‘I know where I belong': Wounded Wallabies brace for Lions audition
There was a steely resolve in Lukhan Salakaia-Loto's voice when asked about his Wallabies prospects as he prepared to launch his injury comeback for the Queensland Reds against the British and Irish Lions.
'I'm not there to prove anything,' the 41-Test forward declared. 'I know where I belong.'
A shoulder concern ultimately cost Salakaia-Loto the backend of his Super Rugby Pacific campaign, forced to watch as the Reds succumbed to eventual champions, the Crusaders, in their Qualifying Final clash in Christchurch.
His lack of game time, having not taken the field since early May, appeared to cost him a place in coach Joe Schmidt's first Wallabies squad of the year to take on Fiji on Sunday.
But the 28-year-old confirmed he had been given clearance to be available for selection when Queensland contest the Lions in Brisbane on July 2, declaring he had 'not a doubt at all' he would be fit to factor into Lions' calculations.
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'I know my body well enough to know if it's good or bad, or if I can push through, and I just knew I needed a bit of time on the sidelines to get my shoulder right,' Salakaia-Loto, who was named in 11 Tests last year, said.
'Funnily enough, I just got the green light, so it was pretty huge to get through the session – a big one at that. I know what I'm capable of, and I'm looking forward to showcasing that.'
Salakaia-Loto will now rely on his form for the Reds, and past exploits for Australia, to force his way into the fold, after Will Skelton, Jeremy Williams, Tom Hooper and Darcy Swain – who led the Super Rugby season for lineout wins – were named as the lock contenders against Fiji.
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The Age
6 hours ago
- The Age
‘I know where I belong': Wounded Wallabies brace for Lions audition
There was a steely resolve in Lukhan Salakaia-Loto's voice when asked about his Wallabies prospects as he prepared to launch his injury comeback for the Queensland Reds against the British and Irish Lions. 'I'm not there to prove anything,' the 41-Test forward declared. 'I know where I belong.' A shoulder concern ultimately cost Salakaia-Loto the backend of his Super Rugby Pacific campaign, forced to watch as the Reds succumbed to eventual champions, the Crusaders, in their Qualifying Final clash in Christchurch. His lack of game time, having not taken the field since early May, appeared to cost him a place in coach Joe Schmidt's first Wallabies squad of the year to take on Fiji on Sunday. But the 28-year-old confirmed he had been given clearance to be available for selection when Queensland contest the Lions in Brisbane on July 2, declaring he had 'not a doubt at all' he would be fit to factor into Lions' calculations. Loading 'I know my body well enough to know if it's good or bad, or if I can push through, and I just knew I needed a bit of time on the sidelines to get my shoulder right,' Salakaia-Loto, who was named in 11 Tests last year, said. 'Funnily enough, I just got the green light, so it was pretty huge to get through the session – a big one at that. I know what I'm capable of, and I'm looking forward to showcasing that.' Salakaia-Loto will now rely on his form for the Reds, and past exploits for Australia, to force his way into the fold, after Will Skelton, Jeremy Williams, Tom Hooper and Darcy Swain – who led the Super Rugby season for lineout wins – were named as the lock contenders against Fiji.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I know where I belong': Wounded Wallabies brace for Lions audition
There was a steely resolve in Lukhan Salakaia-Loto's voice when asked about his Wallabies prospects as he prepared to launch his injury comeback for the Queensland Reds against the British and Irish Lions. 'I'm not there to prove anything,' the 41-Test forward declared. 'I know where I belong.' A shoulder concern ultimately cost Salakaia-Loto the backend of his Super Rugby Pacific campaign, forced to watch as the Reds succumbed to eventual champions, the Crusaders, in their Qualifying Final clash in Christchurch. His lack of game time, having not taken the field since early May, appeared to cost him a place in coach Joe Schmidt's first Wallabies squad of the year to take on Fiji on Sunday. But the 28-year-old confirmed he had been given clearance to be available for selection when Queensland contest the Lions in Brisbane on July 2, declaring he had 'not a doubt at all' he would be fit to factor into Lions' calculations. Loading 'I know my body well enough to know if it's good or bad, or if I can push through, and I just knew I needed a bit of time on the sidelines to get my shoulder right,' Salakaia-Loto, who was named in 11 Tests last year, said. 'Funnily enough, I just got the green light, so it was pretty huge to get through the session – a big one at that. I know what I'm capable of, and I'm looking forward to showcasing that.' Salakaia-Loto will now rely on his form for the Reds, and past exploits for Australia, to force his way into the fold, after Will Skelton, Jeremy Williams, Tom Hooper and Darcy Swain – who led the Super Rugby season for lineout wins – were named as the lock contenders against Fiji.
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I've read the tours agreement': Schmidt fires back at Lions boss
Australia coach Joe Schmidt has responded strongly to a 'warning' from the British and Irish Lions that he must release players back to Super Rugby sides for tour games, saying his plans abide by the tour agreement and state sides will be well-stocked with Wallabies players. The Lions adopted an aggressive stance on their very first day in Australia on Monday, w hen chief executive Ben Calveley told media in Perth that he expected Schmidt to continue releasing Wallabies players from his Sydney-based camp for the tour matches ahead of the three-Test series next month. Schmidt has said he plans to 'quarantine' a group of around 25 players to prepare for a Test against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6, and to ensure they won't be injured ahead of the Lions Test series thereafter. After naming a Wallabies squad last week, Schmidt left five squad members in Perth to play for the Force against the Lions on Saturday. Calveley welcomed the strength of the Force side but said he would continue to press RA boss Phil Waugh to ensure Wallabies players are also released for games against Queensland and NSW, as per the tour agreement. In a press conference where Calveley also spoke about the Lions' willingness to play in other areas like Argentina, America and France, the threat of Australia losing its status as a destination for the lucrative Lions tours appeared to be attached. 'The agreement is very clear: it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series,' Calveley said. 'That is our expectation, it's really important that these games are competitive. It's not just for a performance standpoint – the players do want to test themselves and build towards the Test series – but it's also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters who are all expecting competitive fixtures, and for the rugby-loving public. That would be their expectation as well.
