Ben Donaldson will start at No 10 for Australia in the Wallabies' second Test against Argentina in Mendoza on Saturday, marking his first start in two years. Coach Les Kiss has relegated Carter Gordon to the bench despite the flyhalf being fit to play, as the search for a settled No 10 continues.
Donaldson's rare opportunity
Donaldson's elevation comes after a series of players have been tried in the position since his last start, which was in the 67-27 defeat to Argentina in 2024. Since then, Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, James O'Connor, Tane Edmed, Declan Meredith, and Gordon have all been given the run-on assignment. Kiss said the decision was about giving Donaldson a chance to feel Test rugby again.
“From the outset, we wanted to make sure we saw the 10s, all of them, in some form,” Kiss said. “He’s had a great season, Donno [Donaldson], we felt it was just an opportunity to make sure he just feels Test rugby again as we move into the rest of the season.”
Kiss seeks consistency
Kiss emphasized the importance of finding consistency in the position leading into next year's World Cup. He noted that the three flyhalves in the squad have all contributed well, but the team needs to narrow down options.
“The three 10s that are here, they’ve been very good all year, they’ve been exceptionally good in camp here and they’ve all had an opportunity to contribute on and off the pitch,” he said. “So if we come up to a big game suddenly later down the year and someone hasn’t played a Test match for a while, we just felt it was the right time to do something there as well. Thinking forward, we definitely start to narrow down our options for sure.”
Gordon, who suffered a facial injury in the first Test win in Jujuy, is fit but will start from the bench. He remains a likely candidate for the World Cup, but Kiss was critical of his game management in the 27-21 victory, where the Wallabies failed to put the game away.
Team changes and coach's vision
Other changes include Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii returning as the midfield pair, with Filipo Daugunu preferred to Harry Potter on the wing. Captain Harry Wilson returns at No 8, with Tom Hooper rested and Rob Valetini moving to blindside flanker. Taniela Tupou, Billy Pollard, and Angus Bell start in the front row.
Hooker Billy Pollard said the environment has changed under Kiss, with players feeling trusted to back their instincts. “Not second guess yourself, not hesitating if you see a gap or you see a shot you can put on or whatever it may be, just to not hesitate,” he said. “Then away from the field, just to connect with your teammates, go out and do stuff. We’re ultimately always here to play footy and to win. But at the same time, if you can, on your day off, maybe enjoy some something, do a bit of sightseeing, he’s all for that too.”
Kiss believes the travel-heavy schedule has helped the team bond. “You’re away together, you form relationships tighter, so it’s been a great chance to bond,” he said. “The word I’ve used is evolution and just resetting the cultural, I guess, direction, and make sure we’re all happy with it and create a new ‘us’ in a way, that’s going forward for the rest of this season.”
