As the Wallabies gear up for a monumental clash at Ellis Park, a venue that has been a fortress against Australian victories since 1963, Joe Schmidt brings promising news. The Wallabies' coach is optimistic about the availability of his powerhouse trio—Rob Valetini, Will Skelton, and Taniela Tupou—for the Rugby Championship opener against the Springboks.
The trio's fitness has been a major talking point following their injuries during the recent series against the British and Irish Lions. Valetini and Skelton both missed matches due to calf injuries, while Tupou was sidelined with a toe issue. However, Schmidt's latest update brings a sigh of relief to Wallabies fans. From Sydney Airport, Schmidt shared,
"They’re definitely all in contention for Ellis Park. So they’re fine and Bobby [Valetini] did a really good run yesterday, so our ambition is that he’ll train fully with us this week."
While the focus remains on these key players, Schmidt is also keeping tabs on fly-half Tom Lynagh and prop Allan Alaalatoa, both of whom are recovering from injuries. Lynagh is dealing with the aftermath of a severe head injury, and Alaalatoa is coming off a leg injury. Schmidt emphasized the need for caution with their recovery, noting, "We’re going to have to see how the next two weeks go for both of them really. Allan is recovering pretty well so far, and we’re hoping that a conservative approach allows him to come back and play. We’ll also be really conservative with Tom [Lynagh]. He’s a young player – you’ve seen the size of him versus the size of some of the guys firing into him – and we’ve just got to make sure that we look after them as best we can."
As the Wallabies prepare to break their losing streak at the daunting Ellis Park, the return of these key players could not be more timely. With the squad's morale boosted by their potential comeback, Australia could very well rewrite the history books in the upcoming Rugby Championship showdown.