Wallabies bring in Carter Gordon as Les Kiss keeps searching for No 10 ahead of Townsville Test
Les Kiss has promoted Carter Gordon to flyhalf for Saturday’s Test against Japan in Townsville and said he will continue to evaluate his options at No 10 ahead of next year’s home World Cup.
Kiss made substantial changes to his side in only his second Test in charge, reworking much of the forward pack as he seeks a comprehensive win following the narrow 35-32 victory in Osaka last week. Declan Meredith was omitted after a mixed performance in that game, while Ben Donaldson stays on the bench and Gordon is set to make his third Test since returning to union. Kiss, who succeeded Joe Schmidt last month, said he wanted to keep assessing players at flyhalf rather than settle immediately on one choice.
“He takes the line on, we do believe that we can open up and stretch this opposition that we’re playing against, and if we can be more accurate this week, it’ll be on the back of what Carter can do,” Kiss said, offering a direct endorsement of Gordon’s attacking intent. He also emphasised a broader evaluation policy: “I’m keen to see all the 10s, and that’s on me.” Kiss added: “I think [with] three games for Declan, I’ve got good information on him now, he is going to only get better for us, that’s for sure, the tuition that he had under Steve Larkham [at the Brumbies] is obviously coming through.”
Gordon’s return to union followed a stint in rugby league that required Rugby Australia to pay the Gold Coast Titans what was described as a “comprehensive financial settlement” to free him from the final year of his NRL contract. Injuries have interrupted his restart in union: he said he spent extended periods sidelined in league and has suffered “small niggles” since his two Tests, including a recent four-week lay-off with a calf strain. “I spent a lot of time on the sideline in rugby league, feet up, I wasn’t really walking there at one point and these niggles have probably been a result of that,” Gordon said. “A lot of, like I said, small ones [injuries] but luckily I’ve only spent a couple weeks on the sideline each time, but [I’m] very excited for this weekend and hopefully can keep my body sweet for the rest of the year.”
Kiss’s reshuffle includes several forwards earning first starts: Lachlan Shaw will make his first start in gold and Charlie Cale also starts at flanker, while Isaac Henry is named in the XV for the first time after debuting off the bench last week. Australia will be without their usual midfield pairing as Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Len Ikitau will miss the game with injuries, but Henry and Hunter Paisami will form the centre combination outside Gordon. “Funnily enough, me, Isaac, and Hunter all played 10, 12, 13 together at [Brisbane] Wests 2018-2019, so it’s a combination that we’re pretty familiar with,” Gordon said, adding of Henry: “I’m super excited for Zak [Henry], debuted last week, starts this week, he’s such a great player, very talented across all skill sets, so I can’t wait for him to get out there and just do his thing.”
Japan pushed Australia in Osaka and the combined margin between the two sides across the past two Tests is seven points; Eddie Jones’s team will be searching for a first win over the Wallabies on Saturday. Jones, in a lighter mood, said: “We’ve been watching videos of geese,” and added: “The head of the flock is like the ball-carrier, who is a king that everyone follows. We’ve got to be in line with the ball carrier to turn those long breaks into points.”
Kiss’s selection of Gordon and the broader rotation at No 10 underline that Australia will continue to probe options before next year’s home World Cup, with the immediate test of those choices arriving in Townsville on Saturday against Japan.