BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Tom Lynagh will start at flyhalf for Australia against the Lions in the series-opening test on Saturday, 36 years after his famous father wore the Wallabies No. 10 jersey against the combined British and Irish rugby team.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt announced his squad Thursday to take on the Lions and was forced into some major lineup changes by injuries to regular backrower Rob Valetini, Langi Gleeson and lock Will Skelton.
Nick Champion de Crespigny will make his debut on the blindside flank to replace Valetini, bringing a different style of game and allowing Wallabies skipper to take up more of the ball-carrying responsibility. Hooker Matt Faessler also returns to the starting XV.
The 22-year-old Lynagh will start a test for the first time after coming off the bench three times previously. He’ll form a new halves combination with Jake Gordon in the biggest moment of his fledgling international career.
“I’m really excited for Tom. He’s got a quiet confidence about him, that gives us a quiet confidence as well,†Schmidt said. “He’s fitted in really well this week. He’s given us the confidence that he’s going to run the game for us. He’s incredibly brave — to a fault.â€
The Lions won the series 2-1 on their last tour to Australia in 2013, avenging a 2-1 series loss to the Wallabies in 2001.
Michael Lynagh was part of the Australian team that lost the 1989 series 2-1 to the Lions, and he went on to help guide the Wallabies to a World Cup triumph in 1991.
His son was born in Italy, went to school in England and moved in 2021 to Australia, where he has flourished at the Queensland Reds and earned three test caps.
There was a vacancy at No. 10 after
Tom Lynagh will be the first Wallaby to follow in his father’s footsteps in playing against the Lions.
“It’s his home track. It’s a fantastic opportunity for him,” Schmidt said. “Probably not ideal to be starting your first test match for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions (but) if not now, when?â€
Veteran prop James Slipper will get another chance at the Lions after being included in a reshuffled pack, bringing his experience of the 2013 series to the current crop of Wallabies.
The absence of Valetini as a ball runner will mean the Wallabies have to adapt, but openside flanker Fraser McReight was confident his lineup would lose nothing in terms of physicality with Champion de Crespigny.
“He loves to whack. He loves the physical nature of the game,†McReight said of his new backrow partner. “Once he crosses that white line, he’s a beast.â€
Lions coach Andy Farrell was set to unveil his squad later Thursday in a downtown Brisbane hotel.
The Lions are 5-0 ahead of the three-test series since a 28-24 in a warmup in Dublin. They had wins over all of Australia’s Super Rugby franchises before Saturday’s 48-0 demolition of an AUNZ invitational XV comprising Australians and New Zealanders in Adelaide.
The Lions landed in Australia last month and have beaten in Perth, in Brisbane, New South Wales in Sydney and the in Canberra.
The second test is set for July 26 in Melbourne, followed by Sydney on Aug. 2.
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Squads:
Australia: Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter, Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (captain), Fraser McReight, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost, Allan Ala’alatoa, Matt Faessler, James Slipper. Reserves: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway.
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AP rugby:
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