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Nations Championship

Jock Campbell earns long-awaited Wallabies return in team to face Ireland

Finn Morton

Published: 1 July 2026 20:16 PDT
Updated: 1 July 2026 20:33 PDT

Jock Campbell poses during an Australian Wallabies Portrait session on June 26, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has sprung a selection shock ahead of the team’s opening Test of the Nations Championship in Sydney, with Jock Campbell winning the race to start at fullback against world number three Ireland on Saturday.

Campbell hasn’t played international rugby in more than 1,300 days but has been rewarded for a stellar Super Rugby Pacific season with the Queensland Reds. The 31-year-old has been named in the outside backs alongside wingers Dylan Pietsch and Max Jorgensen.

Tom Wright, who was injured three minutes into a Test away to the Springboks in Cape Town about eight months ago, will return to the international rugby arena off the pine. Ben Donaldson and Tate McDermott are the other backs on the bench, with the Wallabies going with a 5-3 split.

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Ryan Lonergan has been selected for a maiden Wallabies start at scrum-half, set to link up with Queensland Reds pivot Carter Gordon in the halves. Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will renew their experienced combination in the midfield.

In the forwards, Josh Nasser has been selected alongside two world-renowned props in the front-row. 50-Test loosehead Angus Bell will pack down alongside Nasser and 88-Test tighthead prop Allan Alaalatoa.

Western Force captain Jermey Williams and Queensland Reds enforcer Josh Canham are the two starting locks. Rob Valetini has been named ahead of Tom Hooper at blindside flanker, joining Fraser McReight and captain Harry Wilson in the loose forwards.

There is one potential debutant in the matchday 23, with ACT Brumbies lock Lachlan Shaw in line to debut for the Wallabies off the pine. Other uncapped prospects Miles Amatosero and Declan Meredith have not been selected this week.

“The group has reconnected quickly and we’ve worked hard over the past week to prepare as best we can for what is an exciting challenge against the number three team in World Rugby,” Schmidt said.

“Kicking off 2026 at a sold-out Allianz Stadium gives the group a huge lift and we are fully focused on earning every bit of that home crowd support on Saturday.”

This is the first match of the inaugural Nations Championship, which is a year-long competition that pits the 12 best teams in men’s rugby against one another. Australia will also host Franc and Italy during the July international window.

The Wallabies are searching for their first win over the Irish since 2018.

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Wallabies team to play Ireland in Sydney

Angus Bell (50 Tests)
Josh Nasser (11 Tests)
Allan Alaalatoa (88 Tests)
Jeremy Williams (25 Tests)
Josh Canham (2 Tests)
Rob Valetini (62 Tests)
Fraser McReight (39 Tests)
Harry Wilson (c) (36 Tests)
Ryan Lonergan (5 Tests)
Carter Gordon (9 Tests)
Dylan Pietsch (9 Tests)
Len Ikitau (50 Tests)
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (18 Tests)
Max Jorgensen (20 Tests)
Jock Campbell (4 Tests)

Replacements

Brandon Paenga-Amosa (25 Tests)
James Slipper (151 Tests)
Taniela Tupou (68 Tests)
Lachlan Shaw* (uncapped)
Tom Hooper (22 Tests)
Tate McDermott (50 Tests)
Ben Donaldson (19 Tests)
Tom Wright (43 Tests)

Comments

10 Comments

PM 45 days ago

There's a fair bit of playmaking in that backs setup, both starting and off the bench. Has potential.

Bench forwards have a fair bit of punch too.

There's a fair bit to like here, I think it’s going to be a very competitive game

unknown 45 days ago

Jock Campbell doesn’t defend well and Donaldson not at all . Jorgensen only occasionally .

Campbell , Donaldson , Nasser and Carter Gordon have had chances at test level and have not performed .

Amosa and Pollard are our best hookers .

Tizzano almost as good as McReight .

Loto better than Canham or Hooper .

Angus Scott-Young better than Wilson this year .

Daugunu better than Suaalii , Jorgensen or Peitsch .

KwAussie 45 days ago

Not sure that JAS has played enough this year to be selected. He still seems lost in the midfield and his lack of experience means he misses on both defence and attack because he doesn’t understand the game. I’m reminded of the “Do what you’ve always done and you’ll get what you’ve always got” saying and unfortunately what we always got was losses. Good to see Jock be rewarded for a strong season and it’ll be interesting to see how Gordon and Lonergan go together.

NH 45 days ago

“Do what you’ve always done and you’ll get what you’ve always got.” The other way to look at it is that the only constant in australian rugby is change. What australia ahs always done is drop players and sack coaches as a bandaid fix, only to bring in someone no better. Maybe tahs can sack their way to a title if they just go through enough coaches? Remember when rennie wasn’t good enough so we needed to change coach and ended up imploding with eddie? Thats not me being pro- or anti JAS, just that change for change’s sake isn’t always the right answer.

NH 45 days ago

Lots of continuity from Schmidt. Very happy for Jock to get rewarded for a good season at the reds, I hope he is given a few games to settle in. Would’ve had daugunu at 23 as there is no real centre cover and plenty of fullback options in the side already. Pity the irishman who has to take on Hooper going off like a cut snake for the final 30.

Tah Man Too 45 days ago

Jock very deserving of his shot. Joe’s picked a strong side, about the best back-line he could get, though I would have preferred Donno to start with Gordon coming on later. But that’s largely because he has the combo already with McDermott. Only weakness in the pack is Nasser for mine. I just cannot see why he’s picked ahead of BPA or Pollard. And I still think Faessler and Asiata are both better players than him, and that’s just at QLD. PLEASE someone tell me what I’m missing!

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