Stephen Moore has expressed confidence in Wallabies coach Les Kiss's flexible approach as the team prepares for their upcoming Test against Argentina. After making significant lineup changes in his first two matches in charge, Kiss is expected to experiment again in Sunday's Test in San Salvador de Jujuy, aiming to optimize the squad's performance ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup.
Kiss’s selection strategy, described as “horses for courses,” involves rotating players to assess combinations and build depth. Reports indicate he may rest regular captain Harry Wilson after the No. 8 forward has started five consecutive Tests. In Wilson’s place, Kiss is considering a new backrow trio featuring Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, and Rob Valentini. Should this change occur, prop Allan Alaalatoa is seen as the leading candidate to assume the captaincy. Josh Canham, who has been praised as the Wallabies’ most improved player and likened to the athleticism of former captain John Eales by analyst Ewen McKenzie, is also poised to return to the second row.
Kiss is expected to maintain the Queensland Reds midfield pairing of Hunter Paisami and Isaac Henry, who impressed during the dominant 56-17 victory over Japan in Townsville. This choice likely means len Ikitau, last year’s John Eales Medallist, will have additional time to recover from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the recent Tests. The squad’s No. 23 jersey is also expected to be worn by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii for only the second time since his high-profile code switch in 2024.
Moore, a former Wallabies captain who led Australia to the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, emphasized that there is sufficient time to experiment with different lineups before the global tournament. He highlighted the benefits of competition for starting positions, noting that this ongoing uncertainty and rivalry can foster improvement and help coaches identify the best team configuration.
Ewen McKenzie, a World Cup-winning coach, concurred, stating that this kind of selection challenge is necessary to extract peak performance from players. Former Wallabies coach John Connolly added that with several key Argentine players absent due to club commitments in France, including hooker Julian Montoya and back-rower Marcos Kremer, this test match offers an opportune moment for experimentation. Connolly suggested resting certain players and “tinkering” with the lineup now would be prudent as the Wallabies aim to finalize their strongest squad ahead of the World Cup.
Kiss is scheduled to announce the official squad on Friday morning ahead of the weekend fixture.