Len Ikitau weighs in on midfield depth and return from injury
Len Ikitau says the emergence of alternative options to the previously rusted-on midfield pairing of he and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is welcome and overdue, and will strengthen the Wallabies.
And ahead of Australia’s two-Test tour of Argentina, Ikitau said he was also comfortable returning to outside centre; the position he has played a majority of his career, both for the Wallabies and in professional rugby.
Ikitau was last week named to return to the Wallabies squad after the reigning John Eales medallist missed the two Test wins over Japan, having undergone surgery to fix a nagging ankle complaint.
Hunter Paisami performed strongly in the Wallabies No.12 in Ikitau’s absence, and fellow Reds bulldozer Isaac Henry also stepped up well at outside centre, coming off the bench on debut in Osaka and then starting in the Wallabies’ big win in Townsville.
“It was pretty cool, especially seeing Zaccy [Henry] debut and watching Hunter play again. I thought they did an amazing job in terms of leading the back line,” Ikitau said.
Suaalii missed the second Japan game with a minor hamstring injury, but the star code-hopper was also named in the squad for Argentina and is expected to be available for the first Test in Jujuy on Sunday morning. The Wallabies departed Sydney on Sunday evening.
Wallabies coach Les Kiss suddenly has a selection headache on his hands. Ikitau and Suaalii became one of the most consistent combinations deployed by Joe Schmidt, but Paisami and/or Henry potentially earned the right to hold their spot with their form against Japan. And Ikitau is more than pleased about the competition.
“It is a good thing. It’s driving us, the centres, to want to play and be in that starting lineup,” Ikitau said.
“It hasn’t really been a spot where we’ve been lucky to have a lot of good players come through. But I feel like at the moment, with the centres we have [we do]. Like, if you look at Flooky [Josh Flook], Flooky’s missed out [in the squad for Argentina] and he was one of the best centres in Australian rugby for Super [Rugby].
“Samu [Kerevi] is still there waiting in the wings, and then Izzy [Perese] has come back to the Reds. There’s so many good centres out there that are still eager to be a part of this. So for us as the four centres that are here, we want to push each other to be the best, and it’s only going to make the team better.”
Suaalii’s best position remains a persistent point of debate, and the fact Kiss dropped Flook and a fullback Jock Campbell from the squad to fit in two centres, may point to the dual international being looked at as a back-three option.
Ikitau’s stellar form in July, and all of last year, is likely to see him return to the starting midfield, but whether that’s as an inside or outside centre remains to be seen.
Ikitau is now considered a world-class No.12 but he has played most of his rugby at outside centre. After 29 Tests at No.13 (and four from the bench), Ikitau moved to inside centre when Suaalii debuted in late 2024. He now has 50 Test caps.
“Obviously I’ve only played 12 since Joseph’s come in, and I’ve only played 13 for the Brumbies, but for me, I love playing 12 or 13,” Ikitau said.
“We’ll get to that when we get there, but happy to do my part whether that’s [number] 12 or 13. Or [number] 23 or 22. I’m quite happy as just a centre, not really a 12 or 13 – but just being able to cover both.”
Ikitau said the roles, while different, are not as technically distinct as they once were.
“It’s kind of changed a bit,” he said. “You are a 12 but you can be doing 13’s role, and 13, you can be doing 12’s role.
“Defensively 13 is a lot harder. You’ve got to be able to make those double reads on the edge, and 12, you get your hands on the ball a bit more. There’s pros and cons playing 12 and 13, but I enjoy both.”
Ikitau said he’d also played a lot of rugby with Paisami, when the pair were the regular Wallabies midfield in the early part of the decade.
Touring Argentina was an enjoyable experience but also a very tough and intimidating place to play rugby, Ikitau said.
In the last two tours in 2022 and 2024, the Wallabies won the first Test but then got thumped in the second clash.
“We tend to play really well in the first game and then the second game’s always usually smashing or hiding,” he said. “So for us, we want to be consistent in the way we play and just make sure that we’re putting in good performances and performances that we’re proud of.”
Iain Payten is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.