Les Kiss has pledged to continue tinkering with his Wallabies matchday squads in a bid to build "two good XVs" for next year's Rugby World Cup, after the Queenslander handed prop Isaac Kailea a first Test start since 2024.
Kailea was the shock selection call for Australia's Test with Argentina in Jujuy early Sunday morning [AEST], with the loosehead prop having played sparing little Super Rugby since his move north from Melbourne Rebels.
He has taken the place of Angus Bell, while Allan Alaalatoa will captain the Wallabies from tighthead with regular skipper Harry Wilson to sit out his first Test of 2026.
Kiss has in fact named an entirely new pack from the one that started against Japan a fortnight ago, a match the Queenslander was keen to experiment in, and it appears that will be an avenue he continues to explore at least until the Springboks and All Blacks clashes in September and October.
"I think my first step would be thinking what's our top 33, go back down to 23, then go back down to 15 now. I need to know that I've got two good 15s. That's what I need to get to," Kiss told reporters via video call on Friday morning.
"As the games get tighter, there might be a little bit more repetition of certain people in certain positions for sure. But I think it's right to give these guys a real shot at it and raise that competitive dial that I've been talking about."
The Pumas are one spot above Australia on World Rugby's official rankings, though a win this weekend would push the Wallabies past their opponents ahead of the second Test in Buenos Aires.
With the World Cup draw done and dusted, those same rankings will count for little more than supporter bragging rights, which is why Kiss has so far been open to mixing up his matchday 23s.
Australia, too, have been unable to back up wins in the first of their two Tests against Argentina in their three most recent Rugby Championship battles, the past two tours of South America seeing the Wallabies slump to 31- and 40-point defeats in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
If Kiss' Wallabies can find a way to defeat an understrength Pumas team this weekend, they should be better placed to compete in the second Test than those past two tours with Wilson, Taniela Tupou, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Carlo Tizzano, Len Ikitau to all be fresh injections.
If this weekend's Test doesn't result in a fourth straight win, however, then questions might ultimately be asked if Kiss is rotating his troops a little too much.
"We've not taken our eye off this game at all; we know it's going to be a toughie," Kiss said of Argentina. "But I do think we've got the right balance of experience and a couple of guys there that can grow a bit more experience.
"Lachie Shaw, in this sort of away Test match, to come off the bench and play in this game, I think it's vital for us for the future going forward. And we know we've got Lukhan there who has 40-plus Test matches and is experienced as ever to step in when we need to. It just gives us that opportunity to expose a few other people to that as well.
"Each Test match certainly narrows it down, but I don't want to come down to just the 15. If that number gets larger, then that competitive pressure, I really do believe, can help the team thrive under that competitive pressure, whoever we pick in that first 15."
With nine Tests still to come in 2026 and a win-loss record of 3-2, Kiss has an opportunity to steer Australia to their best Test season in years. But with all but Wales of their remaining seven opponents [the Wallabies play Argentina and New Zealand twice] ranked above them ahead of the opening Pumas clash, that same win-loss ratio could also turn ugly.
But given injuries will be a constant worry next year and Australia face an unprecedented eight-Test build-up to the World Cup, plus a full Super Rugby Pacific season, Kiss' push for greater "competitive pressure" is understandable.
He'll just have to be prepared for questions about the breadth of his rotation mantra should his promising start to his Wallabies tenure deteriorate.
And that continues with Kailea this weekend.
"He's a powerful athlete, supremely gifted with his footwork. He's good over the ball, very good skills. He runs north, he's hard to handle as a ball carrier. "He certainly is someone we want to see at this level, particularly in the set piece.
"This is a good set piece to see how he's grown in that area. My initial reason to bring him in was to put him up against our boys and work hard in that space. We got a chance to look at it now.
"Building the necessary depth in that area is crucial for us... I think it's a great opportunity for us and for Isaac to see himself there and for us to see him in that position."