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Wallaby great worried family name had put target on son's back

By Chris Jones
Former Australia fly-half Michael Lynagh

Wallaby great Michael Lynagh can clearly remember the first time his son Louis played at Twickenham where he returns on Saturday to try and help Harlequins defy the odds and win the Gallagher Premiership title by defeating reigning champions Exeter.

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It’s a far cry from his first appearance in 2009 when Louis’s Richmond mini-rugby team won a tournament and the right to play on the pitch during the break between a Premiership double header at the stadium.

As Lynagh and his son walked home after the match Louis turned to his dad, pointed out that he was only eight-years-old and asked how old he had been when he made his debut on the pitch. “I thought you cheeky… let’s see if you get back there one day.”

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That day has now arrived courtesy of the most remarkable comeback ever staged in the Premiership as Harlequins overturned a 28-0 deficit at Bristol in their play-off semi-final to win 43-36 in extra time with 20-year-old Louis scoring a vital try.

Due to the cricket commitments of his other sons Tom (18) and Nick (14), Lynagh was the only family member in the stands at Bristol where the delirious Harlequins fans showered the World Cup winning outside half in beer as they deliriously celebrated the great comeback.

For the final, on the ground where 30 years ago Lynagh helped Australia defeat England to win the Rugby World Cup, he will be joined by wife Isabella along with Tom and Nick for what will be the first time the whole family will have watched Louis in Premiership action.

Louis Lynagh
Picture taken for coach Peter Scott at Twickenham in 2009 – Louis Lynagh’s unmistakable blond mop is in the middle.
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Louis sat Fijian superstar Semi Radradra down on the pitch with a perfectly-timed tackle at Bristol and while that delighted his father, there were some words of advice following his try. “When he got home I told him that he carried the ball in the wrong hand when he scored his try and he said “yes, I know – but I was going to get there.” He is starting to make good decisions like winning the turn over after Joe Marler’s great tackle,” said Lynagh.

“Very rarely do I watch a game again on TV but on Sunday morning I sat down and watched the entire match and I was even nervous then. It probably won’t be the last time I watch it.

“I think I am a pretty good watcher at matches and am a lot more relaxed than when Louis first came into the Quins team. I wondered then if he was physically OK. You question if they are ready but I always knew he had really great talent but then all of a sudden you are thrown in against men with a bit of a name and so you don’t go under the radar and everyone knows who you are.

“He seems to have coped well and I only got to watch him “live” for the first time for Quins against Newcastle a couple of weeks ago but he had come on against Leicester and he did some good things and tackled Nemani Nadolo twice and that gave him confidence.

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“When he came home after the Leicester game I asked him if he felt comfortable and he said he did and wasn’t overawed. As a result, I am a little less nervous now because he seems to be able to handle it and is performing. He is growing in confidence and no doubt he will be tested by Exeter as he was in the first play of the Bristol game when they moved the ball onto his wing

“I was sitting with the Quins fans high up in the stands at Bristol and there were Semi Radradra and Charles Piutau running at him and you are thinking “ just get in the way somehow” and he did really well. He is still learning and the tackle on Radradra was well-timed and it must have given him a lot of confidence as well as those around him. However, it didn’t work that well did it because they were 28-0 down!

“There was an incredible atmosphere amongst the Quins fans having earlier been disappointed and the thoughts then were “by how many?” as Bristol took the lead. Then all of a sudden there was something amazing going on and Quins were running rampant. It all went berserk when Louis scored with beer flying about and we didn’t care. It was the most unbelievable come back.”

Lynagh’s middle son Tom, a goal-kicking outside half, is heading out to join the Queensland Reds academy in mid-August while Nick, a full back, is in the Harlequins academy and all three boys are qualified for Italy, England and Australia which could lead to some difficult choices if they all progress to senior rugby. Louis was born in Treviso where Lynagh lived with wife Isabella as he finished his playing career before returning to London where he had helped establish Saracens as a major force in the professional game.

The question of international qualification is something the Lynagh family is not considering at the moment and he explained: “I think it is something that is more in other people’s minds at the moment. It will be what it will be and it’s not an issue at the moment and all that is on Louis mind is getting into the Quins team to play Exeter and what comes after that, a holiday for four weeks or something else it will be a consequence of how he plays on Saturday. Until it becomes an issue then we don’t have to address it and Louis is pretty relaxed about it.”

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Trevor 35 minutes ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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