Wallabies injury raises Louis Lynagh tug-of-war possibility
An injury in the Australian camp has raised the intriguing possibility of a tug-of-war over the services of Harlequins’ Louis Lynagh.
The former England under 16 and 18 winger, who is the son of Wallaby legend Michael, is also eligible for Italy, the country of his birth.
Eddie Jones included the 20-year-old who played a dazzling role in Quins’ march to the Gallagher Premiership title in his early season training squad.
But despite liking what he saw, Jones told Lynagh he is not yet ready for the international cap that would tie him to England.
“Lewis Lynagh has done very well,” he said. “I spoke to him and he knows what he needs to work on. He’s a young guy who has played 16 or 17 Premiership games and is at the start of his career.
“He’s done very well to make the wider squad and although he hasn’t made this squad he was very close and he just needs to keep improving. There are various areas of his game he needs to tidy up a little bit – he understands that – and I’m sure he’ll do it.”
“The name Vunipola comes up repeatedly at Bordeaux Bègles where Billy matches the profile sought to succeed Louis Picamoles."
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Fox Sports Australia has this morning reported that Melbourne Rebels full back Reece Hodge is “increasingly unlikely” to recover from the pectoral injury that forced him from the field during the first half of his country’s win over Japan on Saturday.
Reports from the Wallaby camp suggest the 27-year-old is having scans today. However, Rugby Australia’s management are said to be far from optimistic about his involvement in their opening Autumn International Series clash with Scotland.
Rugby Australia management have reportedly already met to discuss potential replacements and – perhaps mischievously – Fox suggests Lynagh could be a contender.
“Were RA to pick up the phone and try to coax Louis Lynagh to join them in camp it would also be an intriguing and timely plot twist given he was recently left out of Eddie Jones’ England squad and his younger brother, Tom, was delivered to Ballymore by his father in the winter,” they write.
Other possible candidates include Racing 92’s former Wasps star Kurtley Beale who is a veteran of 92 tests. However, selectorial opinion on the 32-year-old is said to be divided.
Should Hodge’s prognosis make him available for subsequent tests in Wales and England, the simplest option may be to utilise players already on the tour with Jordan Petaia, Andrew Kellaway and James O’Connor all possible fill-in options in the no.15 jersey at Murrayfield.
Bristol’s Luke Morahan is still battling a hamstring injury while Jesse Mogg (calf) and Waratahs fly half/full back Will Harrison (quad) are also out injured.
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Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
2 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments