'Jason called him up and fake scared him... my dad got quite intimidated'
Louis Lynagh may have been capped by England at age-grade level but the Italian-born Harlequins winger is definitely a chip off his dad’s Australian block as his gift of the gab means he is well able to tell amusing stories that are not the norm, certainly for a 20-year-old in the days leading into the biggest game of his life.
Thirty years after his father Michael helped the Wallabies to defeat England at Twickenham to win the 1991 World Cup final, Louis will be part of the Harlequins side gunning for Gallagher Premiership glory in this Saturday’s showpiece decider against champions Exeter.
The final will cap quite an exceptional breakthrough year for the youngster who only started his first Premiership game for the club on Boxing Day.
Lynagh has enjoyed a total of ten appearances and four tries in the 23-game Harlequins league campaign, an emergence topped off by his decision to agree on a contract extension at the club rather than follow the path that will be soon taken by his younger brother Tom, who is joining the Queensland Reds.
However, Louis has jokingly recalled to RugbyPass how his career could have been over after his very first training session as a four-year-old at Richmond, just a couple of miles along the road from Twickenham where he hopes to be lifting the league title trophy this weekend.
"He has got a good kick on him but his dad was the master 10 back in that era"
– How Louis Lynagh's breakthrough left one member of the Harlequins staff recalling memories of Michael Lynagh in his Wallabies pomp#PremRugbyhttps://t.co/uw9bUyJvvV
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 11, 2021
“That is a funny story,” chuckled Lynagh when asked if it was true that his father once received a threatening phone call from the legendary England and Harlequins prop, Jason Leonard, after Louis got into a bit of bother at his debut minis rugby training session. “I was training with Jason’s son and we got in a little scuffle, a jokey one, nothing too serious. I mean, we were four years old but Jason called my dad up and fake scared him. If you met my dad in real life he is not the tallest guy and he got quite intimidated.”
Michael Lynagh went into the history books as one of the most venerated Australian rugby players of all time. He won 72 caps, played at three World Cup and was such a hero to Billy Millard that the current Harlequins general manager had posters of the famed No10 all over his bedroom walls growing up in Sydney.
The infatuation has not been lost, Millard regularly referring to Louis at Harlequins as Noddy, the nickname Lynagh senior was known by when he ruled the international scene with a magical boot and a running game to savour. The nickname hasn’t cottoned fully on at Harlequins.
“Some guys do (call me Noddy),” said Lynagh. “Ben Tapuai does it, but that’s the Australian connection as well. It’s not such a bad thing. I wouldn’t mind being compared to my dad, he was a decent player himself so if I got to be at the same level and have his nickname that’s okay by me.
“It has been a theme since when I was growing up and throughout schools rugby, but now I like to think I am making my own path. I will always have that connection to my dad and I will always be thankful for that, not only for his help in my career but what opportunities I have had to meet certain people and gather information about playing rugby and a lot of other opportunities. But, especially this season, I have shown that I can pull my own weight and I’m hopefully making more strides to bring my own name to the forefront instead of just being referred to as my dad’s son.”
As he admits, the family connection has helped in certain instances but Lynagh is adamant that the success he has enjoyed so far in his short career wasn’t simply handed to him. “I like to think I’m a hard worker and this opportunity hasn’t just fallen into my hands, I have been working hard even before I came into the academy.
“All the steps leading up to this are finally paying off and that is not to say that after the final that is me done and I have had a great career. It’s just the beginning and that is something my dad always used to say to me, ‘Yeah, you have made this great achievement but then that is just the beginning of another step in your career’. Even though I have made such great progress there is always room for improvement.”
It was months ago, long before Harlequins became title contenders, that Lynagh decided his future was best served by staying on at The Stoop. He could see the potential of the squad even though it had struggled to be publicly seen before the Paul Gustard era as head of rugby ended in January.
“I got convinced by how amazing a group this team is and that was before even we had a big run of games and we climbed our way up the table. Just before me, Marcus (Smith) re-signed and loads of big players had been re-signing. Then I re-signed and that just shows the effect of how we have all come together as a group and managed to form this core group of players that we can build from the backbone. Now we are in the Premiership final it just shows I have made the right decision for my career.”
The making of Maro Itoje ?
Jim Hamilton was lucky enough to spend some time with Vitality ambassador and former teammate @maroitoje before he heads to South Africa ? @Vitality_UK
EP 1 – https://t.co/CIOmpi9Q2K pic.twitter.com/tSUOl348QX— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 24, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
guys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
1 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to comments