Injury update: Joe Schmidt reveals toll of Lions tour on Wallabies big guns

Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has given a mixed injury update on his Wallabies big guns a week on from the British & Irish Lions series and a week before the Rugby Championship opener against South Africa in Johannesburg.

Schmidt says key forwards Rob Valetini, Will Skelton and Taniela Tupou are expected to be available for the seismic clash, but there’s not so good news elsewhere.

The trio have all been carrying injuries in the wake of Australia’s three-Test series win over the British and Irish Lions. Tupou is managing a toe problem after an influential display in the third Test in Sydney, while Valetini missed the first and third Tests with a calf issue.

Skelton sat out the opener with a similar injury before returning to make an impact in the final two matches.

“They’re definitely all in contention for Ellis Park,” Schmidt told the Sydney Morning Herald before the squad’s departure on Saturday.

“Obviously Will played 60 minutes [in the third Test], Nela [Tupou] played 60-odd in Sydney. It feels like a long time ago; it wasn’t even a week ago. So they’re fine and Bobby [Valetini] did a really good run yesterday, so our ambition is that he’ll train fully with us this week.”

Australia also face the Springboks in Pretoria the following Saturday.

Meanwhile, Schmidt said fly-half Tom Lynagh and prop Allan Alaalatoa remain longer-term injury concerns. Lynagh is undergoing return-to-play protocols after concussion, while Alaalatoa is rehabbing a shoulder problem.

“We’re going to have to see how the next two weeks go for both of them,” Schmidt said. “Allan is recovering pretty well so far, and we’re hoping that a conservative approach allows him to come back and play.

“We’ll also be really conservative with Tom. He’s a young player – you’ve seen the size of him versus the size of some of the guys firing into him – and we’ve just got to make sure we look after them as best we can.”