fixtures against the Springboks and Pumas, Kellaway – the classy returning Waratahs back, who has struggled to get his hands on the ball recently – will get the chance to show what he can do at the back after being used on the wing by Schmidt thus far in 2024.
Having finished last year’s World Cup campaign at fullback under Eddie Jones, Schmidt had started Wright in every Test this year but will now get the chance to see how the safe Kellaway performs.
Jorgensen’s inclusion will provide the Wallabies with some raw speed after two promising cameos off the bench.
Although last year’s win will help fill the sails of Schmidt’s rebuilding Wallabies, another strong performance against Argentina heading into a Bledisloe series and grand slam tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland is essential to keep the momentum going.
