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Turnover in the forward pack can be enormous, and as the best sides in the world have demonstrated – cough, cough, Springboks – the ability to rotate your pack Test to Test is pivotal. That depth comes from below, from the talent pool – and Australia’s is starting to look abundant.
Eventually, even reigning, back-to-back John Eales medallist Rob Valetini will lose some motor – God forbid it happens soon. But when it does, the Wallabies will need someone to step into those giant shoes, and those of the big boppas around him.
PROSPECTING FOR GOLD: THE FRONT ROWERS
The emergence of Fraser McReight has been a godsend, the perfect replacement for Michael Hooper. Are there like-for-like replacements elsewhere in Australia’s Under-21 stock of locks and back rowers?
A position of concern until the recent Under-18s tour of NZ. We’ve lost a few good young second rowers to Japan in recent years and almost lost Nick Frost there before an astute intervention so it’s crucial we get better at retaining talent in this space. What we really need is another Skelton or Salakaia-Loto to come through and while there’s none in the pipeline that I can see, we do have some quality on the horizon.
Will Ross
One of the standouts from the Under-18s this year, Ross carries and hits heavier than he looks, to go with good lineout work. Really impressive jump in performance from his Under-16s tournament the year before and hopefully has an extra centimetre or two given his age. If he keeps up his rate of improvement, he’s another future Wallaby.
Isaac Fonua
Ross’ row partner in the Under-18s this year. I’ve been watching him for a few years now in rep games and what I really like about him is he does a lot of the unsexy grunt work. Finishes tackles, hits breakdowns and shifts bodies there. He’s athletic and carries well but just gets stuck into the ugly stuff. Could well see him at No.6 in the future.
Lachlan Doheny
Stood out for his willingness to carry hard and hit even harder for NSW and Aus 18s last year. Played first grade this year in Shute Shield as well as Waratahs A so it seems really suspect that he was hardly used for the NSW Under-19s a month or two ago. Expect him to feature for the Aus Under-20s in 2025.
Fergus Gillan
Another who went straight from school to first grade and didn’t look out of place. Rangy with good lineout ability, needs to work on his physical presence to go further.
Zion Poitaha
Looked an absolute star for the Tahs Under-16s in 2022 but injury has not helped his cause since. Incredibly athletic and amazing with ball in hand, he did however look a bit lost at the breakdown in Under-18s matches at the start of the year. As we’ve seen with the Wallabies though, that part of the game is all very teachable, while it’s much harder to teach what Poitaha’s naturally got. Worth putting the time into.
Honorable mention: Jack Calleja
Probably the only position on this list we are a little thin on the ground for young prospects but there are already good, long-term backrow options in our system like Tom Hooper, Seru Uru, Harry Wilson, Charlie Cale and Joe Brial who give us the right balance alongside the automatic selections of Rob Valetini and Fraser McReight.
Rob Valetini. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Eamon Doyle
To anyone outside of NSW, he would’ve come from nowhere to be brought into this year’s Junior World Cup as an injury replacement in the second row but showed his worth with immediate impact. Gives off baby giraffe vibes but a very, very fast baby giraffe. Allows him to comfortably play in the second and back row so with that in mind, it’s no surprise the Tahs took him to Japan last month to give him more exposure within the top squad.
Judah Saumaisue
Saumaisue tore it up for the Rebels Under-19s in 2023 and it was baffling as to why he wasn’t included in the Aus Under-20s World Cup campaign this year. Yes, he had a minor injury early in the year but was back playing Melbourne club footy before the tournament kicked off and would’ve made a difference given he plays with the sort of punch that our back five forwards really lacked. I think I saw him training with the Brumbies on their socials so hopefully that means he’s not lost to our rugby landscape. The Fijian set-up would probably love to get their hands back on him.
Luca Cleverley
This is a name that will set off the Tahs nepotism, tin-foil hat brigade; Cleverley is either the son or some relation of a pathways manager at the Tahs but has demonstrated he’s pretty handy and deserving of his selection in this year’s Aus Under-18s squad. He carries strongly through traffic, has great work rate and was rewarded with an academy contract so will get the chance to prove he’s there on more than his family name in the 19s and 20s system.
Australia U18s face off against New Zealand Schools. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)
Eli Langi
Langi was a great example of late-season form being rewarded in the Under-18s. Started the year on the bench for the Queensland team but impressive performances for his school and in the Aus U/18s internal trial were rewarded with the blindside jersey for the NZ tour. Athletic and skilful, he has the sort of frame that will stand him in good stead for professional footy once it fills out.
Jaydon Viliamu
I’ve run out of good blindside options (I’ve seen some good things from Manaia Te Tana out of WA but hard to get a sense from QLD where he’s really at) so I’ll use this last slot for one that might’ve got away. Viliamu was an impressive ball-carrying backrower in the Tahs system who was picked up by a French academy in early 2023. He would’ve been a key member of the last two Aus U/20s squads and would’ve filled the void created by Leafi Talataina’s injury this year which hamstrung our pack so significantly. Having Viliamu and Talataina in our starting pack could’ve been enough to change our fortunes in both tournaments the Under-20s participated in. Long story short, we need to find a way to keep talent like that in our system for longer.
Honourable mention: James Finegan
Aus rugby has long been a factory for quality opensides and one of the best stories of 2024 has been watching McReight come of age as a Wallaby. There are plenty of good options behind him however and we’re starting to see the larger openside profile creep into our pathways thinking that has been popular overseas.
Austin Durbridge
A jackler extraordinaire that reminds one of a less brawny Pocock, Durbridge appears to have been fast-tracked by the Tahs to be the next man up for the senior No.7 jersey. Will need to develop other aspects of his play but his effectiveness over the ball is unmatched by any other No.7 in the pathways.
John Bryant
Doesn’t need much of an introduction now that he’s played a bit of Super but his versatility plus his physicality on either side of the ball are top shelf. Interesting to see what position the Reds settle on for him if he gets past the role of super sub. Lots of quality ahead of him at the Reds so might need injuries to see more game time in 2025.
Lachlan Hooper
Brother of Tom, cut from a similar cloth, the first I saw Hooper Jr play was that Barker game at Nudgee where he was the best player on the park. It felt like Eddie Jones was trying to jam a square peg into a round hole by playing his brother at No.7 for the Wallabies but Lachlan has a much better feel for the breakdown and has a future there. Like Bryant, has a lot of quality in front of him so will have to bide his time.
Lachie Hooper, 19, at Brumbies training. (Photo credit: Lachy Lawson, Brumbies Media)
Tom Robinson
Not a noted No.7 prior to this year, Robinson was used there for the Under-18s NZ campaign and showed serious promise. One of those players who does everything well.
Jono Ryan
Seriously impressed with this guy after the Under-19s comp this year. I have a long-held belief that every team needs a rednut in the forwards because you can’t manufacture the chip they’ve got on their shoulder and their willingness to put their body in harm’s way to satisfy it. A great example of why the U/19s tournament is so important as he might’ve gotten lost in club rugby otherwise.
Honorable mention: Marshall Le Maitre
A lot to like about this group. RA might not get the one that has the most potential but the others are almost as good prospects. You’ll notice that all these players are currently in the NSW pathways so thankfully at least two of them look like good options on the blind or openside of the scrum.
With Valetini probably due a rest in Japan post 2027, we don’t have too many like-for-like replacements. We need a No.8 to come through who eats metres through contact and there are a few on this list that can do it.
Heinz Lemoto
This kid is an absolute star in the making in either league or union and, unfortunately, it seems like it’ll be league. Best ball carrier on this list and he’s only 17. Combine that with his ability to get over the pill at the breakdown and you have a once in a generation talent in the backrow. Someone needs to tap whoever organised the Folau money on the shoulder as signing Lemoto will be money better spent.
Heinz Lemoto makes a break during the match between Australia U18s and New Zealand Schools. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)
Leafi Talataina
A massive human with lighter feet than someone his size should have, Talataina is a Melbourne product that has thankfully landed somewhere else in Aus rugby after the Rebels fiasco. Uses his footwork in contact to find soft shoulders rather than always try and run over the man, even though I’m pretty sure he could all the time if he wanted. I’m hoping he starts to see some minutes off the bench for the Tahs this year as he’s my current pick to replace Valetini long term.
Toby Brial
Brial has played plenty of his footy in the second row and looks pretty interchangeable between No.6 and No.8 due to his work rate, lineout ability, but most importantly his strength through contact. Would’ve been a priority signing for Aus rugby and glad to see them lock him in.
Sam Niulala
I haven’t seen much of Niulala since his unfortunate injury early in the first of the 2023 Trans Tasman Under-18s matches and have heard since that there might’ve been a serious illness as well to top off a horror run for the young man. Hopefully, he is properly on the mend as he is very strong in the collision, which isn’t something we have an abundance of in Aus rugby currently.
Justice Taumoepeau
A combative and competitive young man, I think it was a great call to move him to the No.7 jersey this year for the Under-16s as he’ll be a more well-rounded player for it and fits the mould of a larger openside that has become popular in the modern game. He featured for the Tahs Under-18s at the start of this year as a 16-year-old and was one of the better players on the park, so while it might be a long shot, I won’t be surprised to see him selected for the Aus Under-20s while still at school.
Honourable mention: Agapetos Lote-Felo
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.