Back on his maiden tour to Europe in November 2024, the rugby world just couldn't get enough of Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i.
Off the back of a swaggering, staggering debut under the high ball at Twickenham, the new young dual-code superstar came to Murrayfield, smashed into Scottish skipper Sione Tuipulotu harder than the skipper had ever been hit and ended up actually hurting himself.
Whatever he did, this remarkable athlete was the talk of the game, the thrilling, $1.6 million-a-year face of Australian rugby. The prospects for the boy named 'Su', the kid with the searing, soaring talent, appeared limitless.
But two years on and 28 caps into his international union sojourn, it's a very different buzz that drones around Sua'ali'i on his latest trip to Britain.
It's the sound of sniping, led by a former English 20-try Test winger Chris Ashton, who's dared suggest the one-time great Australian hope might actually be a busted flush.
"He doesn't know what he's doing" ... "doesn't know how to ruck, he doesn't know where to hit the ruck" ... "doesn't look like an international rugby union player," boomed Ashton in his BBC commentary and podcast, unpicking Sua'ali'i's struggles in his unfamiliar winger's role.
It was brutal stuff, prompting Sua'ali'i's teammates, as you'd expect, to rally strongly behind him in Edinburgh this week, with Ryan Lonergan slamming the criticism as "unfair" and Len Ikitau hailing his centre partner as a "warrior" while offering a dismissive "who?" when informed who was doing the sniping.
Ryan Lonergan slams 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥 comments about Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i 😳 The playmaker wants more opportunity given to the Wallabies' 'strike power' against Scotland💥 ↳ Nations Championship. Live & Exclusive on Stan Sport. #StanSportAU #NationsChampionship https://t.co/s8dJFXA1bV
— Stan Sport Rugby (@StanSportRugby) November 11, 2026
But after a season when Sua'ali'i's Wallabies' development appears to have somewhat stagnated, when he's made just one assist and not crossed the whitewash in his 10 Tests, and when the coaching staff still aren't convinced of his best position, this does feel like a moment at the crossroads for the 23-year-old.
His four tries in 28 Tests still seems a paltry return for a player that everyone acknowledged was the most thunderous of runners in his NRL salad days with the Roosters when he scored 29 tries in 66 matches.
And Sunday's (Monday AEDT) clash back at the Edinburgh citadel where he decked Tuipulotu could hold extra significance with Sua'ali'i set to be plunged back into the centres after that uncomfortable afternoon on the left wing against England.
In that match, he had just one line-break from his eight carries and got turned over twice, but at least did enjoy a couple of trademark wins in the aerial battles and definitely didn't look the least effective Wallaby on view.
But with Wallabies coach Les Kiss having admitted earlier on the tour that he would probably be tried out in different positions on this Nations Championship northern jaunt, what number will Sua'ali'i be wearing when the home World Cup comes around?
Twelve? Eleven? Fifteen? That's if he's even in the team at all. That World Cup countdown may be starting here for Sua'ali'i.
Australian Associated Press
