Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has brought Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii straight into his spring tour squad, while also handing recalls to overseas-based veterans Will Skelton and Samu Kerevi.
Schmidt unveiled a 34-man group for the Grand Slam tour on Tuesday afternoon, the squad also including the uncapped Tane Edmed fresh off his strong NPC season with North Harbour in New Zealand.
But it is the decision to select Suaalii that will generate the headlines, with the former Sydney Roosters star only weeks removed from an NRL stint that finished with a preliminary final defeat.
It was thought that Schmidt may look to send Suaalii away with the Australia XV squad -- which was also announced on Tuesday -- that will play England A and Bristol Bears, but the code-hopper could now foreseeably make his Test debut as early as next month.
"Having had a couple of discussions with Joseph, having had him at the hub [in Canberra] last week, he's a kid who works hard on his game and [is] very who's quick to pick things up," Schmidt told reporters in Sydney when asked why Suaalii had been brought straight into the Wallabies squad.
"I think the other part of it is that we give just want to give him the best runway possible to try and get involved in the Wallabies; he could have gone with Seiby [Australia XV coach Rod Seib] and we would have been pretty comfortable with that and we talked about that as an option, to get a bit of game time before stepping up to the Wallabies.
"But while there will be quite a bit of continuity between the two teams, I think just being in environment where we get to know him as well is probably what we felt was most beneficial for us and hopefully for Joseph and the team."
Australia's first assignment on tour is against England at Twickenham on Nov. 9 and while that may prove too soon for Suaalii to debut, it appears the following week's clash with Wales may well be when Schmidt throws the 21-year-old into the international arena.
"We tend to consider everyone, we've got 34 players in that squad, and of that squad there are five new faces, so they'll all come into contention for that first Test and all the way through," Schmidt said.
"What we've tended to do is not play them in the first Test, to have a week with them first, and then build them in, like we did with Marika [Koroibete] and Brandon Paenga-Amosa, those sort of guys who have come in later.
"I guess we get a bit of time here, we get three trainings here and then a couple over there [in London], and we've got a few guys still recovering from the Rugby Championship, so it will depend on that mix."
Meanwhile, the recalls for Skelton and Kerevi show that the Schmidt is not yet content with his options in the second row or inside centre for next year's British & Irish Lions Series.
Skelton did not make himself available for the Rugby Championship because of the looming Top 14 season, while Kerevi played only League 2 rugby in Japan earlier this year, the veteran midfielder did also not give a great account of himself at last year's Rugby World Cup either.
Kerevi's selection puts the focus squarely on incumbent No. 12 Hunter Paisami, while the lack of another midfield option suggests Schmidt may yet consider Suaalii as either an inside or outside centre. Hamish Stewart, who featured in the two Tests against Argentina, drops out of the Wallabies squad, as does David Feliuai, who will not tour with the secondary squad either because of "family reasons".
"I've had a number of discussions with Samu and he is pretty fit and ready to go," Schmidt said of Kerevi. "He didn't feel like he was earlier in the year [in August] when Marika came in; I spoke to Greig Laidlaw [Kerevi's Japanese coach] and he said he's probably fitter than he was all last year, and that's a positive starting point."
Tom Hooper and Josh Canham join Stewart on the Australia XV tour as a result of Skelton's selection, Schmidt confirming the towering La Rochelle lock was desperate to be involved with the Wallabies after his World Cup campaign was cut short by injury.
"He's keen as mustard, he doesn't take any convincing to play for the Wallabies," Schmidt said. "That's been my impression from the very first time I spoke to him... he's a really positive character and he has a gravitas in the group, obviously he was captain last year and got injured.
"I watched his game Monday morning, La Rochelle-Bordeaux game, he played 60 minutes in that and had a couple of great moments, I clipped a couple and sent them over to him just to keep him positive. So those conversations have been going on for a while."
Edmed's selection, meanwhile, is a reward for his strong showing across the ditch with North Harbour, while Tom Lynagh, who was plagued by injury during the Rugby Championship, will look to reignite his season with Australia A.
The final three changes from the squad that finished the Rugby Championship in last position see winger Harry Potter win his first Wallabies call-up, while hooker Billy Pollard returns as the third-string rake behind Matt Faessler and Paenga-Amosa. The versatile Seru Uru completes the new additions, the Fijian looking to add to his sole Test cap.
Potter was earlier this year enjoying a fine first Super Rugby Pacific season before he suffered a syndesmosis injury that ended his campaign.
The former Leicester Tigers Premiership winner's inclusion sees Corey Toole and Darby Lancaster drop down to the Australia XV tour, while Schmidt confirmed that Koroibete was "taking a break" after the wing was not satisfied with the level of his play during his Rugby Championship appearances.
Given Suaalii's arrival, the emergence of Max Jorgensen, Dylan Pietsch and Darby Lancaster, and former sevens flyer Corey Toole still looking for an opportunity, Koroibete may well have played his last game in gold jersey.
There were several interesting names included among the Australia XV alongside those who had already been a part of the Wallabies squad in 2024, headed by young Queenslanders Massimo de Lutiis and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips.
Schmidt said de Lutiis had already caught the eye of scrum guru and Wallabies assistant coach Mike Cron, while McLaughlin-Phillips was the Australia under 20s fly-half in South Africa this year.
WALLABIES SPRING TOUR SQUAD
Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Isaac Kailea, Fraser McReight, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Billy Pollard, Tom Robertson, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Will Skelton, James Slipper, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Seru Uru, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson
Backs: Ben Donaldson, Tane Edmed Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Samu Kerevi, Noah Lolesio, Tate McDermott, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Nic White, Tom Wright
AUSTRALIA XV SQUAD
Forwards: Angus Blyth, Joe Brial, John Bryant, Josh Canham, Massimo de Lutiis, Tom Hooper, Harry Hoopert, Tom Horton, Tom Lambert, Lachlan Lonergan, Josh Nasser, Zane Nonggorr, Luke Reimer, Rory Scott, Ryan Smith, Darcy Swain, Rhys Van Nek
Backs: Lachie Anderson, Jock Campbell, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Josh Flook, Darby Lancaster, Ryan Lonergan, Tom Lynagh, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Andy Muirhead, Ollie Sapsford, Hamish Stewart, Corey Toole, Joey Walton