Les Kiss has offered a pointed but carefully worded response to Hunter Paisami's four-match suspension, saying he believed the ban "could have been a little bit less than that" while stopping short of a full broadside. "I'll be careful what I say because I might be fined," the Wallabies head coach told reporters on Thursday.
Paisami was yellow-carded in the 76th minute of Australia's 42-38 win over the Springboks in Perth for a dangerous tackle on Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. An initial six-match ban was reduced to four on appeal, but that still rules him out of both Bledisloe Cup Tests — Eden Park on 10 October and Accor Stadium on 17 October.
Jock Campbell, Paisami's Queensland Reds team-mate, has been called into the squad as cover. The Wallabies' midfield picture is further complicated by Len Ikitau, who left the Perth Test early with an ankle injury. Ikitau faces a fitness test on Friday that will determine his availability for Auckland.
Should Ikitau miss out, Kiss has identified Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii — who started on the wing against the Springboks but has spent much of his Test career at outside centre — as the most natural replacement alongside Isaac Henry. Filipo Daugunu and Jordan Petaia, who recently joined Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan's League One, offer further midfield cover despite being primarily back-three players.
"We've also got a fairly handy option with Isaac Henry sitting there," said Kiss. "Filipo covers the midfield and the wing, so we have got some readily-made replacements."