Wallabies enforcer to be left out by Schmidt in July squad shock

June 19, 2026 — 7:30pm

As the crow flies, Snape Park in Maroubra is only six kilometres from Allianz Stadium in Moore Park – or about a 15-minute drive with a good run along Anzac Parade.

But at the start of this year, the distance between the humble playing field and Allianz, the shiny venue for the Wallabies’ first Test against Ireland on July 4, must have felt as far the moon and back for Miles Amatosero.

Miles Amatosero poses at Allianz Stadium after being named in the Wallabies squad. Getty Images In January, Amatosero was banished to his suburban oval, amid a blaze of media attention, after getting in a pre-season training fight with Waratahs teammate Angus Scott-Young. Scott-Young was left with a facial fracture, the footage leaked and Amatosero was suspended for two weeks by Rugby Australia and the Waratahs.

He was not permitted to set foot in Waratahs headquarters – so each morning, the big lock headed down solo to Snape Park.

“I was training on my own. It was difficult being away from all the boys, but it worked out,” Amatosero said. “I think that time away made me reflect on really how much this game means to me.”

Soon enough, Amatosero returned to Waratahs training, the hatchet was buried with Scott-Young and the season unfolded.

Fast-forward six months and Amatosero was dealing with media attention again. But this time at Allianz Stadium, after being named as a bolter in the Wallabies squad for the July Test series against Ireland, France and Italy.

It felt like a world away from Snape Park for Amatosero, who was among the many people who were shocked to learn of his first inclusion in the Wallabies squad ahead of more experienced locks like Nick Frost and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto .

Though the 24-year-old had been included in a wider training for a camp during the week, Amatosero felt like he was not a serious contender to make the cut for the 37-man Wallabies squad, and so departed with partner Emily to Melbourne to watch State of Origin and spend a few days relaxing.

“To be honest, I thought I wasn’t going to be named,” Amatosero said.

Miles Amatosero charging against the Brumbies. Getty Images “That was just my gut feeling. I guess it’s self-sabotage. I was with my girlfriend in Melbourne watching State of Origin and then I got a call from [Wallabies manager] Chris Thompson that I’d made it.

“I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it.”

The weekend away was sadly cut short, and emotions fully kicked in when Amatosero told his mum, Jane.

“She’s my number one supporter and keeps me level-headed,” he said. “She’s not a crier, but last night when I called her up and gave her the news, she couldn’t contain it. I’m still pretty emotional about it.”

Facing the media, there was no escaping the pre-season fight as the backstory to Amatosero’s call-up, and he didn’t hide from the questions.

“I knew that it was going to be a tough period in the beginning. But just going back to working hard and trying to do my best and perform each week for the boys resulted with this,” Amatosero said.

What did he learn from the saga?

Miles Amatosero tangles with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in the last Waratahs-Reds clash, in round 13 last year. Getty Images “Just resilience, I guess. Just stick to what I know and put your head down and work hard, and hopefully the results pay off,” he said.

Amatosero has long been touted as a future Wallaby, after the former Waverley College student returned to the Tahs following a three-year stint with Clermont in France. Amatosero’s giant dimensions – 203cm, 125kg – saw him tagged as a “ mini Will Skelton ” but the youngster, who has Nigerian heritage, took time to find his feet in Super Rugby and to use that giant frame to best effect.

Controlling a fiery temperament was also an issue for Amatosero, who soon found himself baited into giving away costly penalties by seasoned rivals.

The Waratahs training brawl provided his rivals even more reason to goad him, but Amatosero believes the incident – and the fallout – actually helped him get better at keeping his cool.

“It [baiting] has happened my entire career, just being that sort of fiery physical type,” Amatosero said. “That’s definitely a work on for me, balancing the discipline with the aggression. But I think this season was my best by far doing that.”

The tricky part for a tight forward is that balancing the aggression doesn’t mean getting rid of it.

“I’ve got to get it as close as I can to boiling, without boiling over,” Amatosero said.

If Amatosero wins a cap for the Wallabies in July, the comparisons will inevitably be made against Salakaia-Loto, given the pair both play a similar enforcer-style role. Unsurprisingly, the pair have even found themselves drawn to each in skirmishes during Waratahs-Reds clashes in recent seasons.

But Amatosero said he won’t get caught up trying to fill the Salakaia-Loto void.

“I’m not going to bring anything different. I’m just going to bring what I hopefully bring every game, and that’s just…