England knew it themselves. They warned all week that Joe Schmidt, among the shrewdest coaches on the planet, would not unleash unless he was certain that the code convert was ready to hop back into union for his first match since school. During what turned out to be a devastating and dramatic loss, the England camp were proven absolutely correct.
Sua’ali’i produced that inspired Australia to and just a second win over England in 12 attempts since then. The 21-year-old is being paid handsomely – to the tune of around AUS $5.35 million (£2.
75 million) over the next three seasons – for this foray into the 15-a-side game with the Wallabies, which should bring in as well as a home World Cup in 2027. Already, the investment seems promising. His presence alone will be enough to enliven the Lions series.
Ominously for Andy Farrell, he is likely to be much better by the time of that first Test on July 25 in Brisbane. Sua’ali’i underlined that he is no luxury plaything. His was a performance of substance that married formidable athleticism and sleight of hand.
It owed much to how Schmidt deployed him in a tactical sense, too. All week, Australia were unapologetically bold about selecting him – even if the initial whispers of a potential start at outside centre felt ambitious. When the Wallabies team was announced on Thursday afternoon, a big image of Sua’ali’i accompanied it.
At kick-off, their headline act was front and centre. He stood on Australia’s 10-metre li.
