As the Wallabies prepare to run out onto the Highveld and into the South African lion’s den, their 35-player squad for the Rugby Championship is a blend of tried-and-tested warriors and wide-eyed rookies – a scrum of experience and youthful promise, all stitched together under the watchful gaze of Joe Schmidt.
With the bruises of the British & Irish Lions series still visible beneath the surface, Australia’s brains trust has kept the spine of the team intact, opting for continuity in chemistry while making injury-enforced tweaks to key combinations. It’s less of a complete rebuild and more like patching a jersey between halves – the fabric still holding strong, even if the threads have shifted slightly.
We’re very conscious of how difficult it is going to be, playing South Africa on their home turf over two consecutive weekends. The group has made some positive steps throughout the start of the Test season, but we all know there is a lot of hard work ahead of us.
With Tom Lynagh ruled out due to concussion from a savage clean-out in the final Lions Test, it's Tane Edmed who slots into the flyhalf saddle – a greenhorn Brumby-bound playmaker stepping up into the big boots of generalship.
Behind the ruck, the halfback ranks have been shuffled too: Jake Gordon’s injury sees veteran Nic White dust off his boots barely a week after announcing retirement plans, answering the call like a seasoned openside coming back for one last turnover.
Uncapped Ryan Lonergan – a Canberra product with a sharp pass and sharper mind – joins the mix alongside White and the sniping Tate McDermott. If this tour is a Test match of survival, then depth at nine is as crucial as a well-set scrum in the final minutes of a tight contest.
Three debutants will taste the fire for the first time. Corey Toole, the ACT flyer with wheels like a winger on rocket fuel; prop Aidan Ross, a new Queensland recruit built for trench warfare; and the cool-headed Lonergan. They’re rookies now, but one tour on South African soil can turn cubs into seasoned beasts.
Meanwhile, Brandon Paenga-Amosa gets a full call-up after his emergency summons during the Lions series, slotting into the hooker role following the retirements of Matt Faessler and David Porecki – the latter calling time earlier this week after a career of scrummaging in the trenches.
Also entering the fray are the Queensland trio of Josh Flook, Josh Nasser, and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto – the latter a bruising lock with the kind of frame and attitude Schmidt will hope can stand tall at altitude.
On the flip side, the explosive Filipo Daugunu, fresh off winning the 2025 Pilecki Medal, stays behind to welcome a new life into the world – proof that while Test rugby demands sacrifice, family remains undefeated.
The Wallabies will first lock horns with the Boks at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on August 16, where the thin air bites and the crowd roars like a scrum collapsing on command. Then it’s down to sea level at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on August 23 – a different arena, but no less ferocious.
Assembling in Sydney before jetting off, Schmidt’s squad contains 20 forwards and 15 backs – a tactical balance for a team that must match the Boks blow-for-blow in the tight exchanges while still finding enough spark to strike out wide.
It’s pleasing to be able to keep the core of the group together, while also leaning on some depth and fresh bodies.
For this Wallabies outfit, the road ahead is no green pasture – it’s a gauntlet of rucks, mauls, and thunderous Bok defence. But if there’s one thing Schmidt’s men have shown, it’s that they’re willing to roll up their sleeves, dig in at the breakdown, and scrap for every inch of turf.
After all, it’s not the size of the squad in the fight – it’s the fight in the squad that counts.
WALLABIES SQUAD
Angus Bell, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Josh Nasser, Zane Nonggorr, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Billy Pollard, Tom Robertson, Aidan Ross, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Will Skelton, James Slipper, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson, Ben Donaldson, Tane Edmed, Josh Flook, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Ryan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, James O'Connor, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Corey Toole, Nic White, Tom Wright.
SPRINGBOK SQUAD
Siya Kolisi (c), Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean-Luc du Preez, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Marnus van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Edwill van der Merwe, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.
