Fraser McReight to Captain Wallabies in Rugby Championship Clash with Springboks
Star flanker **Fraser McReight** will lead the Wallabies for the first time on Sunday after being named captain for their Rugby Championship rematch against South Africa in Cape Town.
McReight takes over from his injured roommate, **Harry Wilson**, becoming the **91st player to skipper Australia**.
“I feel very privileged and honoured to get the nod of captain this week,” McReight said on Friday. “First and foremost, I’d much rather be playing with Harry and for him to be leading us out, but I also feel very proud to be part of a special club.”
The Wallabies stunned the reigning world champions last weekend with a remarkable 38-22 comeback victory in Johannesburg. They now have the chance to defeat South Africa in back-to-back Tests on their home soil for the first time since **1963**.
Despite the captaincy, McReight insisted he won’t alter his approach.
“It probably won’t change too much from what I’d be doing if Harry were playing,” he said. “I’ll let the game drivers do their thing, I’ll let my game do most of the talking, try to get to the ref when I can, but just do what I normally do — not much changes.
“My role as a number seven is to be a good defender, be a pest, and have a high work rate. That’s what I try to do. Typically, I try to stay quiet, head down, and bum up.”
Springboks coach **Rassie Erasmus**, furious after his team’s second-half collapse at Ellis Park, responded with sweeping changes — nine in total after Willie le Roux was ruled out late through injury. But McReight said the Wallabies aren’t dwelling on who’s wearing the green and gold.
“We know the Springboks have a lot of quality players, and they tend to use them all,” he said. “Those first 20 minutes we played last week were pretty poor, and we want to rectify that. For us, it’s about looking in the mirror — what can we do better throughout the week?
“We have plans and an idea of what they’ll try to do, but they can change it up at any moment, so the focus is on us and controlling what we can control.”
Wilson, who scored twice before being forced off with a knee injury, will be replaced at No. 8 by **Rob Valetini**. The powerhouse back-rower has been among Australia’s most consistent performers in recent seasons but has played just one half of rugby in 2025 due to a calf issue.
McReight backed his teammate to make an immediate impact.
“Everyone thoroughly loves playing with Bobby — he’s physical, he’s a great person to have in the team,” McReight said. “Look at the depth we’ve got in the back row: our captain Wilso is out, and Bobby steps in. I couldn’t ask for a better replacement. I reckon he’s roaring to go.”
