Overview
- Monday’s squad announcement confirmed Carter Gordon is ruled out after fracturing his leg in the 28-28 draw with Argentina, forcing a reshuffle in the halves.
- Les Kiss called uncapped flyhalf Harry McLaughlin-Phillips into the 34-man group after the 22-year-old impressed on his Western Force debut, scoring a try and kicking a match-winning conversion.
- Western Force fly-half Ben Donaldson is the media’s leading candidate to start at No. 10 in Gordon’s absence based on recent starts and form.
- Five Western Force players were selected—Donaldson, McLaughlin-Phillips, Carlo Tizzano, Jeremy Williams and Brandon Paenga-Amosa—while winger Dylan Pietsch was omitted as he recovers from a new foot injury.
- Kiss has used these Tests to build depth ahead of the 2027 home World Cup, and the September 27 meeting with South Africa at Optus Stadium will serve as a key measure of those combinations and squad balance.