Australia have turned to youth and recalled experience for their upcoming encounter with the Springboks, naming Jordan Petaia in a 34-man squad that features three new faces from the side that secured the Puma Trophy in Argentina.
Petaia, 26, has not featured for the Wallabies since the 2023 World Cup, having spent the intervening period playing in France and Japan following seven seasons at the Queensland Reds. The utility back made his Test debut at 19 during the 2019 World Cup in Japan and has earned 31 caps, but now faces a fresh audition under Les Kiss's new coaching structure.
"We've got a lot of good back-three players here in the country. We made sure we looked at all of them," Kiss said. "It was just the ideal opportunity to see Jordan. He's been out of the system for a couple of years now. He has played in two World Cups. We just wanted to touch base with him, have him come and work out with us, see how he's going."
The selection of Harry McLaughlin-Phillips at flyhalf represents a bolder call. The 22-year-old Western Force recruit receives his first official Wallabies squad berth after Carter Gordon sustained a fractured fibula in Mendoza. Ben Donaldson and Declan Meredith retain their places in the playmaker mix, while veteran options James O'Connor and Bernard Foley have been told to focus on Super Rugby before consideration for Test selection.
Petaia's World Cup window
With the 2027 World Cup on home soil now just a year away, Kiss's decision to reintegrate Petaia reflects a pragmatic timeline. The coach acknowledged the depth of back-three talent available domestically but emphasised the value of assessing a player with two World Cup campaigns already behind him.
"From the team perspective, there was a lot of deep discussion about where we would go with that," Kiss added.
The Springboks arrive in Perth as back-to-back world champions, presenting what Kiss has described as the sternest test yet of his brief tenure. Australia's undefeated tour of Argentina has provided momentum, but the step up in class will clarify whether Petaia's return and McLaughlin-Phillips's elevation represent genuine solutions or interim measures in a rebuilding cycle that must peak in 2027.