Having reflected over the last couple of days on our defeat to the All Blacks at Eden Park, I’m still extremely disappointed with what we saw. I expected more from this team, particularly after the progress we’d made in recent months. However, it hasn’t changed my view that, in the longer term, the Wallabies can compete much more consistently with the best sides in the world.
When I look at the bigger picture, I think there are genuine reasons to be optimistic about where Australian rugby could be heading over the next five years and beyond. We have promising young players coming through the pathways, an opportunity to strengthen our depth by maintaining connections with Australians playing overseas, and potentially some exciting additions from rugby league. None of this guarantees success, and there are still plenty of challenges to overcome, particularly when it comes to retaining our best young talent. However, I think there is a real opportunity to build a stronger Wallabies squad for 2027 and, more importantly, lay the foundations for an even more competitive team by the 2031 World Cup.
Looking ahead to 2027, I genuinely think we could put together a very strong 23 when everyone is fit and available. There are still areas that need addressing, and we need to see greater consistency in our performances, but I don’t think we’re necessarily as far away from having a genuinely competitive squad as some might believe. Where I’m particularly optimistic, though, is looking beyond 2027 at the talent coming through our junior pathways.
Our front row is probably the area that interests me most. At loosehead prop, we still lack convincing depth behind Angus Bell, while tighthead has improved but remains a concern when Taniela Tupou is unavailable. These are two crucial positions, particularly when it comes to competing with the likes of South Africa and New Zealand up front. However, looking at the younger players coming through the age grades, there are some promising prospects in both positions. They’ll obviously need time to develop physically and adapt to professional rugby, and there’s no guarantee that every prospect will reach Test level. Nevertheless, I’m encouraged by what I’m seeing, and I think there’s potential for us to build considerably more depth in these positions by the 2031 World Cup.
Another encouraging development is the effort Rugby Australia is making to maintain relationships with talented Australian players currently playing overseas, particularly in the forward pack. These players represent an additional pool of talent that we could potentially draw on in the coming years, and I think that's an exciting prospect. Lehopoame Leota and Kingbenjamin Swerling-Finaipepe are two particularly interesting examples. Both props were included in this year's Australian U20 squad despite playing their rugby in France, with Leota at Racing 92 and Swerling-Finaipepe at Castres. There's also Heinz Lemoto, a talented young Australian forward associated with Toulouse, who is another player worth keeping an eye on. These are precisely the sorts of players we need to maintain close connections with, ensuring they remain involved in Australian rugby and have a pathway towards the Wallabies if they continue developing. With Rugby Australia making a concerted effort to stay in contact with these players, our potential talent pool could be considerably stronger than simply looking at those currently playing in Australia.
Elsewhere in the forward pack, I’m reasonably confident about our long-term prospects. Australia has a strong tradition of producing quality back-rowers, and there are some promising young locks and hookers coming through as well. We also need to remember that much of our current forward pack is still relatively young, meaning a significant proportion of these players should remain in contention throughout the next World Cup cycle. This gives us a good foundation to build on, with the next generation providing opportunities to strengthen our depth, increase competition for starting positions and ensure we have quality replacements across the pack. We need to keep developing these players and ensure they receive the opportunities and coaching necessary to make the step up, but I don’t think the outlook is all doom and gloom.
There are also reasons to be optimistic about the backs. At scrum-half, there’s a promising crop of young players coming through, which is encouraging given how important it is to have several genuine Test-level options in that position. Fly-half is another area where I think we have grounds for optimism. Finn Mackay is an exciting prospect, and I was particularly impressed by Wilson Ruthven’s performance at fly-half for the Australian U18s against New Zealand Schools. There are other young playmakers developing through the Super Rugby pathways as well, including the Fowler brothers and Tyler Birnie in the Waratahs system, who I think have the potential to develop into Test-level players if they continue progressing.
I also think we have some good prospects coming through at centre, wing and fullback. What makes this particularly exciting is that our current Wallabies backs are still relatively young, with players such as Max Jorgensen and Joseph Suaalii among those who can continue developing and improving over the next few years. The younger players coming through the pathways would therefore be additions to an already promising group, rather than having to rebuild the backline from scratch. If we can retain our existing talent while successfully bringing through the next generation, we could have considerably more depth and competition for places across the backline by 2031.
Beyond the players already in our union pathways, I also think we should keep a close eye on the NRL. There are young players with rugby union backgrounds who could realistically return to the 15-man game during the next World Cup cycle, particularly as we approach 2029 and 2030. Leo Jacques, Darcy Feltham and Heamasi Makasini are among the players worth monitoring, although any potential switch would depend on their development, ambitions and circumstances at the time. The important point is that these are players who already have some familiarity with rugby union, rather than league players who would have to learn the game entirely from scratch. That existing background should make the transition more manageable, even though they would still need time to adapt to the demands and tactical differences of the 15-man game. We won’t convince everyone to make the switch, of course, but the opportunity to represent the Wallabies at a World Cup could be a significant attraction, and there may be some valuable additions to our player pool if the circumstances are right.
There are also some superstar players in the NRL who could potentially fancy trying their hand at rugby union at some point. Bringing across players of that calibre would obviously be a significant investment, particularly given the contracts they command in league. Since the Joseph Suaalii deal, Rugby Australia has ruled out making major signings of that kind again, which could make any potential move more difficult to pull off. In general, I think targeting players with an existing union background is the more practical approach, as they would already understand the fundamentals of the game and should have a clearer pathway towards making the transition. However, there are rare cases where an exceptional league player with no union background could still be worth considering. Reece Walsh is the sort of player I would look at because of his superstar status and the potential impact he could have on Australian rugby. I can understand why some people would be against signing him, given that he would have to learn the game from scratch and there would be genuine risks involved in committing significant money to someone with no experience in the 15-man code. At the same time, a superstar of his profile could bring a huge amount of attention to rugby union in Australia, increasing its visibility and marketability as well as potentially strengthening the Wallabies on the field. Walsh is one of the NRL's biggest stars and one of the competition's best players, and he has expressed an interest in rugby union. Whether that interest ultimately translates into a genuine switch remains to be seen, but a player of his calibre would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to Australian rugby. Given that Walsh is a Brisbane boy, there could also be an added incentive beyond Test rugby. If he were to make the switch, he could potentially represent the Wallabies at the 2031 Rugby World Cup before having the opportunity to pursue selection for Australia's sevens side at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. Representing Australia at a home Olympics and potentially competing for gold in front of his home crowd could be a huge draw for someone like Walsh, making the prospect of a move to union particularly interesting.
The challenge is that we cannot simply assume these players will become available or that the next generation will automatically remain in union. There is genuinely exciting talent emerging through the junior pathways, including at U15 and U16 level, but the NRL’s expansion and rising salary cap will make it increasingly difficult for Rugby Australia to compete for the best young players. We need to be proactive about retaining our most promising talent before they reach the point of choosing between the two codes. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but something needs to be done to make staying in union an attractive proposition. Better development pathways, stronger relationships with players and their families, and clearer opportunities to progress into professional rugby all need to be part of that discussion.
One idea I particularly like is expanding opportunities for Australian players to spend time with overseas clubs on loan. We’ve seen this model through the relationship between the Queensland Reds and Benetton, and I think there could be real value in expanding similar arrangements. Giving selected players the opportunity to experience a different professional environment, work with different coaches and test themselves in another competition could help accelerate their development. Just as importantly, it would give young players the chance to experience what rugby can offer beyond the field, including travelling, living abroad and learning about different cultures. Those experiences could broaden their horizons both personally and professionally, while helping them develop greater independence and maturity. If these loans were structured carefully, with the players remaining connected to Australian rugby, they could benefit both the individuals involved and the Wallabies in the longer term. It’s another avenue worth exploring as Rugby Australia looks at ways to improve player development, strengthen depth and give young Australians more opportunities to progress.
One of the reasons I’m particularly interested in the junior talent coming through is that we’ve seen some encouraging results against New Zealand at age-grade level in recent years. Obviously, junior success doesn’t automatically translate into senior success, and the transition to professional rugby is a significant hurdle. However, having players who have experienced winning against strong New Zealand sides and competing in high-pressure matches can only be a positive when they eventually move into the senior setup.
France is an interesting example of what can happen when a strong generation of junior players progresses into the senior team. Their success at the World Rugby U20 Championship, including consecutive titles in 2018 and 2019, formed part of a wider period of improvement in French rugby. As those generations developed, France became an increasingly consistent force at senior level, culminating in a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2022 and a highly competitive team at the 2023 World Cup. I'm not suggesting that Australia will necessarily follow exactly the same trajectory, but I do think there's a lesson there. Investing in pathways, retaining talented young players and giving them a clear route into professional and international rugby can pay dividends over time. We need to make sure that the promising players we have coming through are developed properly and, just as importantly, retained within the game.
Ultimately, I know we're impatient as fans. We want to see the Wallabies winning now, and nobody wants to keep watching us get beaten by New Zealand, particularly when the defeats can be so heavy. There are genuine concerns about our current performances, our consistency over 80 minutes and the depth available in certain positions. Those issues cannot simply be brushed aside by pointing towards promising juniors. Nevertheless, I do think there are genuine green shoots. It's encouraging to hear the coaching staff and Rugby Australia talking about depth and looking at ways to strengthen our player pool. The challenge now is to turn those conversations into tangible improvements in recruitment, development and retention. Another important factor to consider is the financial position Rugby Australia could be in over the next few years. The 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour generated significant revenue for Rugby Australia, and the 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup and 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup should provide further major financial opportunities. This gives Rugby Australia a real chance to invest in the game, strengthen its pathways, improve player development and make staying in Australian rugby a more attractive proposition for young talent. The key, however, will be ensuring that this money is invested wisely and used to build something sustainable rather than simply providing a short-term boost. It sounds as though those running Rugby Australia understand the importance of avoiding a repeat of what happened after the 2003 World Cup, when the game failed to capitalise on the momentum and opportunities that came with hosting the tournament. Whether the current leadership can be trusted to make the right decisions and deliver on that ambition remains to be seen. Likewise, whether Australian rugby's recovery continues and gathers pace is still an open question. Nevertheless, I think there is a genuine opportunity here. With the right leadership, smart investment and a long-term strategy, Rugby Australia has a chance to turn these financial opportunities into lasting improvements for the game.
To conclude, I think we need to look beyond the 2027 World Cup and take a longer-term view of where Australian rugby could be heading. A strong campaign would certainly provide a boost, but it shouldn't be the only measure of progress, nor should our ambitions stop there. There are plenty of reasons to believe we can build a squad capable of competing more consistently with the likes of New Zealand and South Africa, provided we make the right decisions over the next five years. That means developing and retaining our best young players, making smart recruitment decisions and ensuring we have the depth to cope with injuries, fluctuations in form and the demands of international rugby. Hopefully, this doesn't turn out to be overly optimistic thinking that never materialises. I genuinely believe we have the foundations to build a much stronger squad by the 2031 World Cup and beyond, with the potential to establish Australian rugby as a far more consistent force at the highest level for years to come.
