The 2026 Wallabies have shown glimpses of physical dominance, attacking brilliance and defensive pressure, but have yet to string together an 80-minute performance.
It’s clear now that while coach Les Kiss has been chopping and changing sides in an attempt to build genuine competition and depth in the squad, you can’t rush an exercise that takes time: time the Wallabies don’t have.
In the wake of the Wallabies rampaging in Sydney by All black peopleKiss was asked about the clock ticking home Rugby World Cup in 2027
“The time we have is the time we have,” Kiss said.
“I believe in these guys deeply in what is possible.
“I’ve always said we’re going to have our ups and downs and today was a bit off again but there are some good signs from what we’re trying to do in our game.
“When we play with our foot in hand, with positive intent, we make a lot of breaks against one of the best teams in the world.”
Kiss is right, the Wallabies, despite the shelling, made 17 line breaks against the All Blacks, one more than the Kiwis, and beat one less defender with 31.
Had the Wallabies converted just a few of them, the result would have looked very different, but they lacked the patience, experience and execution to capitalize on their many chances.
A less impressive statistic is the post-contact measure from both sides.
The Wallabies only managed 0.9m on average per carry and the All Blacks just 0.7m on average per carry.
This stat obviously doesn’t correlate with the amount of line breaks or defenders beaten, but it does show that the Wallabies lack punch in their carries.
This is where Kiss and the Wallabies have truly world-leading options to turn to in the coming months, right up until the World Cup.
Samu Kerevi and Langi Gleeson are two players who not only dominate contact, but are players who drag you over the gain line.
The Wallaby way is currently an attacking game built on short bursts of intense power.
That’s the type of player Kiss have at their disposal; that’s the type of player Kiss has selected, so he should select players to advance that plan.
Long stretches of play are not what this Wallaby side thrives on, despite what people say is the “Wallaby way”.
The current Wallabies DNA is built on Pasifika power, set piece grunt and X-factor strike ability that can score in an instant from anywhere.
Kerevi and Gleeson give you all of the above in spades.
So far this year, the Wallabies have averaged around 2.3 million after contact per carry, significantly less South Africa at 3.2m All Blacks 2.8m during the Greatest Rivalry tour.
The international gold standard for this statistic is in the 3m-4m range, with only South Africa currently regularly achieving this.
Kiss knows this, his motto “go forward” has been repeated on several occasions by his assistant Jonathan Fisher, and it is evident in the way the Wallabies play their games.
Gleeson is firmly in Kiss’ sights, placing him on the ‘unavailable list’ under each of his four team announcements, this is not a mistake, this is a clear statement of intent regarding the selections.
Kiss knows Gleeson’s numbers, and they are very impressive.
Let’s compare Gleeson’s numbers to those of the current Wallabies squad.
Only two Wallabies players averaged over 66%. Super Rugby Pacific 2026, namely Rob Valitini and Josh Canham, who received 67% and 66%, respectively.
After that, locks Lukhan Salakaia-Lotto and Jeremy Williams secured 62% and 63%, respectively.
Fraser McReight managed a whopping 66% but carried far more than the others and finally captain Harry Wilson and Tom Hooper managed 58% and 47% respectively.
In Super Rugby Pacific 2025, the last time Gleeson had a full season, Gleeson outplayed the Wallabies’ deadliest carry, Valetini, at almost every turn.
Gleeson made 2.4 meters after contact per carry, two line breaks and scored seven tackles. He beat 33 defenders, making seven dominant tackles at 90 percent, making more tackles per minute and more attempts per minute than Valetini, as well as having more turnovers.
Valetini’s numbers were nowhere near Gleeson’s: 1.9 meters after contact per carry, 0 line breaks and 1 tackle.
He beat 27 defenders and made 4 dominant tackles with a success rate of 85 percent.
Even if you go back and compare Gleeson’s 2025 numbers to Valetini’s in 2024, the pair are nearly identical; that’s why it’s on that list.
Kiss wants his men going forward and Gleeson will help with that after a knee injury he picked up earlier this year.
The good news on that front is that Montpellier released an update on Gleeson’s rehabilitation on September 10, saying he is “expected to be back in about two months.”
Although it may be too late for him to be elected in November Nations Championship team, it will still mean that he will play rugby again and be fit by the time April Bledisloe arrives.
Rugby Australia and Kiss should do everything in their power to secure Gleeson’s services for that one test as it would speed up his integration and at the very least, Gleeson should come to the UK to spend some time in camp in November.
Another player who didn’t make the list, but who offers a world-class threat, is Japan’s Kerevi.
If the Wallabies want to go forward, then Kerevi is the guy they should call up from Japan.
Kerevi averaged a whopping 4.8 post-contact yards per carry.
None of the players on the current team who play center are averaging more than 3.4 yards per carry.
That extra 1.4m per carry could be the difference between milking a penalty off the defensive line, setting up a scoring opportunity or generating a line break.
And before anyone says it doesn’t matter because it’s in there Japan League One, currently the best center pair in the world, the Springboks’ all-time most capped center pair of Damien De Allende and Jesse Kriel gained 3.8 and 3.6 meters after contact per carry, respectively, in the same competition.
Kerevi is elite in his ability to pass through contact.
If you compare him to the best No.12 in the world, he is still unique: Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu averaged 3m, Irish Ram Stuart McCloskey 3.6m, Andre ‘The Giant’ Esterhuizen 3.2m; Kerevi surpasses them all and then some.
Kerevi is also elite when it comes to beating defenders, beating a defender every 2.1 carries.
In the current Wallabies squad, only Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii come close at club level, beating a defender every 2.6 and 2.8 careers.
Tuipulotu, McCloskey, and Esterhuizen are all in the Defensive Player of a Beat every 3.0 runs or more, as are DDA and Kriel.
Finally, of all the names mentioned, only Ikitau and Suaalii beat Kerevi for line breaks per transmission; after that, everyone else is a very, very distant fourth.
Ikitau breaks every nine he carries; Suaalii every 10.5 carries; Kerevi makes one every 11 carries, and just for context, the next best after that are DDA and Isaac Henry, making breaks every 16 carries.
Now we have to remember why all this is relevant, the Wallabies are trying to go forward, and while their forwards were lethal when they got into the opposition’s 22m zone, the backs weren’t exactly pulling their weight.
Since Kiss took over the Wallabies, the performance of the backs has been poor.
Hunter Paisami averaged 2.5m post-contact meters per carry, Iktiau 2.6m, Suaalii 1.2m and Henry 3.2m. Henry’s numbers were greatly helped by the Japan game in Townsville.
As we can see, the Wallabies’ backs are in dire need of a kick, and with players only generating breaks once every ten carries, the Wallabies need some serious help if they are to execute their game plan.
Kerevi is that type of player with 108kg and 186cm; he may be 32 years old, but he is younger than both Boks’ centers, DDA and Kriel.
Doc Jordan Petaia was cover for all options flown in from Japan, maybe it’s time to turn to his teammate and mentor at Uraysay D-Rocks in Japan, Kerevi.
The Wallabies are building a strong enough team with enough variation to have access to horse selection for the tracks, and for a trip to the World Championships you need that variety.
Against a side like the Springboks, a second spin at No.12 is a big help, but you need an impactful and physically dominant forward bench, and that’s where Gleeson comes in.
Gleeson, at 188cm and 112kg, the compact back-rower is also a decent steal, and that helps too.
Against the All Blacks, you want to be able to get them back and strike quickly, Kerevi at No.12 not only guarantees you a winning ball but also means the Wallabies have another momentum generator outside their pack.
The diversification of the team’s threats means that defenses cannot bunch up, and that means that spacing is key; that kind of spacing is a gold mine for the likes of Kerevi.
Kerevi hasn’t been mentioned by Kiss in any official setting so far, but Kiss watches the tapes of all overseas players; he and analyst Eoin Toolan will know Kerevi’s skill. Now is the time to invite him.
Gleeson gives you true acceleration and speed, as well as devastating ball-carrying ability.
Being able to bring Gleeson and Carl Tizzano or Tom Hooper off the bench not only gives you a one-two punch, but also real size and experience off the bench.
Being able to pick Gleeson also offsets the need for Valletini or captain Harry Wilson to play 80 minutes every week, Gleeson really is that good.
Whether you play him at No.8 or No.6 depends on your lane access horses, but with his ability to steal, there’s nothing stopping him from playing him at No.7 if McReight needs a rotation or if an injury occurs.
These are two genuine players and difference makers the Wallabies can no longer afford to ignore.
The time for ‘we know what they’re going to bring, so we won’t pick them now’ is over, the time to pick the best 34 players in the world is now.
The Wallabies have a real chance of going unbeaten for the rest of the year if they choose wisely and are able to keep key players on the field.
