Why is Australia’s toughest player not playing for the Wallabies?

13 hours ago 4

Test back-rower Rob Leota was nodding before the question was finished. After what we have seen in the last few weeks, should Lukhan Salakaia-Loto be rushed into a gold jersey?

“Yes. 100 per cent,” Leota said.

Leota is not alone, judging from the commentary of ex-Wallabies like Michael Hooper and a growing number of baffled supporters in the digital town squares of Australian rugby.

Salakaia-Loto was yet again immense in his third outing against the British and Irish Lions on Tuesday night in Melbourne, when the First Nations and Pasifika XV almost took down the Lions.

Salakaia-Loto set the tone in a physical assault by the FNP team against the Lions, running with aggression and tackling with venom. It was the third straight match the 28-year-old had done so, after he was the strongest player in the AUNZ side in Adelaide, and in an earlier tour game for the Reds in Brisbane, too.

“He’s a big part of why our team (FNP) was firing,” Leota said. “He took the messages before our game and just got everyone hyped up.

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto of the First Nations & Pasifika takes a lineout.

“We just played off his emotion, and when you see leaders like that put their best foot forward, as soon as the whistle blows, you just want to follow guys like that.”

With each performance, the confusion about why Salakaia-Loto is not in the Wallabies squad has grown, particularly given that the team were physically dominated in the opening Test. Knowing the 125kg, 196cm second-rower from his recent stint in Northampton, even Lions players and fans are confused - and relieved.

The aggression and venom are a clear by-product of Salakaia-Loto being left out of the Wallabies squad for the Lions series, with Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost, Will Skelton and Reds teammate Josh Canham preferred.

The 41-Test lock has duly played with a hive of bees in his bonnet, to overtly remind Joe Schmidt of a combative aggression that few, if any, can match in Australian rugby.

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto of AUNZ
gets away from Ronan Kelleher in Adelaide.

Schmidt hasn’t appeared to notice his door has been kicked down - even after the First Nations game, there was no call-up - but Leota says a Wallabies recall for Salakaia-Loto should be a no-brainer.

“Anyone who knows ‘Khan’ as a person knows that he is very proud, very humble, but, man, he will play the brother next to him and die for the jersey. I know that for sure, with Khan,” Leota said.

Speaking after the game at Marvel Stadium, Salakaia-Loto spoke freely about his joy of playing for the FNP team, but weighed his words carefully when asked about trying to state his case to Schmidt.

Asked if he’d had feedback, he said: “Just that I needed more minutes. I’ve had three chances to do cracks at these guys. I don’t have any more chances, I guess, to sort of try and push my case forward.

“I’ve got my flight details to go home, back to Brissy to see my two little girls and my partner, so that’s what I’m focusing on.”

Salakaia-Loto said the emotion in his performance in Melbourne was based on a spiritual week with the FNP squad, where he got a chance to reconnect with his Samoan roots and to represent his family, culture and ancestors.

“I was always going to be, I guess, heavy on the emotion, and I guess that’s just what you saw,” he said.

“I just got up there and played. And, you know, you mix that with a bit of frustration, a bit of emotion, and I guess the passion that I’ve been playing, especially for this week, it’s like you saw the way we played.”

Salakaia-Loto wasn’t the only one stating a case to Schmidt, with Charlie Gamble again outstanding, Swain putting in a strong shift, and the front row of Taniela Tupou, Brandon Paenga-Amosa and 20-year-old Brumby Lington Ieli dominating.

“I think it was a better week for someone like ‘Nela’. The opportunity to sort of put culture first and really have an awesome weekend with the coaches, Toutai Kefu, Sekope Kepu, Glen Ella. The list goes on (Simon Raiwalui and Tana Umaga were also assistants).

“These guys know how we operate as people. They understand what makes us tick. I look at these coaches, and they look like me, they look like ‘Nela’, we all look like each other. We understand what makes us tick, we understand how we operate.

“In terms of Nela, this week is an awesome week in terms of using it as a springboard for him to go back into the camp and really add value to the Wallabies.”

Salakaia-Loto said he hoped the FNP showing had served as inspiration for young Pasifika and Indigenous kids.

“To look at the TV and see that there’s players of First Nation descent, Pasifika descent. We come from small places, small islands, and there’s not many indigenous players into rugby,” he said.

“Hopefully, what KB has done and what we’ve done, that can ignite and spark some young boys and girls to want to go to rugby. It doesn’t even have to be rugby, it’s just do something positive in their life.”

All nine matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.