Wallabies squad v Lions: Winners and losers as Noah Lolesio learns most ‘callous’ lesson while Joe Schmidt makes stunning O’Connor call
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt and playmakers Noah Lolesio and James O'Connor.
Following the announcement of Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies squad to take on the British and Irish Lions, here are our winners and losers.
The Wallabies boss has stuck to a largely unchanged squad for the once-every-12-years series, but he has still managed to deliver some contentious decisions.
“As Wallabies coaches, we have tried to balance continuity with form and freshness, but there were some very tight calls,” Schmidt conceded after naming his squad.
Without further ado, we unpack his selections and select his winners and losers.
Winners
James O’Connor
We start with the obvious one, the headline addition to the squad. James O’Connor has endured a turbulent international career after breaking onto the scene as a bleach-blonde 18-year-old back in 2008.
However, a more mature and considered JOC returns to the Wallabies squad, answering Schmidt’s SOS following the crushing blow to Noah Lolesio.
Now a 35-year-old man, O’Connor has the opportunity to make one big splash on the international scene as he gets a second crack against the British and Irish Lions, and rightly so after a sterling season with the Crusaders, helping the side win another Super Rugby title.
He will be making the move back to the Premiership, joining Leicester Tigers ahead of next season, but nothing will be further from his mind as he ends a three-year hiatus at the highest level.
While his recall to the squad is at the expense of a key cog in the Wallabies, O’Connor has proven this year that he is more than capable of performing at the highest level.
James Slipper
While O’Connor’s call-up might have caught many by surprise, James Slipper’s inclusion was a foregone conclusion as he continues to be one of the premier props in Australia at the age of 36.
What makes Slipper’s inclusion all the more special is that he joins O’Connor in getting a second crack at the British and Irish Lions, with the pair set to join Wallabies great George Smith in playing for Australia in two successive series against the famous touring team.
The veteran prop is the most capped Wallaby of all-time with 144 appearances for his country and will look to add to his legacy in the three upcoming Test matches.
Uncapped duo
Schmidt has named a largely settled squad on the whole, but the head coach has found space to reward Super Rugby form with two players in line for potential Test debuts, they are: Brumbies speedster Corey Toole and Western Force backrower Nick Champion de Crespigny.
Toole has been involved in several Wallabies squads under Schmidt, but just hasn’t been able to force his way into the matchday teams to earn his first cap. But perhaps his opportunity will come against the Lions, particularly after a standout performance in Canberra.
Meanwhile, Champion de Crespigny returns to the squad after being released to the Western Force for the clash against the tourists.
The all-action forward honed his skills in France with Castres Olympique before returning to Australia, joining the Perth-based outfit ahead of this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign. His shifts forced Schmidt’s hand and is just-reward for his hard work.
Taniela Tupou
Taniela Tupou doesn’t believe in Taniela Tupou right now, but the Wallabies and Joe Schmidt certainly do. The powerhouse tighthead prop has had mental health struggles this year and is low on confidence, which has impacted his performances.
He has been quite open about his struggles, but that hasn’t persuaded the Wallabies coaches, who are backing him to hit the ground running against the Lions and who can blame them. At his best, Tupou is one of the most destructive front row forwards in the game, whether that’d be around the park or in the scrums. If they can get him to that level again, he will play a huge role in the Tests.
Josh Canham
There were very few surprising calls in the Wallabies squad, except perhaps one-cap lock Josh Canham.
The Queensland Reds forward was not included in Schmidt’s squad for the clash against Fiji, but seemingly impressed the experienced coach and his staff in the clash against the Lions for his club to earn a spot in the 36.
He is preferred over the likes of Lukhan Salakai-Loto and Darcy Swain, the former struggling with injuries this season while the latter has been in outstanding form.
Canham will have a lot of competition for a spot in the matchday squad, but he has already muscled his way into contention, so who knows where it will go from here.
Tom Hooper and Langi Gleeson
Earlier this year, Tom Hooper and Langi Gleeson were omitted from the Wallabies training squads, with Schmidt opting not to invite players who are heading abroad following the conclusion of the Super Rugby Pacific season. Hooper is off to the Exeter Chiefs while Gleeson will join French club Montpellier.
However, the pair’s performances for the Brumbies and Waratahs were just too good to ignore and forced Schmidt into changing his mind and have now earned spots in the squad to tackle the British and Irish Lions.
Hooper’s inclusion is made all the more special after he was overlooked for much of last year despite being a standout for a poor Wallabies’ effort at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He offers real versatility, having shone in the second and back row for the Brumbies this year and only lost out on the Super Rugby Player of the Year Award to the sensational Ardie Savea.
Nic White
After an injury denied him a Wallabies call-up and potential debut against the Lions back in 2013, Nic White may still get the opportunity to represent his country against the famous touring outfit.
It will be just reward for the veteran scrum-half who always gives his all for his country and has worked incredibly hard to remain at the highest level at the age of 35.
The Lynaghs
A special milestone is on the cards for the Lynagh family as Queensland fly-half Tom is one step closer to becoming the first Wallaby to follow in his father’s footsteps in playing against the Lions.
His father, Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, pulled on the gold jersey when the Lions toured in 1989.
Tom will hope he can help the Wallabies do one better than his father, who featured in a star-studded Australian team that fell to a 2-1 Series defeat after winning the opening game.
Lynagh Snr was a sensational player in his pomp, winning a Rugby World Cup with the Wallabies in 1991, while his sons are starting out their careers at the highest level, with Tom boasting three caps ahead of the Series while Louis is currently representing Italy.
Losers
Noah Lolesio
Again, we start with the obvious. Noah Lolesio was the clear first-choice fly-half for Schmidt and has been since last year. However, professional sport is just as cruel as it is glorious, and Lolesio has learnt that in the most callous possible way after sustaining a nasty injury in the Wallabies’ only warm-up match against Fiji.
After making a tackle on a Fijian, his head whiplashed into the ground, and a cart was required to remove him from the pitch. Afterwards, Schmidt was hopeful that his star playmaker would recover in time for the Test Series, but it was not to be.
Lukhan Salakai-Loto
A consistent performer who not only adds real class in every facet of the game but also does so with real gusto and aggression. Salakai-Loto is incredibly unfortunate not to make the team, with the 28-year-old also offering experience at the highest level, something somewhat lacking in the overall squad, leadership and versatility.
Schmidt overlooked the back-five forward for the clash against Fiji due to his injury concerns in the backend of Super Rugby Pacific. Still, one would have thought that he’d get a recall after featuring against the Lions for Queensland and this weekend for the AUNZ invitational team.
But that hasn’t been the case. If there is an injury in the lock or back-row stocks, then surely the 28-year-old’s number will be called, particularly because of how much he played for Schmidt last year, featuring in two of the three July internationals, all but one of the Rugby Championship matches and four times in November.
Samu Kerevi
Prior to his call-up to the squad, O’Connor said that he was aware of powerhouse centre Samu Kerevi remaining fit and firing in the hope of cracking the squad.
But for the veteran midfielder, it was not to be as his last appearance for the Wallabies remains the November clash against Wales, where he was red-carded.
Kerevi was always a man the Wallabies turned to when fit, but those days have now come and gone with the quality the Australians now have in the midfield with the likes of Hunter Paisami, Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.
Marika Koroibete
In similar breath, Marika Koroibete was quite simply the best Wallabies winger and at a stage one of the best in the game. However, he was rather off-colour last year for the Australians and was eventually released from the squad.
The veteran speedster was in fine form for the Wild Knights in Japan and will also feature in the AUNZ XV against the Lions this weekend. There, he will want to press his claim for a potential call-up if there are mishaps.
However, Schmidt does seem to have plenty of cover in the squad already in the form of Filipo Daugunu, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter and Corey Toole.
Darcy Swain
Having seemingly put his disciplinary issues behind him, lock Darcy Swain earned a recall to Schmidt’s Wallabies squad for the clash against Fiji but was released to represent the Western Force.
However, he remains on the outskirts of the squad, with Schmidt turning to Canham instead. It’s a real shame for Swain, who was sublime throughout Super Rugby and was one of the leading lineout operators along with second row partner Jeremy Williams, who is in the squad.
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