The Joe show has started [Video]

Oh we of little faith. We should have known that Joe Schmidt wouldn’t have thrown Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in unless the upside was greater than the downside, and that’s exactly how it played out. But for all the Suaalii hype, the Wallabies’ 42-37 win against England was really about the team that Schmidt is building by virtue of his selections and the rewards that consistency is starting to bring. The attack from deep philosophy shown against the All Blacks? It was there again. The signs that the Wallabies’ loose forward trio is becoming a genuinely good unit? There was more of that, too. And the best evidence yet that sticking with Noah Lolesio at No.10 was the right call? Yes, again. This win was a quantum leap forward for the Wallabies, built on the foundations Schmidt has been building all year.

Rating Suaalii’s performance

It was promising – a 7/10. We can’t get carried away. He carried for only eight metres …