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'It's slightly weird for me because his dad was my idol growing up'
Harlequins general manager Billy Millard has spoken about the background in recently convincing Louis Lynagh – the son of Michael, the legendary World Cup-winning Wallaby – that his future is best served by staying with the Londoners rather than seek out a Super Rugby contract in his father’s native Australia.
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Lynagh’s younger brother Tom has agreed to a deal that will take him into Queensland Reds set-up next August but Louis, the 21-year-old born in Treviso when his dad was there in 2000, felt it best to stay with Harlequins and keep developing there.
Following a Gallagher Premiership debut off the bench at Leicester in the final game of last season, Lynagh has catapulted up the Harlequins selection pecking order to make seven more league appearances this season, starting on six occasions and scoring twice on the wing.
That emergence resulted in an unspecified length contract deal being signed on March 4 by the Harlequins academy graduate and Millard, the Australian currently overseeing the team through to the end of this season following the sudden departure of Paul Gustard, is chuffed that Lynagh has chosen to remain at The Stoop rather than seek out pastures elsewhere.
“Louis is such a great kid. He has got leadership potential, is very professional and diligent and has great energy,” said Millard. “It’s slightly weird for me because his dad was my idol growing up.
"There are some conversations going on"
– It's now 49 days since Gustard exited as the Harlequins boss #PremRugby https://t.co/nKRB41WaOU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 10, 2021
“Getting to know Michael a bit closer – Michael and Louis have a great relationship and Louis is just a really good fit (for Harlequins). He took his opportunity really well. You all saw it, he is a good footballer and he is just starting out. He has got a lot of competition there which he is not shying away from. He has got a big future.”
Asked if it was difficult to convince Louis to stay and not follow the Australian route his brother Tom is taking, Millard added: “I don’t think so. There were a couple of conversations there. He has got a lot of close friends here and we provided him with the opportunity and we see a long-term future for him here.
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“Tommy going back to the Reds, again he is his own man and that is a great opportunity for him but we were very keen for Louis to stay for a whole lot of reasons. I wouldn’t say it happened quickly but it was quite easy conversations. He asked a lot of good questions and we got there quite naturally.”
Is Louis a chip off the old block Millard was so enthralled by when he was growing up in Australia? “Different positions, so not really. Louis is a strike runner, he is playing out wide, he can play at full-back as well.
“He has got a good kick on him but his dad was the master ten back in that era and was a very good goal kicker. They are different, they are their own men but you can see similarities in the way that they move at times and just some of their little demeanours.”
"I'm glad he is with is. I'm glad he isn't with England at the moment"
– Some disappointed Test fans want Marcus Smith playing for England but Harlequins are happy their workaholic is currently firing up the Premiership #PremRugby #SixNationshttps://t.co/ZHOvTl77ob
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 4, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Well where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
2 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
2 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
3 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to comments