When Australian rugby bosses went shopping for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii they did not just buy a player. They bet the house.

They looked at the £2.7 million price tag, convinced themselves this jewel in rugby league’s crown was sparkly enough to get them noticed, and gambled everything.

In the desperate hope a 21-year old who had never played professional rugby union would not just rekindle interest in the struggling code Down Under but actually save it, the cash-strapped union put it all on the line.

In Suaalii they saw a superstar to lure eyeballs from the NRL, the ARL, the Baggy Greens and Matildas and back to a sport which, according to a recent report, ranks only ninth in popularity in Australia.

Leap of faith

And on a chilly autumn afternoon 11,000 miles from home, that leap of faith was rewarded.

Australia beat England, scoring more points than ever before at Twickenham, and a young man on debut was named man off the match.

“Rubbish, isn’t he that Suaalii,” said former England star Austin Healey with a laugh and a shake of his head. “First game of rugby. Imagine how good he’ll be after his second.”

A full house had watched Steve Borthwick’s team blow yet another game of Test match rugby in the final play, coughing up a winning try a week after fluffing a drop goal shot for glory.

Shock, horror and anger aplenty coursed through the packed stands but down on the pitch jubilant players wearing green and gold sought out Suaalii and mobbed him.

Never before had England scored so many points at Twickenham and lost. Never before had there been quite such an introduction from a player coming cold into the sport.

Suaalii has yet to play Super Rugby. A week ago he did not even know if he would make this tour, yet here he was up with the ball on a string against an England team 13-point favourites to beat their arch rivals for the 11th time in 12 attempts.

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That they failed to do so had much to do with their own deficiencies. “Unforgivable,” England captain Jamie George said of leaking 42 points at home to a side ranked ninth in the world.

But plenty also was down to the man Australia risked everything for.

Suaalii was at the heart of everything, offloading for fun, defying gravity with his aerial leaps.

At one point he outjumped Maro Itoje, who was at the time being lifted. He then drew the English midfield and lobbed a no-look pass with one hand to Tom Wright for Australia’s opening try.

Up in the stands Joe Schmidt smiled inwardly. The Wallabies boss has never been one to parade his emotions but even if he could scarcely contain his joy.

Huge moments ahead

He knows what is at stake with this investment. That with the British and Irish Lions heading to Oz next summer, and the World Cup two years after that, Australia has rediscover its mojo and fast.

Just 80 minutes into Suaalii’s career it does not look such a long shot. Inspired by his example the tourists rallied from 12 points down early on to lead 28-18 – then came back again after England looked to have nicked it in the final two minutes.

Contrast that with the way they buckled and folded in Argentina just two months ago – conceding 67 points in a record hammering after being given a three-score head start.

What Steve Borthwick would give for such a transformation in Red Rose fortunes after another defeat which left him sick to the stomach.

File it with South Africa in the World Cup semi-final, France in Lyon, New Zealand in Dunedin, Auckland and here at Allianz Stadium a week ago. Another loss expertly plucked from the jaws of victory.

Your heart bled for Marcus Smith who was superb throughout, setting up four of England’s five tries with his best performance yet in any England jersey.

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How he was let down by those around him after Chandler Cunningham-South’s two early tries put the home side firmly in the driving seat.

It was the same old story: unforced errors and turnovers gifting the opposition a foothold back into the contest.

Remarkably, Smith was not done and linked twice with replacement Ollie Sleightholme for tries which put England back in front.

Again they coughed it up, George Ford passing behind Ollie Lawrence for Andrew Kellaway to run 40 metres and dot down. Yet Itoje drove over on 78 minutes and England led again, only to then fail to take the restart and allow Max Jorgensen to steal the prize.

“It feels like groundhog day for England,” said the watching Ugo Monye. “The ending is this continuous nightmare of not closing out a match.

“It is a real problem and not unlucky anymore. This is a trend that has stuck with England.”

For Borthwick, things only get tougher. Next up are world champions South Africa. Another defeat and the knives will be out.

For Schmidt, a trip to Wales with Suaalii on song is an altogether more palatable thought. Early days, but the gamble is already paying off.

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