Les Kiss has not read a word of Chris Ashton’s criticism of Joseph Suaalii. He backed him anyway. “He’s coachable. He’s a team man, team first. He’s quality,” the Wallabies coach said. “We back him to the hill.”
Ashton, the former England wing, was on the BBC after England beat Australia 45-22 at Twickenham. He said Suaalii “doesn’t look like an international rugby union player”.
Kiss gave his answer at the team announcement for Sunday’s Test against Scotland at Murrayfield, where Suaalii starts at 13.
Is Kiss right to back Joseph Suaalii, or does Ashton have a point? Tell us in the comments.
READ MORE: Ewen McKenzie on why Suaalii is ‘probably not a great kicker’
‘I have not read a word’
“I have not read a word,” Kiss said when Ashton’s comments were put to him. “…None of us are exempt from a bit of criticism if people want to throw it that way, or opinion. Does it matter? I don’t think in this case.
“In this case, I think that man will do everything for us. And we back him to the hill and I back him to the hill as I do the whole team.”
Kiss is not alone. Scrum-half Ryan Lonergan spoke up for Suaalii earlier in the week. He told rugby.com.au the centre “played pretty well on the weekend with the opportunities that we gave him as a team, which weren’t many”.
“I think that’s probably a little bit unfair on ‘Su’,” Lonergan said.
Why Joseph Suaalii is at 13 with Len Ikitau
Isaac Henry is out for the rest of the tour, so Suaalii moves to outside centre next to Len Ikitau. Inside them, Carter Gordon is back at 10.
Kiss pointed to Suaalii and Ikitau having played “20 Tests somewhere in that range together”.
“That relationship they’ve had over many Tests I think will come through for us for sure,” he said later in the press conference. “It does matter the time you’ve spent together in combinations.”
READ MORE: James Parsons says Joseph Suaalii needs to get in the air
‘Your nerve endings start to tingle’
A reporter reminded Kiss there was “no love lost” between Suaalii and the Scotland midfield the last time the sides met.
“It sits there and then when you bring it up, your nerve endings start to tingle, don’t they? I think it’s quite exciting,” Kiss said. “…The 80 minutes is where you actually do your business and I think it’s exciting.”
Ashton has had his say. Suaalii gets his at Murrayfield on Sunday.
READ MORE: Les Kiss admits Wallabies’ training is ‘not transferring’
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