Since coming to union at the end of last year, Sua’ali’i has exceeded the considerable hype that accompanied his $5.5 million, three-year deal.
Given the perilous state of Rugby Australia’s finances when it went after the then 21-year-old Sydney Rooster, there was widespread consternation that the regime had recklessly gambled an unaffordable sum on an unproven talent and that the real motivation appeared to be to win favourable headlines in the competitive Australian football market, rather than to genuinely boost the Wallabies’ strike power.
Having taken such a risk, Rugby Australia pumped a narrative about having acquired a superstar, and by the time he came to make his test debut at Twickenham last year, Sua’ali’i was being hailed as a game-changing player with the capacity to redirect the Wallabies into World Cup winners.
It felt that he was being set up to disappoint, or at least underwhelm, but after 80 minutes – in which the Wallabies scored a wonder try at the death to beat England 42-37 – Sua’ali’i had justified the hype.
In the 10 months since, he’s built on that promising debut and is forming one of the great midfield partnerships with Hunter Paisami, where the two of them naturally play off one another.
As has been evidenced several times this year, Sua’ali’i is deadly if he’s given just a fraction of space – and so much of the Wallabies’ attack plan is built on finding ways to do just that: get their 1.95m centre into positions where he can use his pace, agility and height to break tackles or pass the ball out of contact.
Joseph‑Aukuso Sua’ali’i scores a try for the Wallabies against the Pumas. Photo / Getty Images
It’s faintly ludicrous that not even a year since his debut, he’s arguably become the best attacking centre in the world game.
“He’s a great athlete,” All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson suggested when asked to give his thoughts about Sua’ali’i.
“Long-limbed and great feet and can hold the ball in one hand and keep the ball alive,” Robertson said.
“He has brought a lot of his league skillset over. You have to tackle him and the ball at the same time. That’s probably how you stop him.”
The inference is clear – that the All Blacks know they are going to have to do a defensive number on Sua’ali’i at Eden Park and find ways to cut him off, shut him down and negate his influence.
Maybe this will be viewed as a specialist mission – a two-week job with a distinct aim – and for that reason, it’s possible there may be a selection change coming in the midfield.
The preference all year has been to pair the Hurricanes duo Jordie Barrett with Billy Proctor, but the latter has struggled to find his defensive groove in combination with the former and hasn’t looked comfortable with the speed and intensity of decision-making required in attack.
The selectors have given Proctor an extended run, but he is unlikely to have generated enough confidence that he’s ready to play the role the coaches need him to in the Bledisloe series.
There are three potential replacement options, starting with a recall for Rieko Ioane. The 28-year-old may not be a natural distributor, but he’s an astute defender, with the size and power to handle Sua’ali’i.
But Ioane’s general form has been poor this year, his confidence looks low and the coaches appear committed to re-establishing him as a wing and not getting drawn into posting him in the midfield to solve a crisis.
Option two is elevating Leicester Fainga’anuku, but there is a wariness that he’s not been in camp for overly long, and no doubt his lack of experience playing alongside Barrett will have made the coaching group nervous about injecting him into the No 13 jersey this week.
Shutting Sua’ali’i down is not a one-man job and the effectiveness of the All Blacks’ midfield defence hinges on the connection between their No 12 and No 13, and ability to work in tandem.
It’s the third option, therefore, that looks the most probable – starting with Anton Lienert-Brown.
He’s the most experienced of the three alternatives to Proctor and someone who has spent time defending in combination with Barrett.
Lienert-Brown is a big-occasion player. He knows how to come into the team on limited recent game time and he knows how to deliver on a specific remit.
This might not be a long-term solution, but it’s probably the one the coaching panel will feel gives them the best chance of subduing the influence of Sua’ali’i, while also having an all-rounder to contribute in other ways.
Fainga’anuku may find his way on the bench this week and be let loose in the final quarter to damage the Wallabies with his power game.
“The Wallabies are persistent,” Robertson said. “They have a really clear brand. They know their DNA. They know how they are going to play and they stay in the game for the whole match and they have a world class squad, [they are] well-coached.”
Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand’s most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.
