MELBOURNE, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Australia coach Les Kiss has no plans to shift Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to the outside backs despite the growing competition for places in the Wallabies midfield ahead of the two-test series against Argentina.
Dual code international Suaalii missed the last test against Japan with a hamstring strain but is expected to be available for the opener in San Salvador on Saturday.
In his absence, Isaac Henry performed well in the number 13 jersey in Townsville in a midfield pairing with Hunter Paisami, while centre Len Ikitau's return to fitness has also given Kiss options.
Suaalii has experience as a test winger and as a fullback for the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby Pacific but Kiss poured cold water on the prospect of redeploying the versatile 23-year-old.
"No. The intention from the start has been to keep him at outside centre, and that remains the preferred position for now," he told reporters in San Salvador.
"However, the back five need flexibility. Players are being asked what other positions they can productively fill, allowing the team to broaden its selection options and deal with different situations.
"Suaalii has already moved to the wing, while the team's No. 10s can also play fullback.That positional flexibility is important, but for the moment the preference is to persist with Suaalii at 13."
Since taking over the Wallabies for the Japan series, Kiss has shown a willingness to try new things and had two poachers operating in his back row in the second half in Townsville when Fraser McReight joined Carlo Tizzano on the field.
The ploy proved effective and revived memories of Michael Cheika's "Pooper" combination of David Pocock and Michael Hooper which helped Australia reach the 2015 World Cup final.
Kiss said it was "certainly enticing" to put McReight and Tizzano to work again but did not see it as a fixture going forward.
"There are also other combinations involving the team's power in the back row that the coaches want to explore," he said.
Kiss praised his players for buying into new mechanisms and ideas brought by the new Wallabies staff, and said their work on defence under Scott McLeod, a former All Blacks assistant coach at the last two World Cups, had already paid dividends.
The tests against Argentina would be a good measure of their progress, he added, as the Wallabies build toward next year's home World Cup.
"Once the (Argentina) crowd gets going, it can become a very difficult environment, so Australia will need to be good enough to quell that and withstand it," he said.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
