Carter Gordon set for first Wallabies start since 2023 RWC – report

Carter Gordon hasn’t played international rugby since the 2023 Rugby World Cup but that is set to change this weekend, with a report out of Australia revealing the code-hopper will start at fly-half against Italy in Udine.

Sydney Morning Herald scribe Iain Payten understands Gordon will be brought into the run-on side for the third Test of the Spring Tour, after the playmaker missed out on the chance to face Japan and England with a quad niggle.

Gordon left rugby union after the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, signing a deal across codes with NRL side the Gold Coast Titans. After a long stint on the sidelines with a spinal fluid leak, Gordon debuted for the Titans in their final-round clash with the Wests Tigers.

Multiple media outlets reported early last month that Gordon was expected to return to rugby union, before the eight-Test Wallaby put pen to paper on a long-term deal with Rugby Australia and the Queensland Reds through to the end of 2028.

Tane Edmed has started the last three matches in the No. 10 jersey, but it’s understood that will change this weekend, with Payten forecasting some “chopping and changing” to the side that was beaten by England 25-7 last weekend.

“I’ll preface it with, I think Joe Schmidt is a guy who has a plan and he builds a plan from several weeks out, several months out. I think he’s always had a plan for this game, as he did for Japan and England,” Payten said on Stan Sport’s Inside Line.

“What I’ve heard is Carter Gordon is going to start at 10… [Schmidt] doesn’t take blokes on tour just to hold pads, they always get a run. The plan was always going to be for Carter to get time off the bench in those first two games but he had a quad niggle.

“From what I gather, they’re sticking to that plan of giving Carter a run this week. I guess that makes some sense. In terms of what you’re talking about there of him trying to build depth and he mentioned that in the press conference straight after the game.”

While Gordon’s return to the Wallabies’ matchday side is expected to be confirmed this week, it’s believed Len Ikitau won’t be named. The John Eales Medallist was recalled into the squad after missing the England match but isn’t expected to face the Azzurri.

Exeter Chiefs duo Ikitau and Tom Hooper missed the Test at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium as it fell outside of World Rugby’s three-week international window. Both Wallabies were called into the squad shortly after the England defeat, leading many to believe the duo would suit up in Italy.

“For what I gather, I don’t know if Len is going to play this Test, despite being available. I can’t tell you quite why,” Payten added.

“I think there is a potential that Joe does like a player to have quite a stretch of training before they play a game and we’ve seen that in the past where he doesn’t necessarily select them the first week they’re available.

“I don’t think Len will play and Will Skelton won’t play either because he didn’t come into the squad, they announced that Tom Hooper and Len Ikitau were coming into the squad but not Will Skelton. I can only gather that’s because he played for La Rochelle on the Sunday.

“The point being is I think we’re going to see a little bit of a mixed bag as far as continuity with last week’s team.”