Injury-hit Wallabies call up Champion de Crespigny for Springboks Test as Cale ruled out

Charlie Cale has been ruled out of Australia’s upcoming Test against the Springboks after sustaining a shoulder injury, with the Wallabies confirming on Tuesday that the 25-year-old loose forward will return to Canberra to begin his recovery.

The setback continues a frustrating run for Cale, who endured a two-year absence from international rugby before returning to feature in four Tests this season. The timing is particularly unfortunate with South Africa — ranked the best team in the world — providing the opposition this weekend.

In response, coach Les Kiss has called Nick Champion de Crespigny into the squad for the first time under his tenure. The 30-year-old Western Force backrower was last involved under Joe Schmidt during the Nations Championship Tests in July, but had been absent from two subsequent squads.

Champion de Crespigny made his Wallabies debut against the British & Irish Lions last July and went on to captain the national side for the first time three months later, leading Australia to a win over Japan’s Brave Blossoms. He also came off the bench during the Spring Tour against England at Twickenham before making a dozen appearances for the Western Force in the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

The backrower brings considerable experience to the squad, having spent multiple seasons in France’s Top 14 with Castres before joining the Force ahead of the 2025 campaign.

The Wallabies head into the Springboks clash unbeaten under Kiss, with two wins over Japan and a victory against Argentina offset by a 28-all draw with Los Pumas in Mendoza most recently.

Force and Wallabies backrower Carlo Tizzano framed the challenge plainly ahead of the weekend. “South Africa are the best team in the world, so what better way to test what we’ve been doing and everything we’ve been working on than doing it against the best?” he told reporters.

“To get the win will be unreal. I think we’ve grown a lot since we last played them in Perth. But it’s all about making sure we do all the things we’ve been talking about during the week. And if we do that, then we should get a good result.”