Ryan Lonergan and Declan Meredith will retain control of Australia’s attack against Eddie Jones’s Japan, as the new head coach prioritises continuity over experience in his first Test.

Les Kiss has made an immediate statement about the direction of the Wallabies by entrusting his first Test as Australia’s head coach to the relatively inexperienced halves combination of Ryan Lonergan and Declan Meredith.

The ACT Brumbies teammates will start together at scrum-half and fly-half against Japan in Osaka on Saturday, August 8, as Australia begins a two-Test series carrying significance well beyond the immediate result. The match is Kiss’s first in charge and marks the opening stage of the Wallabies’ preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil.

Kiss had more experienced alternatives available, including fit-again playmaker Carter Gordon and 53-Test scrum-half Tate McDermott. Instead, he chose to preserve a partnership that will now start for a third consecutive international. McDermott has been selected among the replacements.

The decision reflects the new coach’s preference for established combinations and evidence from training rather than reputation alone. Kiss said the understanding between Lonergan and Meredith, developed through their time together at the Brumbies, had been apparent during Australia’s preparations.

Lonergan offers a measured passing game, tactical control and leadership experience at provincial level. Meredith, still at the beginning of his Test career, provides speed, directness and the confidence to attack defensive space. Together, they represent both an immediate selection gamble and a potential long-term solution to one of Australian rugby’s most persistent problems.

The Wallabies have struggled to establish a settled combination in the key playmaking positions. Changes in personnel, injuries and uneven performances have repeatedly prevented Australia from building continuity at scrum-half and fly-half, an issue Kiss inherited from predecessor Joe Schmidt.

By keeping Lonergan and Meredith together, Kiss is signalling that he is prepared to tolerate a degree of inexperience in exchange for cohesion. The choice also allows him to assess whether a successful Super Rugby relationship can withstand the greater speed, physical pressure and tactical complexity of international rugby.

The match carries additional intrigue because Japan are coached by Eddie Jones, whose second spell in charge of Australia ended after the Wallabies’ disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign. Jones now faces his former side with a Japanese team that has developed a more direct and tactically varied approach.

Japan sit only two places below eighth-ranked Australia and will present a significantly greater threat than the historical record between the teams might suggest. The Wallabies have never lost to the Brave Blossoms, but humid conditions, home support and Japan’s capacity to maintain a high tempo could make the Osaka contest a demanding introduction for Kiss.

The new coach has balanced continuity in the backline with changes across the forward pack. Aidan Ross and Miles Amatosero will make their first Test starts, while Josh Nasser and Fraser McReight return to the starting side.

Ross, who previously represented New Zealand in one Test, has been selected at loosehead prop after impressing with the Queensland Reds. Amatosero will add size and physicality in the second row alongside Josh Canham, a combination intended to confront Japan’s powerful locks and disrupt their attacking platform.

Hunter Paisami replaces the injured Len Ikitau at inside centre, while uncapped Queensland Reds centre Isaac Henry could make his international debut from the bench. Harry Potter, Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright remain together in the back three, with Harry Wilson continuing as captain.

The presence of Henry among the replacements illustrates Kiss’s attempt to widen Australia’s playing pool without abandoning the need to win immediately. With little more than a year before the World Cup, the coach must simultaneously develop new players, identify dependable combinations and restore confidence to a side that has endured prolonged instability.

Australia enter the series after ending Schmidt’s tenure with a convincing 57–10 victory over Italy. That performance brought some relief after a six-match losing sequence that included defeats by Ireland and France, but it did not erase concerns about consistency or the team’s ability to respond under sustained pressure.

Kiss has inherited a squad with greater experience than the one taken to the 2023 World Cup, yet many of the central questions remain unresolved. Australia must improve its control of tight matches, convert possession into points more efficiently and reduce the defensive lapses that have repeatedly undermined otherwise competitive performances.

The Lonergan-Meredith partnership will be central to that challenge in Osaka. Japan are expected to contest possession aggressively, use tactical kicking more frequently and force the Wallabies to make decisions under pressure. Australia’s halves will therefore need to provide territorial control while maintaining enough attacking ambition to exploit opportunities.

Meredith’s selection is particularly significant. Fly-half has long been a source of uncertainty for the Wallabies, and Kiss could have opted for the greater experience of Gordon. By retaining the younger player, he has created an opportunity for Meredith to establish himself as more than a temporary solution.

Lonergan must provide the stability around him. His ability to deliver accurate service, manage the pace of the game and support Meredith’s tactical decisions will be essential if Australia are to avoid being drawn into the type of fast, fragmented contest Japan often prefer.

The Wallabies’ substitute bench gives Kiss options should the match require a change of rhythm. McDermott can accelerate play from the base of the breakdown, while a replacement front row including Angus Bell, Billy Pollard and Taniela Tupou offers considerable power later in the contest.

Australia will host the second Test in Townsville on August 15, giving Kiss two immediate opportunities to examine his selections and establish the principles of his tenure. The expectation will be that the Wallabies win both matches, but the broader objective is to begin creating a team capable of sustaining performance against stronger opposition.

The Osaka Test will provide the first indication of how Kiss intends to combine patience with urgency. His decision to support Lonergan and Meredith suggests that continuity, trust and shared understanding will form important parts of his approach.

For the two Brumbies halves, the opportunity is equally clear. Strong performances against Japan could transform an experimental combination into the foundation of Australia’s backline. A difficult evening, however, would quickly renew debate over whether the Wallabies can afford inexperience in the positions that shape almost every phase of their game.

Kiss’s first selection is therefore more than a vote of confidence in two emerging players. It is an early test of his belief that Australia’s recovery can begin by allowing promising combinations the time and responsibility to grow.