The Wallabies have recalled flyhalf Carter Gordon to their lineup for the upcoming match against Japan on Saturday in Townsville, marking a significant moment after multiple false starts in his tenure with the national team. Gordon, 25, previously played against Italy in November and suffered a quad injury during that match. He returned for a Test against Ireland last month but sustained a calf strain that sidelined him through the subsequent week.
New coach Les Kiss elected to bench incumbent Declan Meredith following an inconsistent performance in the opening Test against Japan last week in Osaka. Gordon will partner Ryan Lonergan in the halves, with Ben Donaldson providing support from the bench. Gordon’s recall comes as Australia continues efforts to establish stability at the pivot position, with seven different players having worn the No. 10 jersey since Joe Schmidt’s appointment in 2024.
Kiss emphasized the selection rationale by noting the team sought balance following a physically demanding Test week in Japanese heat. The coaching staff indicated several areas requiring improvement as Australia prepares to play on home soil. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is unavailable due to what the team described as a minor hamstring injury, while Len Ikitau remains sidelined.
Isaac Henry will earn his first Test start at outside centre after making his debut the previous week, alongside Hunter Paisami in the midfield. The forward pack features multiple personnel changes, with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto making his seasonal debut in the second row alongside Lachlan Shaw, who will make his first Test start. Flanker Charlie Cale also starts for the first time in gold.
Prop Massimo De Lutiis appears on the bench, and if selected to play, he will become the 1,000th player capped for the Wallabies organization.
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