Carter Gordon returns at fly-half as Wallabies ring the changes for Japan Test in Townsville

Carter Gordon will start at fly-half for Australia against Japan in Townsville on Saturday, recalled by head coach Les Kiss after Declan Meredith was dropped from the No 10 shirt following an inconsistent display in Osaka last week. Ben Donaldson provides cover on the bench.

Gordon, 25, is back in rugby union after a stint in the NRL (Australia's rugby league competition) and has been chasing a clean run of health since late 2025. A quad injury sustained against Italy last November was followed by a calf strain in his first Test of this year, against Ireland. He received a clean bill of health in late July, according to Rugby Australia, and now slots into a position that has seen seven different occupants since Joe Schmidt took over as Wallabies coach in 2024.

Kiss has reshuffled well beyond the No 10 channel. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, the high-profile cross-code recruit who has become a Wallabies mainstay, was ruled out with a minor hamstring strain and joins Len Ikitau on the sidelines. Isaac Henry earns his first Test start at outside centre — the No 13 position — after debuting off the bench in Osaka, partnering Hunter Paisami in the midfield.

In the pack, there are fresh faces and returns. Lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto makes his first appearance of the season in the second row alongside Lachlan Shaw, who earns his first start in gold. Flanker Charlie Cale also gets his first Wallabies start, joining Carlo Tizzano at openside and captain Harry Wilson at No 8. The front row of Taniela Tupou, Josh Nasser and Angus Bell remains intact.

One bench selection carries a historical footnote. Prop Massimo De Lutiis is in line for his Test debut, and if he takes the field he will become the 1,000th player capped for the Wallabies — a milestone that stretches back to Australia's first Test in 1899.

Townsville is becoming a regular stop on the Wallabies' map. Beyond this fixture, the north Queensland city is scheduled to host three more Tests during the 2026 season, as reported by Rugby Australia.

Australia have never lost to Japan, with the most recent meeting before this two-Test series coming in 2021. Saturday's match at Townsville's Queensland Country Bank Stadium offers Gordon a chance to reassert his claim on the playmaker role that has eluded any single Wallaby for long enough that seven names have cycled through it in under three years.