James O'Connor named at fly-half for Wallabies' Springboks Test
James O'Connor will start at fly-half for Australia
©PA
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has confirmed his matchday squad to face South Africa in the Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park on Saturday.
James O’Connor will start at fly-half, replacing Tom Lynagh, who is sidelined with a concussion.
This marks O’Connor’s first Test start since 2022, and he will partner Nic White at halfback. White, along with James Slipper and Taniela Tupou, are the only players in the 23 who have previously played at Ellis Park.
The Wallabies pack features a front row of Slipper, hooker Billy Pollard, and Tupou, with Nick Frost and Will Skelton continuing their second-row pairing. The loose forwards will be Tom Hooper at blindside, Fraser McReight at openside, and captain Harry Wilson at No.8.
Joe Schmidt has opted for a 6–2 forwards-to-backs split on the bench, underlining the expectation of a physical contest in Johannesburg.
The backline sees Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii maintain their midfield combination for the seventh consecutive match. Suaalii will be playing his first Test in Africa. Dylan Pietsch and Max Jorgensen start on the wings, with Tom Wright at fullback.
The replacements include Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Tate McDermott, and Andrew Kellaway.
Schmidt praised his side’s preparation, saying the squad had adjusted well to the altitude and time zone. “There’s not many bigger challenges than playing South Africa on their home turf. We know we need to be at our best,” he said.
Australia: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson (captain), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper.
Reserves: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 22 Tate McDermott, 23 Andrew Kellaway.
