Ryan Lonergan’s full-circle Wallabies moment 374 days on from debut

Wallabies scrum-half Ryan Lonergan stepped off the team bus before a training session on a cool Tuesday morning in Auckland, four days out from a Bledisloe Cup Test. It led Lonergan to reflect on the year that was, having last been to the training venue before debuting in Wallaby gold.

Lonergan had been in Wallabies squads under Dave Rennie and then Eddie Jones, but didn’t debut until The Rugby Championship last year. The then 27-year-old had played more than 90 Super Rugby matches before becoming Wallaby No. 933.

Tate McDermott wore the No. 9 jersey in the opening Test of the 2025 Bledisloe Cup series, but a hamstring injury saw coach Joe Schmidt make a change in the first half. Lonergan featured in the remaining 62 minutes, and made another five Test appearances before the year was over.

374 days after making that first Test appearance, Lonergan arrived at training as a regular starter for the Wallabies. ‘Lonners’ has started in all eight Test matches this season and has converted at least two shots at goal in seven of those appearances.

“A year’s a long time. I’ve played a lot of footy since then. I’ve just been able to keep growing my game at Brums throughout the season and now obviously here at Test level,” Lonergan told reporters on Tuesday.

“I’m excited for the challenge.”

Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson started the July Nations Championship window as the goal-kickers for the Wallabies, before Lonergan took over with eight successful conversions across matches against Six Nations sides France and Italy.

Lonergan has kicked 26 conversions in the last seven Tests, and knocked over four penalty goals within the last six weeks. The dynamic halfback finished with a 17-point haul off the kicking tee as the Wallabies claimed a nail-biting 42-38 win over the Springboks late last month.

“At the start of Super Rugby, I hadn’t kicked for a while and it was probably just getting back into the rhythm of kicking,” Lonergan said.

“Toward the backend of Super, I started to enjoy it a bit more.

“When I was younger I really loved goal-kicking all the time and over the last few years, when I wasn’t kicking, I came back in. It was another thing I had to think about it and I probably didn’t enjoy it as much as I do now.

“Honestly, that’s kind of the only change. You just ride that confidence through and it’s been working for me.”

If Lonergan is named to start against the All Blacks, the Wallaby could potentially line up opposite Cam Roigard for the first time at Test level. Roigard is one of three halfbacks selected in the All Blacks squad, with coach Dave Rennie keeping consistent with those selections.

Cortez Ratima and Kyle Preston are other candidates to feature in the starting side, but Roigard has been a regular member of the First XV for a couple of seasons now, which included four starts in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the Springboks.

“He’s a great player. He’s been class for them, he’s a great attacking threat. He’s obviously got a great left foot there,” Lonergan explained.

“It’s going to be exciting. Obviously versed each other a few times, not at Test level though.

“It’d be good fun. He’s obviously a threat around the ruck and set-piece time around the scrums so we know that, we previewed that a little bit and we’ll do our best to shut him down.”