Following Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies team announcement for the clash against the Springboks at Ellis Park, we pick our winners and losers from his selections.
Winners
James O’Connor
Veteran Wallaby James O’Connor will finally end his 1099-day wait for his 65th cap for his country as he comes into the starting lineup in the absence of Tom Lynagh, who started all three Tests against the British and Irish Lions.
His selection is a huge sign of faith from Schmidt, who has admitted to favouring the younger playmakers in Australia to build depth in the position. While the head coach’s hand has been somewhat forced through the injuries of Noah Lolesio and Lynagh, O’Connor is no less deserving of his opportunity.
The 35-year-old was unfortunate to miss out on selection in 2023 and arguably last year too, but he was hugely impactful upon his arrival at the Crusaders, helping the club win yet another Super Rugby title.
The Leicester Tigers-bound star will lend an experienced hand to a youthful Wallabies outfit in one of the most challenging fixtures at the highest level.
O’Connor will also be entrusted with the role for the entire 80 minutes, with Ben Donaldson’s late setback.
Taniela Tupou
It’s no secret that powerhouse tighthead prop Taniela Tupou has struggled with form throughout 2025, but that seemingly took a turn when he featured against the British and Irish Lions for the First Nations and Pasifika XV.
He backed up that dynamite shift in the third Test against the tourists and has been duly rewarded with a start against the back-to-back world champions.
The 29-year-old will have the tough task of going head-to-head with one of the best loosehead props in the game, Ox Nche, but Schmidt has equipped him for success by slotting the gigantic Will Skelton behind him on the tighthead side of the scrum.
Nick Champion de Crespigny
Schmidt has clearly stocked up on some prime Aussie beef for the clash against the Springboks, highlighted by the return of Nick Champion de Crespigny, who is set to earn his second cap for the Wallabies.
He is parachuted onto the bench in Donaldson’s absence to form part of the 6-2 bench split. The former Castres back-rower was simply superb on debut against the Lions in the first Test match, flexing his relentless work-rate on both sides of the ball and was unfortunate not to get another crack at the tourists.
While he won’t be starting against the Boks, his role is no less important in the context of the match that is being played at altitude on the Highveld, and he will aim to make a telling impact in the back row with Langi Gleeson.
Will Skelton
Perhaps a win more for the Wallabies than Will Skelton himself, as the powerhouse lock will play his first Rugby Championship match in a non-Rugby World Cup year since 2016!
The man mountain of a lock clearly takes great pride and honour in representing Australia, and while his further involvement in the tournament is unclear, he will be absolutely relishing the opportunity to take on the Springboks.
He more than proved his worth in the two Tests against the Lions and will be out to make a similar, if not greater, impact against the Springboks.
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Dylan Pietsch
The Wallabies’ back-three is well stocked with quality athletes, even after the injury to Harry Potter, which gave Dylan Pietsch the opportunity to shine in the third Test against the Lions, and shine he did.
That came off the back of a truly impressive performance in Western Force colours against the touring outfit and has been duly rewarded with a start against the Boks.
Pietsch will have his hands full with the in-form Edwill van der Merwe, who has scored five tries in three Test appearances, but he will be confident that he can continue his excellent run of form.
Tom Hooper
Two years ago, Tom Hooper made his Test debut for the Wallabies in Pretoria under ex-head coach Eddie Jones and was ultimately on the wrong end of a 43-12 battering at Loftus Versfeld.
While he went on to be one of the few standout Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup, he was unable to force Schmidt’s eye in 2024 but has done so this year.
He returned to the Test fold against Fiji and came off the bench in the first game against the Lions and started the last. The injury to Rob Valetini means that he retains the starting position this weekend, and rightly so, considering his performances for the Brumbies and Australia throughout 2025.
Rugby Australia’s relaxed view on selecting overseas-based players means that his Test career may not be over when he makes his move to Exeter, and Hooper has the opportunity to really throw down a marker against the Boks and throughout the Rugby Championship to ensure that is in fact the case.
Len Ikitau and Joseph Suaali
The midfield is perhaps one of the most technically challenging backline positions at the highest level, and while Joseph Suaali has made the switch to union quite successfully in the role, he has been ably assisted by Len Ikitau.
This weekend, the combination will start for the seventh straight time in Wallabies colours as Schmidt continues to back continuity and build the partnership. This bodes well for the side going forward and the pair, too.
Schmidt doesn’t lack options either with Hunter Paisami and Josh Flook in the touring squad, but the head coach realises the need for a settled midfield combination.
Losers
Wallabies
Alarm bells should be ringing, if they aren’t already, as the Wallabies have suffered yet another injury in training ahead of the clash against the Springboks in the form of Donaldson.
Injuries are a sad reality of the sport, but questions need to be asked about the frequency and sheer length of the injury list. Is it simply a result of a long season, just bad luck, or is there an issue with the strength and condition or training load?
Allan Alaalatoa, Charlie Cale, Massimo De Lutiis, Matt Faessler, Jake Gordon, Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, Harry Potter and Luke Reimer were all ruled out for the two Tests in South Africa at the very least, while Dave Porecki hung up his boots after his latest injury.
Valetini and Skelton missed the first Test against the Lions through injury too, crucially so, with the former ruled out of the second and now the Rugby Championship opener against the Boks.
Even teams with the deepest of squad depths cannot afford to lose players at this kind of rate week after week.
Carlo Tizzano
Western Force tyro Carlo Tizzano was dropped for the third game against the British and Irish Lions as a precaution after the criticism he faced for an alleged ‘dive’ in the second Test.
The 25-year-old has worked incredibly hard to wiggle his way into the Wallabies squad and has performed superbly when given the opportunity.
One would have thought that he would get the nod again for the Rugby Championship opener, but Champion de Crespigny has been preferred on the bench instead. Perhaps Schmidt will overhaul his squad for the clash in Cape Town, and Tizzano, who is of a smaller frame than his Force teammate, will get an opportunity then.
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Ben Donaldson
It was reported that Donaldson wasn’t going to the nod for the starting role but would take one up on the bench for the Rugby Championship before sustaining his setback in training on Thursday prior to the team announcement.
The 26-year-old has been a real asset for the Wallabies in the latter stages of Test matches this year, and his absence is a hammer blow for the side.
Tane Edmed
With the Western Force playmaker ruled out, Tane Edmed would have been a more like-for-like replacement on the bench than Andrew Kellaway.
The Brumbies-bound 24-year-old was called into the squad following the injury to Lynagh and would have given more security to the fly-half position at Ellis Park.
Instead, Schmidt has decided to gamble on O’Connor going the distance, at altitude, in his first game for the Wallabies since 2022.
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