Updated: As Joe Schmidt handed Kalani Thomas an opportunity to make his debut off the bench in the Wallabies’ final Test of the year, the experienced coach said his side would target victory in Paris rather than chase a crushing win to finish the year in sixth spot on World Rugby’s rankings.
Despite losing six of their past seven Tests, the Wallabies would leapfrog Les Bleus and move into sixth spot – and secure a top six seed ahead of the 2027 World Cup draw on December 3 – if they were to win by 16 points or more at the Stade de France on Sunday (7:10am AEDT).
“I saw that,” Schmidt said, “16 points – that’s very difficult. It’s even difficult to win at the start.
“So, we’re looking for [a] performance … because if we’re looking for a very big result like that, I think it’s too difficult.”
Schmidt has brought in five new faces to his starting side for their 15th and final Test of 2025.
As first revealed by The Roar, Carter Gordon returns at flyhalf for James O’Connor, whose sudden return to the No.10 jersey for the defeat in Dublin was as abrupt as his departure.
Winger Dylan Pietsch starts ahead of Filipo Daugunu, who drops to the bench.
There are three changes up front, with Nick Frost selected alongside Jeremy Williams in the second-row.
That selection sees Tom Hooper shift to blindside flanker, with Rob Valetini dropping to the bench. Hooper will also act as second-row cover, with no specialist lock cover selected on the bench.
Billy Pollard returns at hooker, which sees Matt Faessler drop to the bench.
While Taniela Tupou starts at tight-head prop in his final Test before joining Racing 92. Allan Alaalatoa returns to the bench.
The bench has a healthy combination of experience and youth to it, with former Chiefs stalwart Aidan Ross in line for his third Test.
Carlo Tizzano provides more back-row cover alongside Valetini, while Thomas joins Tane Edmed on the bench too.
Joe Schmidt has continued with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii at outside centre. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The decision to select Thomas, the 23-year-old Reds halfback, ahead of Ryan Lonergan comes after going unused throughout the tour to date.
Having played second fiddle to Tate McDermott, Thomas, who chalked up his 50th Super Rugby match throughout the year, provides a running threat like the man he replaced on the tour.
Schmidt, whose selection has come under increased focus in recent weeks, said that Thomas deserved his opportunity and added that Lonergan was supportive of the call.
“Lonners [Lonergan] was part of the decision as well,” Schmidt told reporters in Paris.
“The great thing in the group is that everyone is very supportive of each other and immediately Ryan was going through things with Kalani.
“Kalani’s trained for five weeks with us. He’s trained incredibly well, he’s got a sharpness about him, and I think he deserves an opportunity to demonstrate that.
“It’s a tough place to debut, but if we don’t do it now, he’s just spent those five weeks with us, then he has to reintegrate himself again in the future and we just felt this window was a good opportunity for him, and there’s good confidence in and around the team that he can add value.”
Perhaps more significant is the return of Gordon.
The 24-year-old made his Test comeback after a two-year absence during the loss to Italy, but missed the loss to Ireland after tweaking his quad – the injury that had delayed his return by a couple of weeks.
While Gordon didn’t complete his side’s Thursday training session like everyone else after holding his hamstring, Schmidt said he was hopeful that the code-hopper would be fully fit to carry out all his roles, as he returns to the venue that he led the Wallabies to a first-up World Cup victory in 2023 over Georgia.
“I’m hoping he can do the full spectrum of skills required of him,” Schmidt said.
“When you’re coming back from an injury, I’ve seen enough players … if it’s a hamstring, they’ll just put their hand on the back of their hamstring and it becomes almost a psychosomatic reaction.
“I’m hopeful that Carter gets through captain’s run tomorrow.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt in discussion with Carter Gordon and Tane Edmed (R). Photo: Julius Dimataga, Rugby Australia
“We pulled him out a little bit early today because we’re trying to build him into the game.
“But I felt he trained really well, ran the team really well, kicked out of his hand well in the actual training session.
“So yeah, he’s an exciting prospect and we’ve got Tane to back him up. And Tane’s growing all the time, and he’s one of the guys who benefited from having James O’Connor in the environment and helping him to understand more about his role.”
O’Connor was dumped on Sunday following the Wallabies’ 46-19 victory.
It came after he was suddenly drafted into the squad despite missing the first three Tests on tour.
Despite dispensing with the 35-year-old, Schmidt said the door wasn’t shut on his Test career.
“Age is probably not one of the numbers that necessarily tips the balance,” he said.
Asked whether he considered shifting Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to deal with the impending aerial bombardment, Schmidt wove past that question and said the “contest in the air” was becoming more fierce by the way the game was being officiated.
“The way the game is being refereed, they’re encouraging more aerial contests,” Schmidt said.
“The rucks are not necessarily fast and if they’re not fast, then it’s very hard to play with the ball, so you give it to the opposition in a contest situation where they’re demanding that there’s access. So they’re driving a game that is more leaning toward a kicking game and so we’ve got to be really good at both the kicking part of it, so that we can get into contests and then on the receiving part of it.”
He added: “Dylan Pietsch is strong in that area and Harry Potter normally is as well.”
After losing six lineouts last weekend, Schmidt said that he was confident his side would make improvements in the area.
“We’ve made a couple of changes in the team, allowing us to create a few more options,” he said. “But it wasn’t so much the options, it was just the execution.”
Defeat in Paris would not just confine the Wallabies to going winless on a four-Test tour of Europe for the first time since 1958 but would also be their tenth loss in 2025 – the most ever in a calendar year.
Schmidt said he wasn’t worried about the record staring the Wallabies in the face.
“We don’t talk about the end result too much because there’s a number of facets of that we don’t control,” he said.
“What we control is really just that moment in front of our face.
“If we can just stack enough really positive moments where people get their skill set right and their commitment to what needs to be done to the right level … my experience would suggest that if we can do that, we’ll be in the game.”
Australian-raised lock Emmanuel Meafou will play the Wallabies for the first time. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Fabian Galthie has named a strong side featuring Australian-raised Emmanuel Meafou in the second-row.
Will Skelton’s La Rochelle teammate Gregory Alldritt captains the side and forms a strong back-row alongside Charles Ollivon and Anthony Jelonch.
Maime Lucu has been named at halfback alongside Romain Ntamack, while Gael Fickou is at inside entre.
Galthie has also named a lethal back three, including fullback Thomas Ramos and wingers Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who was on Tuesday nominated for World Rugby player of the year, and Damian Penaud, the tryscoring machine who sunk the Wallabies three years ago in Paris.
Wallabies (1–15): Angus Bell, Billy Pollard, Taniela Tupou, Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, Jake Gordon, Carter Gordon, Dylan Pietsch, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Harry Potter, Max Jorgensen.
Replacements: Matt Faessler, Aidan Ross, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Valetini, Carlo Tizzano, Kalani Thomas, Tane Edmed, Filipo Daugunu.
France (1-15): Jean-Baptiste Gros, Julien Marchand, Regis Montagne, Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou, Anthony Jelonch, Charles Ollivon, Gregory Alldritt (capt), Maxime Lucu, Romain Ntamack, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Gael Fickou, Nicolas Depoortere, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos.