Matt Faessler

That Matt Faessler, Queensland’s promising young hooker, has been picked by returning Wallaby coach Eddie Jones may be the fateful combination that can return Australian rugby to its former glories. While it is well known that Jones is the most recent Australian coach to win a Bledisloe Cup series (2002) what is not is that Faessler’s maternal grandfather, Vince Bermingham, played in the first Wallaby side to win the storied trophy, in 1934.

Born and bred in Toowoomba, as was Vince, Faessler played his first rugby as a prop for the University of Southern Queensland Saints’ U5s. He attended Toowomba Grammar School and played two seasons in the 1st XV (2015-16) before he won selection in the Australian Schools Barbarians squad - essentially Australian Schools II - alongside Nick Frost, Tate McDermott, Jordan Petaia, Dylan Pietsch, and Harry Wilson.

After school, Faessler played his rugby with Brothers in Queensland's Premier Rugby competition from where he was picked to represent Australia at the World Rugby U20 Championship in France. Despite that pedigree, Faessler found himself ‘sweating it out at Latham Park in [Sydney’s] Maroubra’ early in 2022 after Queensland failed to offer him a contract. Randwick coach Ben McCormack convinced Faessler to stay onshore, come down to Randwick and “get more eyes on you” in the Shute Shield competition. Ahead of his first trial match, Faessler received an SOS from the Reds and accepted a 10-week injury cover contract.

In what proved to be a whirlwind year, Faessler made his Reds’ debut in the 29-16 away win over the Western Force and four months later started in the number two jersey for Australia A’ in their 32-18 defeat of Fiji in the Pacific Nations Cup. In 2023, Faessler continued to impress with his combative style, high work-rate, and superior lineout accuracy to several of his domestic peers. On top of that, he scored six Super Rugby tries for the Reds. As such it is little wonder that Faessler’s name found its way into Jones’ 34-man squad for The Rugby Championship.

If Faessler wins a first Test cap he and Bermingham will follow in the footsteps of several famous Wallaby families, the Lawtons and the McLeans no less, to become the seventh grandfather / grandson combination to play Test rugby for Australia.

Highlights

2018

Represented Australia at the World Rugby U20 World Championship in France.