The Wallabies captain, Harry Wilson, will not face the Springboks in Cape Town due to a knee injury sustained in Australia’s 38-22 victory at Ellis Park last weekend.
Although Wilson’s injury doesn’t seem serious, he will miss this weekend’s second Test. His place will be taken by Rob Valetini, who is finally fit after a calf injury that kept him out during the series against the British and Irish Lions.
Valetini suffered the calf injury in Newcastle before the one-off Test against Fiji, as did Will Skelton, but while the veteran was able to return in the second Test against the Lions and then play in Sydney and Johannesburg, the two-time John Eales Medal winner has not been seen in the gold jersey since the MCG.
Valetini is an excellent replacement for Wilson, who scored two tries in last weekend’s victory and generally led from the front in a typically committed performance.
With Wilson out and pillar Allan Alaalatoa also sidelined, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will need to name a new captain. Skelton is an option, and standout flanker Fraser McReight, who previously captained Australia U20, is also a possible candidate.
Meanwhile, Schmidt is about to finally give a Test debut to Brumbies youngster Corey Toole, after Dylan Pietsch fractured his jaw in a tackle on Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, who is also injured and will not play this weekend in Cape Town.
Toole first joined the Wallabies squad in 2024, but never received a Test call-up, as coaches wanted him to improve his defensive work and skills under the high ball.
He returned to the Brumbies at the start of the season and did precisely that, demonstrating once again how dangerous he can be in attack due to his dazzling speed.
The Wallabies will have to make at least one more change after James Slipper suffered a concussion last weekend and has since returned to Australia.
Wallabies: Wilson Out with Injury, Valetini In and Toole Would Debut
