Joseph Suaalii believes Australian rugby is finally turning the corner after delivering another statement in the Wallabies’ comeback win over Argentina.
The 22-year-old crossed for a double in Townsville, his first Test brace, as the hosts overturned a 21-7 half-time deficit to snatch a 28-24 victory with a last-gasp Angus Bell try.
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It was the latest in a string of big results for Joe Schmidt’s rebuilding side, which has already gone toe-to-toe with the British & Irish Lions and stunned the Springboks at Ellis Park in recent weeks.
“As a kid, you dream about these days,” Suaalii said. “Twickenham, Johannesburg and even this Argentina game … they’re memories you never forget. We’re growing and building and there’s a lot we want to take from this game we want to build on. We’re not happy where we are at the moment.”
Victory in Sydney’s rematch this Saturday would put the Wallabies within reach of a first Rugby Championship crown in a decade and strengthen their place in the world’s top six ahead of December’s World Cup draw.
For Suaalii, who made his debut in last year’s Twickenham heist against England, the signs are unmistakable.
“These special moments … there’s momentum and a shift in Australian rugby,” he said. “We’ve been dying for it for a while and I believe it’s starting to go on the right track.”
The Wallabies’ turnaround has been marked not just by resilience, but by a renewed belief under pressure. For Suaalii, those moments are part of something bigger.
“There’s momentum now,” he said. “We feel it from the media, from people sending letters, from the crowd. It’s all different angles. We’ve been waiting for this shift in Australian rugby … and I feel like it’s here.”
Photo: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images
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