Matt Giteau is the only Wallaby in the professional era to make his Test debut for Australia before he had played provincial rugby. One of Test rugby’s most dangerous, daring, versatile and durable players he went on to become one the great Wallabies of the modern era. 

Born in Sydney but raised in Canberra, Matt had rugby league in his blood from his childhood as father Ron played more than 200 first grade matches for Western Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs and the Canberra Raiders. Matt himself played league and it was not until he was moved to St. Edmund’s College that he, somewhat begrudgingly, played the 15-man game. 

By the time Matt reached years 11 and 12 he was told that if he wanted to play 1st XV, he had to give up league – so he did. For one of the few times in his career Matt played second fiddle to a rival player, fellow future Wallaby Lachlan Mackay, when he ‘only’ made the Australia ‘A’ Schools team of 2000. 

He arrived in 2002 with selection in the national 7s, U21s and, without having ever trained, let alone played with a Super Rugby team, the Wallaby Spring Tour squad. Matt then made his Test debut just 48 days after his 20th birthday, against England at Twickenham. 

From that point on there was very little Matt did not achieve in rugby although he did note taste victory in either the Bledisloe or Rugby World Cups. In 2011, having played 92 Tests, Matt’s career was at a crossroads. An obvious scapegoat for the stunning loss to Samoa in Sydney he was dropped from the squad and not selected to what would have been his third Rugby World Cup. He then left Australia for France where he enjoyed two outstanding seasons with Toulon. 

In 2015 the ARU changed its contract restrictions for overseas players in what would come to be known as the ‘Giteau Law’. The rule change made Matt eligible for national selection and he returned to the fold with a newfound appreciation for each minute played for his country. Four years and a day after the Samoan debacle Matt wore the Wallabies’ No.12 jersey onto the field against South Africa in Brisbane. He then won selection in the squad for the Rugby World Cup where he became just the seventh Wallaby to play 100 Tests. 

Injury denied Matt the opportunity to go out entirely on his own terms however he thoroughly deserved the rewards that his 2015 year delivered. Over the course of a 16 year, 13 season international career he played 103 Tests (6th all-time for Australia as at end-2017) and scored 698 points (3rd all-time for Australia as at end-2017).