Updated ,first published
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has urged injury-plagued five-eighth Tom Lynagh to not be swayed by the allure of an overseas venture, stressing he remains firmly in Test contention despite a frustrating Super Rugby campaign.
Lynagh is out of contract at the end of this season. Sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly have confirmed Rugby Australia has made Lynagh an offer, despite the playmaker being limited to 18 minutes of game time in 2026. The sources say Lynagh wants to stay in Australia and play for the Reds ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Lynagh has compiled a worrying list of health problems since clinching the No.10 jumper for the British and Irish Lions series last year.
The 23-year-old suffered concussion and hamstring issues, which cost him the chance to feature in his maiden spring tour.
Further leg concerns – most recently a calf – and illness have kept Lynagh from lining up for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby Pacific, and he will not play on Friday against the Chiefs in Brisbane.
In his absence, Carter Gordon and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips have played their way onto the Test radar, while Western Force No.10 Ben Donaldson and Brumbies youngster Declan Meredith have also caught Schmidt’s eye.
The son of Test great Michael Lynagh, Tom was born in Italy, the nation his brother Louis represents. Louis Lynagh’s Italian club side, Benetton, has also recruited Louis Werchon and Josh Flook from next season since forging a partnership with the Reds.
Schmidt said he believed Lynagh could enjoy a long future in the gold jumper, but conceded his chances of fulfilling that potential would diminish if he left Australia, given the game’s restrictions on players who ply their trade abroad.
“I think he’s pretty keen to be involved with the Wallabies … if he did go offshore, he wouldn’t really be accessible to us,” Schmidt said.
“We’re always going to favour the guy who’s based here because that’s a way to keep building our domestic strength.”
Schmidt said Lynagh had “known value” in Wallabies colours, and would have every opportunity to prove he warranted a call-up for the first Test of 2026 against Ireland on July 4.
But he stopped short of putting an exact number on how much game time Lynagh would need, adding that finding opportunities for fitness and momentum could be difficult.
“We’re already getting tight,” Schmidt said. “You’ve got four rounds left, and then your play-off rounds, and the Irish Test comes up very quickly after that.”
Those final four rounds will also be a golden chance for NRL convert Zac Lomax to press his case for a Test debut, having shown impressive signs since his high-profile defection to the Force.
The 26-year-old’s first starting appearance for the club was headlined by a decisive try in his side’s comeback win against the Crusaders, while his aerial presence has long been a strength.
Schmidt hinted that Lomax needed to improve his defensive positioning to warrant selection, particularly given the form of more established wingers, including Max Jorgensen, Filipo Daugunu, Corey Toole and Dylan Pietsch. On Tuesday, it was announced Pietsch had extended his contract with RA until the end of 2028.
“I think we all need to see a little bit more of Zac, but having met Zac, he is massively driven,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt has also stayed in contact with former Reds star Jordan Petaia, who has been “playing with a bit more authority” in France for USA Perpignan.
Meanwhile, Wallabies prop Angus Bell will return from a foot injury to play for Ulster against the Stormers this Saturday in Belfast.
Bell’s return puts the prop in the frame to play for the Wallabies against Ireland on the 4 July when he returns to the Waratah from his successful sabbatical in Northern Ireland.
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