Lomax's final Wallabies audition comes with chance to shed unflattering record

Former NRL star Zac Lomax will have one last chance to press his early Wallabies claims when he lines up in the Western Force’s season-ending clash with the NSW Waratahs in Perth on Saturday night.

The Force’s finals hopes officially came to an end last week when they failed to secure a bonus point in their 19-15 win over Fijian Drua.

The Waratahs also had their finals hopes crushed when they suffered a 21-14 loss to the Brumbies.

Lomax has enjoyed a strong start to life as a rugby union player, producing a series of aerial highlights and strong runs since joining the Force mid-season.

The 26-year-old has already scored two tries and shown enough to suggest he could become an important weapon in time for the 2027 home World Cup.

The big question now is whether Lomax will be ready to be thrown into the Test cauldron in time for the first phase of the inaugural Nations Championship, which kicks off in July.

The Wallabies will face Ireland in Sydney on July 4, France in Brisbane on July 11 and Italy in Perth on July 18, before the competition concludes later in the year.

“He’s continuing to grow,” Force coach Simon Cron said of Lomax.

“He’s working on little bits of his craft, and he’s always asking questions.

“He’s intuitive and knows how to get his hands on the ball.”

Lomax isn’t the only Force player looking to impress.

Fit-again flyhalf Ben Donaldson, who returns from a quad injury this week, has done well this season and is a strong chance to earn a Wallabies recall.

Hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, flanker Carlo Tizzano, winger Dylan Pietsch, enforcer Nick Champion de Crespigny and captain Jeremy Williams are among other Force players looking to catch the eye of Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt on Saturday night.

But Cron wants his players to put their full focus on the Waratahs, with the re-signed coach putting a strong emphasis on finishing the season with a win.

“Our vision from the start of the year was crystal clear, and part of that is to be consistently performing every week,” Cron said.

“These guys are hungry – hungry for rugby, hungry to play, and they’re really supportive of each other.

“Joe (Schmidt) and the (Wallabies) selection group are laser-focused on watching them, and all we can do is give them the best chance.”

The Waratahs (5-8) also want to finish with a bang, recalling Jamie Adamson, Pete Samu, Jake Gordon, Andrew Kellaway, Joey Walton and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

If the Force win to finish with a 7-7 win-loss record, it will mark the first time they’ve ended a full Super Rugby season without a losing record since going 9-7 in 2014.