Les Kiss recalls Valetini and Gordon as Wallabies face Scotland
Les Kiss brings back Rob Valetini and Carter Gordon and moves Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to centre as Australia play Scotland after a 45-22 loss to England.
Livefeed News DeskUpdated · 3 min read
Quick answer
Australia coach Les Kiss has recalled Rob Valetini at blindside flanker and Carter Gordon at fly-half for Sunday's Nations Championship Test against Scotland in Edinburgh. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii moves back to centre to cover for Isaac Henry, who suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the 45-22 defeat to England.
Key facts
- Rob Valetini returns at blindside flanker and Carter Gordon at fly-half.
- Isaac Henry is out for the rest of the Nations Championship with a hamstring injury.
- Suaalii and Len Ikitau will pair up in the centres for the 18th time.
- Allan Alaalatoa is set to win his 98th cap.
- Kiss took over as head coach earlier this year from Joe Schmidt.
Who comes into the Wallabies side
Valetini returns to the starting XV at blindside flanker, rejoining Fraser McReight and captain Harry Wilson in the back row. Western Force captain Jeremy Williams moves from blindside back into the second row alongside Josh Canham.
Gordon returns from a fractured fibula at fly-half and partners Ryan Lonergan at half-back. Declan Meredith, who had a difficult game against England, drops out of the 23 altogether. Harry Potter comes onto the wing and returns to the venue where he made his Test debut.
Suaalii moves into outside centre, where he will partner Len Ikitau for the 18th time at Test level. Henry was hurt in the England game and will miss the rest of the Nations Championship.
Three changes or five?
Reports count the changes differently. Scotland Rugby News describes three changes to the side, while The Offside Line counts five. Both name the same incoming players and positional switches.
Front row and replacements
Angus Bell, Billy Pollard and Allan Alaalatoa stay together in the front row. Alaalatoa is set to win his 98th cap as he closes in on becoming Australia's 14th Test centurion.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Lachlan Shaw and Tom Hooper are the changes among the replacements. Shaw is in line for his first Test appearance in Europe, and Hooper returns after recovering from a shoulder injury. Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson and Filipo Daugunu keep their places among the replacement backs.
What Les Kiss said about Scotland
Kiss said picking Williams and bringing back Valetini was partly about the style of game he expects from Scotland. “Scotland pose a different challenge to what England do. They move the ball, they work to speed,” he said. “That speedier lock combination is what we are looking for.”
He named Finn Russell as the main source of unpredictability. “When you’ve got Finn Russell, I don’t think that’s predictable at all,” Kiss said. He also praised scrum-half Ben White, whom he worked with at London Irish, and said his forwards were focused on Scotland's line-out maul, from which Ewan Ashman scored two of his three tries against the All Blacks.
“After falling short of our own expectations last week it’s vital we transfer our hard work onto the field for the 80 minutes on Sunday,” Kiss said.
How Australia arrived at this Test
Kiss took over as Australia head coach earlier this year from Joe Schmidt. The Wallabies lost 45-22 to England at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium, where Henry Pollock scored two tries as a replacement. The Offside Line described the selection as an attempt to stop a run of three heavy defeats.
Australia sit third in the Nations Championship Southern Hemisphere standings. Thirteen of the matchday 23 played in the last meeting between the sides at Murrayfield in November 2024, which Scotland won 27-13.
Centre changes have been a recurring problem. “Being able to stick with the same centre pairing and being able to play consistently with the same people has been tough for us lately,” Ikitau told reporters earlier in the week.
Wallabies team to face Scotland
Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Carter Gordon, Ryan Lonergan; Angus Bell, Billy Pollard, Allan Alaalatoa; Jeremy Williams, Josh Canham; Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (captain).
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Isaac Kailea, Taniela Tupou, Lachlan Shaw, Tom Hooper, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Filipo Daugunu.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Les Kiss?
Les Kiss is Australia's head coach. He took over from Joe Schmidt earlier this year.
Why is Isaac Henry not playing against Scotland?
Henry suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the 45-22 defeat to England and will miss the rest of the Nations Championship.
Who plays fly-half for Australia against Scotland?
Carter Gordon, returning from a fractured fibula. Declan Meredith drops out of the matchday 23.
When and where do Scotland play Australia?
The Test is in Edinburgh on Sunday.
