The 22-year-old Queensland Reds tighthead came off the bench in the 50th minute in Townsville and was over the line eight minutes later.
Massimo De Lutiis became the 1,000th player capped by Australia on Saturday, coming off the bench in the 50th minute of the Wallabies’ 56-17 win over Japan at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville. The 22-year-old Queensland Reds tighthead prop then scored eight minutes into his Test career as Australia completed a 2-0 sweep of the two-match series and a third straight win.
It is the debut a prop imagines and almost never gets. On in the 50th, in support of a break by fly-half Carter Gordon in the 58th, over the line, and down in the record books as Wallaby No 1000.
What Massimo De Lutiis said about the moment he found out
The 202.5kg bench press did not help Massimo De Lutiis much when head coach Les Kiss told him he was in the Test team.
Speaking to Stan Sport after the match, De Lutiis said he “started tearing up a bit”, ended up crying in his coach’s lap, and found the whole episode fairly embarrassing to recount. The number, he added, mattered less to him than simply being a Wallaby at all.
That is some distance from the reputation he brought into the week. Until Saturday, Massimo De Lutiis was known mostly for what he lifted in the Queensland Reds’ gym at Ballymore rather than for anything he had done in Test rugby. He suggested the questions might change now.
Massimo De Lutiis had only joined the squad seven days earlier in Osaka, called up as injury cover for fellow Reds prop Zane Nonggorr.
Wallaby No 1000, 127 years after Wallaby No 1
Australia handed out its first cap in 1899, when Patrick Carew played against Great Britain in Sydney. Carew owes the No 1 beside his name to the fact that the original squad was listed alphabetically.
Rugby Australia had Carew’s original cap sent north to Townsville for the occasion. His granddaughter, Anne Jensen, was on the field afterwards, cap in hand, alongside Massimo De Lutiis.
Wallabies vs Japan: six of eight tries came from the front row
Here is the number that explains the scoreline better than the scoreline does: all eight Australian tries were scored by forwards, and six of those eight by front-rowers.
Taniela Tupou crossed twice before the break. Hooker Josh Nasser opened the scoring, and loosehead Angus Bell, replacement hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Massimo De Lutiis took one each. Blindside flanker Charlie Cale and captain Harry Wilson, the No 8, supplied the other two. Scrum-half Ryan Lonergan landed five conversions from five, replacement fly-half Ben Donaldson three from three.
The key numbers from Wallabies vs Japan in Townsville:
- Wallaby No 1000 — Massimo De Lutiis, 22, tighthead prop, Queensland Reds
- 8 Wallabies tries, 8 scored by forwards
- 6 of those scored by front-rowers
- 8/8 conversions between Lonergan and Donaldson
- 21-17 at half-time, 56-17 at full-time
Japan head coach Eddie Jones was more amused than annoyed by Tupou’s afternoon, joking that the prop had played as though a free pizza was waiting behind the try line every time, and offering to take one round to him after the game. Taniela Tupou has been in sharp form since his move to Paris.
Japan led after 33 minutes before Australia pulled clear
For 35 minutes this was a contest. Japan lock Harry Hockings, who spent 28 matches with the Queensland Reds earlier in his career, blocked down a Ryan Lonergan exit from the ruck and dropped on the loose ball in-goal. Scrum-half Naoto Saito then spotted a penalty and tapped it before the Australian defence had reset, scampering over from short range.
Centre Dylan Riley, born in Australia, beat two defenders in the 33rd minute to put the Brave Blossoms in front for the first time. Tupou’s second, off a lineout drive, took Australia in at 21-17.
Wilson said Kiss challenged the side at the break and got “a lot more spark” out of them in response, and that a team like Japan will punish anyone who turns up flat.
Japan captain Warner Dearns said his pack did everything it could to live with a heavier Australian eight, and that the plan of moving them around and playing at speed worked well in the first half. Fly-half Ryunosuke Ito and Saito found holes in the Australian defence at will inside the opening half-hour.
Three late Wallabies tries turned a four-point half-time lead into a 39-point win. Full match stats and player ratings.
What is next for the Wallabies
The Wallabies have now won three in a row for the first time since 2024, after last month’s Nations Championship victory over Italy in Joe Schmidt’s final match in charge and the 35-32 win over Japan in Osaka in Kiss’s first.
The Rugby Championship follows: Argentina in San Salvador de Jujuy on Saturday 29 August (5.00am AEST Sunday 30 August), Argentina again in Mendoza on Saturday 5 September, South Africa in Perth on Sunday 27 September and New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday 10 October.
Whether Massimo De Lutiis holds his spot in the 23 once Australia’s front-row stocks are back to full strength is the first selection question of that block. He has given Kiss an obvious reason to keep him around.
De Lutiis and Wilson spoke to Stan Sport after the match. Team lists and scoring detail via Rugby Australia and Super Rugby Pacific.
