Reds seek 'focus' to prove early Super form no Flook
Josh Flook's pending return and Harry Wilson's strong injury comeback have sweetened the taste of another gutting Queensland Reds loss.
The hosts were beaten 31-27 by the Hurricanes at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, some moments of brilliance not enough in a 10th-straight defeat to the Wellington side since 2013.
It meant they jumped the Reds into fourth spot with one Super Rugby Pacific round remaining, Les Kiss's side to host Fijian Drua in Brisbane next Saturday.
They could still sneak back into fourth place with a win and Hurricanes loss next week, with that spot crucial in a new six-team finals format that means the highest-ranked loser still progresses to the final four.
Incumbent Wallabies captain Wilson played 80 minutes in his return from a fractured arm, charging hard and defending stoutly in positive signs ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour that begins next month.
The Reds have slid from first spot, with a 2-4 record since Wilson's injury in a loss to the Chiefs.
They'll face either the Crusaders, ACT Brumbies or the Chiefs in the first week of finals, depending on final-round results.
Test centre Flook should feature, the 23-year-old potentially back to face the Drua next week after a hamstring injury suffered in the third round.
Influential backrower Seru Uru could join him, but Matt Faessler and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto won't despite the pair running well in their rehabilitation sessions last week.
Kiss also confirmed fellow backrower and one-time Test captain Liam Wright had surgery on his troublesome shoulder that's again plagued him this season.
Flook's blend of toughness and silky skill would be a timely addition but he could find it hard to crack the side, given the emergence of Dre Pakeho alongside Hunter Paisami - and the versatile Filipo Daugunu - this season.
The Reds haven't beaten any of the sides in the top four this year, captain Tate McDermott again ruing costly errors with the game on the line on Friday.
Knock-ons from Wilson and Paisami when they led by one point with 15 minutes remaining followed two late Hurricanes tries in the first half that blew the game open.
Friday's defeat followed a 10-point loss to the Brumbies in which the Reds dominated field position and possession but couldn't find the knock-out blow.
"Heaps of positives but there is a 10-minute period that's plagued us two weeks in a row now, just before halftime that really hurts us," McDermott said.
"It comes down to a lack of focus. It's not one thing. Missing tackles, out of position in the back-field, drop balls .... that's where the frustration comes from.
"We showed a huge amount of fight but ... we couldn't ice it and to their credit they got the ball back and they scored."
Josh Flook's pending return and Harry Wilson's strong injury comeback have sweetened the taste of another gutting Queensland Reds loss.
The hosts were beaten 31-27 by the Hurricanes at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, some moments of brilliance not enough in a 10th-straight defeat to the Wellington side since 2013.
It meant they jumped the Reds into fourth spot with one Super Rugby Pacific round remaining, Les Kiss's side to host Fijian Drua in Brisbane next Saturday.
They could still sneak back into fourth place with a win and Hurricanes loss next week, with that spot crucial in a new six-team finals format that means the highest-ranked loser still progresses to the final four.
Incumbent Wallabies captain Wilson played 80 minutes in his return from a fractured arm, charging hard and defending stoutly in positive signs ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour that begins next month.
The Reds have slid from first spot, with a 2-4 record since Wilson's injury in a loss to the Chiefs.
They'll face either the Crusaders, ACT Brumbies or the Chiefs in the first week of finals, depending on final-round results.
Test centre Flook should feature, the 23-year-old potentially back to face the Drua next week after a hamstring injury suffered in the third round.
Influential backrower Seru Uru could join him, but Matt Faessler and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto won't despite the pair running well in their rehabilitation sessions last week.
Kiss also confirmed fellow backrower and one-time Test captain Liam Wright had surgery on his troublesome shoulder that's again plagued him this season.
Flook's blend of toughness and silky skill would be a timely addition but he could find it hard to crack the side, given the emergence of Dre Pakeho alongside Hunter Paisami - and the versatile Filipo Daugunu - this season.
The Reds haven't beaten any of the sides in the top four this year, captain Tate McDermott again ruing costly errors with the game on the line on Friday.
Knock-ons from Wilson and Paisami when they led by one point with 15 minutes remaining followed two late Hurricanes tries in the first half that blew the game open.
Friday's defeat followed a 10-point loss to the Brumbies in which the Reds dominated field position and possession but couldn't find the knock-out blow.
"Heaps of positives but there is a 10-minute period that's plagued us two weeks in a row now, just before halftime that really hurts us," McDermott said.
"It comes down to a lack of focus. It's not one thing. Missing tackles, out of position in the back-field, drop balls .... that's where the frustration comes from.
"We showed a huge amount of fight but ... we couldn't ice it and to their credit they got the ball back and they scored."
Josh Flook's pending return and Harry Wilson's strong injury comeback have sweetened the taste of another gutting Queensland Reds loss.
The hosts were beaten 31-27 by the Hurricanes at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, some moments of brilliance not enough in a 10th-straight defeat to the Wellington side since 2013.
It meant they jumped the Reds into fourth spot with one Super Rugby Pacific round remaining, Les Kiss's side to host Fijian Drua in Brisbane next Saturday.
They could still sneak back into fourth place with a win and Hurricanes loss next week, with that spot crucial in a new six-team finals format that means the highest-ranked loser still progresses to the final four.
Incumbent Wallabies captain Wilson played 80 minutes in his return from a fractured arm, charging hard and defending stoutly in positive signs ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour that begins next month.
The Reds have slid from first spot, with a 2-4 record since Wilson's injury in a loss to the Chiefs.
They'll face either the Crusaders, ACT Brumbies or the Chiefs in the first week of finals, depending on final-round results.
Test centre Flook should feature, the 23-year-old potentially back to face the Drua next week after a hamstring injury suffered in the third round.
Influential backrower Seru Uru could join him, but Matt Faessler and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto won't despite the pair running well in their rehabilitation sessions last week.
Kiss also confirmed fellow backrower and one-time Test captain Liam Wright had surgery on his troublesome shoulder that's again plagued him this season.
Flook's blend of toughness and silky skill would be a timely addition but he could find it hard to crack the side, given the emergence of Dre Pakeho alongside Hunter Paisami - and the versatile Filipo Daugunu - this season.
The Reds haven't beaten any of the sides in the top four this year, captain Tate McDermott again ruing costly errors with the game on the line on Friday.
Knock-ons from Wilson and Paisami when they led by one point with 15 minutes remaining followed two late Hurricanes tries in the first half that blew the game open.
Friday's defeat followed a 10-point loss to the Brumbies in which the Reds dominated field position and possession but couldn't find the knock-out blow.
"Heaps of positives but there is a 10-minute period that's plagued us two weeks in a row now, just before halftime that really hurts us," McDermott said.
"It comes down to a lack of focus. It's not one thing. Missing tackles, out of position in the back-field, drop balls .... that's where the frustration comes from.
"We showed a huge amount of fight but ... we couldn't ice it and to their credit they got the ball back and they scored."
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Shock exits: Baker, Wilson casualties in 'rogue' surf on mixed day for locals
Merewether's Jackson Baker and adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson were big-name Surfest casualties on a mixed day for local competitors in tricky conditions at Merewether beach on Thursday. Merewether's Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan both advanced in bumpy 1.2 to 1.8-metre waves and are now set to go head-to-head in the round-of-32 surfers. Cilbilic took a heat win while Callinan progressed after placing second in his heat as the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series (CS) was back in action on Thursday after two lay days. Callinan quickly got to work in heat 12, posting wave scores of 5.83 and 5.87 before locking in a 7.50-point effort to set up progression. "It was definitely pretty rogue and all over the place, and a lot of power but pretty fun," Callinan said of the conditions. "I was just happy to catch waves and ride waves. It felt like a kind of day where you could just sit and wait for one and not be any good anyway, so I just wanted to get my feet under me and ended up getting some really good scores. "It got very stressful at the end, but I was stoked to get through." American Nolan Rapoza won the heat with 13.50 points. Callinan (13.37) locked in second but Indonesian 21-year-old Bronson Meydi (13.17) closed right in on the heat leaders with seven minutes remaining, when he produced a spectacular 8.67-point ride that included a 360-degree air reverse. "I went the same wave but I went the other way," Callinan said. "Merewether, traditionally, is a right-hander. He went left and I was thinking, 'That's good, it's normally pretty bad the left, so that's good for me', and then I hear them say, 'Eight points' ... and there was still a lot of time left. "I only needed a six to get to first, so I kind of tried to focus on getting that but at the same time trying to block him on waves that were going to allow him to get it. "My year has kind of felt like I've had some good heats and they just haven't gone my way, and it was almost feeling a bit like that again, but I was stoked to squeak through." Former Championship Tour (CT) surfer Wilson, who grew up on the Gold Coast but now calls Newcastle home, is staging a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight and arrived at Surfest after making the final of the top-tier Gold Coast Pro in early May as a trialist. The 36-year-old produced a commanding heat win when Surfest started on Monday but could not back it up in the second round on Thursday. Wilson, Surfest's 2020 winner, was unable to post a higher wave score than 4.17 points in tricky, wind-swept conditions in a stacked heat and ultimately finished fourth with a two-wave total of 4.94 points. Hawaiian Eli Hannerman was the heat-nine winner with 13.50 points, including a heat-high 7.67-point ride. Australian Liam O'Brien (12.93) was second and also progressed while Frenchman Charly Quivront (11.70) was third. "It's one of those things where you like to think you have a bit of local knowledge, but on a day like today, when it's breaking everywhere, it can be anyone's game," Callinan said. "Jules has been on such a roll and in such good form ... for him to not even get a score, that does show how hard it was." Baker was sitting second and looking as though he would progress in heat 13, only to be narrowly pipped on the buzzer by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. Crisanto needed a wave score of 5.00 points or more to leap ahead of Baker and earned a 5.30 on his buzzer ride to finish with a two-wave heat score of 11.50. Baker, the 2022 Surfest champion, finished third with 11.20. Brazilian Samuel Pupo took a commanding win with a score of 15.24. Cibilic was the first local to advance to the round of 32, set to be surfed on Friday. The 25-year-old natural-footer hit the lead in heat 10 with 10 minutes remaining and won with a best two-wave score of 12.00 points. He edged Hawaiian Finn McGinn (11.60) in second while Australian Mikey (11.10) and Japan's Tenshi Iwami (9.23) were eliminated. "I'm frothing and stoked to get through," Cibilic said. "You don't really need local knowledge out there on a day like today, just fitness to get back out there and get in the right spot. "I feel like I took off on 15 waves and fell off on 13 of them, so I'm just stoked that I pulled off a couple. "In the off-season, I really worked on getting fit and trying to surf with a clear head, especially for conditions like this." Merewether's Philippa Anderson is through to the women's round of 32 after winning her opening round heat on Monday. Merewether's Jackson Baker and adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson were big-name Surfest casualties on a mixed day for local competitors in tricky conditions at Merewether beach on Thursday. Merewether's Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan both advanced in bumpy 1.2 to 1.8-metre waves and are now set to go head-to-head in the round-of-32 surfers. Cilbilic took a heat win while Callinan progressed after placing second in his heat as the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series (CS) was back in action on Thursday after two lay days. Callinan quickly got to work in heat 12, posting wave scores of 5.83 and 5.87 before locking in a 7.50-point effort to set up progression. "It was definitely pretty rogue and all over the place, and a lot of power but pretty fun," Callinan said of the conditions. "I was just happy to catch waves and ride waves. It felt like a kind of day where you could just sit and wait for one and not be any good anyway, so I just wanted to get my feet under me and ended up getting some really good scores. "It got very stressful at the end, but I was stoked to get through." American Nolan Rapoza won the heat with 13.50 points. Callinan (13.37) locked in second but Indonesian 21-year-old Bronson Meydi (13.17) closed right in on the heat leaders with seven minutes remaining, when he produced a spectacular 8.67-point ride that included a 360-degree air reverse. "I went the same wave but I went the other way," Callinan said. "Merewether, traditionally, is a right-hander. He went left and I was thinking, 'That's good, it's normally pretty bad the left, so that's good for me', and then I hear them say, 'Eight points' ... and there was still a lot of time left. "I only needed a six to get to first, so I kind of tried to focus on getting that but at the same time trying to block him on waves that were going to allow him to get it. "My year has kind of felt like I've had some good heats and they just haven't gone my way, and it was almost feeling a bit like that again, but I was stoked to squeak through." Former Championship Tour (CT) surfer Wilson, who grew up on the Gold Coast but now calls Newcastle home, is staging a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight and arrived at Surfest after making the final of the top-tier Gold Coast Pro in early May as a trialist. The 36-year-old produced a commanding heat win when Surfest started on Monday but could not back it up in the second round on Thursday. Wilson, Surfest's 2020 winner, was unable to post a higher wave score than 4.17 points in tricky, wind-swept conditions in a stacked heat and ultimately finished fourth with a two-wave total of 4.94 points. Hawaiian Eli Hannerman was the heat-nine winner with 13.50 points, including a heat-high 7.67-point ride. Australian Liam O'Brien (12.93) was second and also progressed while Frenchman Charly Quivront (11.70) was third. "It's one of those things where you like to think you have a bit of local knowledge, but on a day like today, when it's breaking everywhere, it can be anyone's game," Callinan said. "Jules has been on such a roll and in such good form ... for him to not even get a score, that does show how hard it was." Baker was sitting second and looking as though he would progress in heat 13, only to be narrowly pipped on the buzzer by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. Crisanto needed a wave score of 5.00 points or more to leap ahead of Baker and earned a 5.30 on his buzzer ride to finish with a two-wave heat score of 11.50. Baker, the 2022 Surfest champion, finished third with 11.20. Brazilian Samuel Pupo took a commanding win with a score of 15.24. Cibilic was the first local to advance to the round of 32, set to be surfed on Friday. The 25-year-old natural-footer hit the lead in heat 10 with 10 minutes remaining and won with a best two-wave score of 12.00 points. He edged Hawaiian Finn McGinn (11.60) in second while Australian Mikey (11.10) and Japan's Tenshi Iwami (9.23) were eliminated. "I'm frothing and stoked to get through," Cibilic said. "You don't really need local knowledge out there on a day like today, just fitness to get back out there and get in the right spot. "I feel like I took off on 15 waves and fell off on 13 of them, so I'm just stoked that I pulled off a couple. "In the off-season, I really worked on getting fit and trying to surf with a clear head, especially for conditions like this." Merewether's Philippa Anderson is through to the women's round of 32 after winning her opening round heat on Monday. Merewether's Jackson Baker and adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson were big-name Surfest casualties on a mixed day for local competitors in tricky conditions at Merewether beach on Thursday. Merewether's Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan both advanced in bumpy 1.2 to 1.8-metre waves and are now set to go head-to-head in the round-of-32 surfers. Cilbilic took a heat win while Callinan progressed after placing second in his heat as the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series (CS) was back in action on Thursday after two lay days. Callinan quickly got to work in heat 12, posting wave scores of 5.83 and 5.87 before locking in a 7.50-point effort to set up progression. "It was definitely pretty rogue and all over the place, and a lot of power but pretty fun," Callinan said of the conditions. "I was just happy to catch waves and ride waves. It felt like a kind of day where you could just sit and wait for one and not be any good anyway, so I just wanted to get my feet under me and ended up getting some really good scores. "It got very stressful at the end, but I was stoked to get through." American Nolan Rapoza won the heat with 13.50 points. Callinan (13.37) locked in second but Indonesian 21-year-old Bronson Meydi (13.17) closed right in on the heat leaders with seven minutes remaining, when he produced a spectacular 8.67-point ride that included a 360-degree air reverse. "I went the same wave but I went the other way," Callinan said. "Merewether, traditionally, is a right-hander. He went left and I was thinking, 'That's good, it's normally pretty bad the left, so that's good for me', and then I hear them say, 'Eight points' ... and there was still a lot of time left. "I only needed a six to get to first, so I kind of tried to focus on getting that but at the same time trying to block him on waves that were going to allow him to get it. "My year has kind of felt like I've had some good heats and they just haven't gone my way, and it was almost feeling a bit like that again, but I was stoked to squeak through." Former Championship Tour (CT) surfer Wilson, who grew up on the Gold Coast but now calls Newcastle home, is staging a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight and arrived at Surfest after making the final of the top-tier Gold Coast Pro in early May as a trialist. The 36-year-old produced a commanding heat win when Surfest started on Monday but could not back it up in the second round on Thursday. Wilson, Surfest's 2020 winner, was unable to post a higher wave score than 4.17 points in tricky, wind-swept conditions in a stacked heat and ultimately finished fourth with a two-wave total of 4.94 points. Hawaiian Eli Hannerman was the heat-nine winner with 13.50 points, including a heat-high 7.67-point ride. Australian Liam O'Brien (12.93) was second and also progressed while Frenchman Charly Quivront (11.70) was third. "It's one of those things where you like to think you have a bit of local knowledge, but on a day like today, when it's breaking everywhere, it can be anyone's game," Callinan said. "Jules has been on such a roll and in such good form ... for him to not even get a score, that does show how hard it was." Baker was sitting second and looking as though he would progress in heat 13, only to be narrowly pipped on the buzzer by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. Crisanto needed a wave score of 5.00 points or more to leap ahead of Baker and earned a 5.30 on his buzzer ride to finish with a two-wave heat score of 11.50. Baker, the 2022 Surfest champion, finished third with 11.20. Brazilian Samuel Pupo took a commanding win with a score of 15.24. Cibilic was the first local to advance to the round of 32, set to be surfed on Friday. The 25-year-old natural-footer hit the lead in heat 10 with 10 minutes remaining and won with a best two-wave score of 12.00 points. He edged Hawaiian Finn McGinn (11.60) in second while Australian Mikey (11.10) and Japan's Tenshi Iwami (9.23) were eliminated. "I'm frothing and stoked to get through," Cibilic said. "You don't really need local knowledge out there on a day like today, just fitness to get back out there and get in the right spot. "I feel like I took off on 15 waves and fell off on 13 of them, so I'm just stoked that I pulled off a couple. "In the off-season, I really worked on getting fit and trying to surf with a clear head, especially for conditions like this." Merewether's Philippa Anderson is through to the women's round of 32 after winning her opening round heat on Monday. Merewether's Jackson Baker and adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson were big-name Surfest casualties on a mixed day for local competitors in tricky conditions at Merewether beach on Thursday. Merewether's Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan both advanced in bumpy 1.2 to 1.8-metre waves and are now set to go head-to-head in the round-of-32 surfers. Cilbilic took a heat win while Callinan progressed after placing second in his heat as the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series (CS) was back in action on Thursday after two lay days. Callinan quickly got to work in heat 12, posting wave scores of 5.83 and 5.87 before locking in a 7.50-point effort to set up progression. "It was definitely pretty rogue and all over the place, and a lot of power but pretty fun," Callinan said of the conditions. "I was just happy to catch waves and ride waves. It felt like a kind of day where you could just sit and wait for one and not be any good anyway, so I just wanted to get my feet under me and ended up getting some really good scores. "It got very stressful at the end, but I was stoked to get through." American Nolan Rapoza won the heat with 13.50 points. Callinan (13.37) locked in second but Indonesian 21-year-old Bronson Meydi (13.17) closed right in on the heat leaders with seven minutes remaining, when he produced a spectacular 8.67-point ride that included a 360-degree air reverse. "I went the same wave but I went the other way," Callinan said. "Merewether, traditionally, is a right-hander. He went left and I was thinking, 'That's good, it's normally pretty bad the left, so that's good for me', and then I hear them say, 'Eight points' ... and there was still a lot of time left. "I only needed a six to get to first, so I kind of tried to focus on getting that but at the same time trying to block him on waves that were going to allow him to get it. "My year has kind of felt like I've had some good heats and they just haven't gone my way, and it was almost feeling a bit like that again, but I was stoked to squeak through." Former Championship Tour (CT) surfer Wilson, who grew up on the Gold Coast but now calls Newcastle home, is staging a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight and arrived at Surfest after making the final of the top-tier Gold Coast Pro in early May as a trialist. The 36-year-old produced a commanding heat win when Surfest started on Monday but could not back it up in the second round on Thursday. Wilson, Surfest's 2020 winner, was unable to post a higher wave score than 4.17 points in tricky, wind-swept conditions in a stacked heat and ultimately finished fourth with a two-wave total of 4.94 points. Hawaiian Eli Hannerman was the heat-nine winner with 13.50 points, including a heat-high 7.67-point ride. Australian Liam O'Brien (12.93) was second and also progressed while Frenchman Charly Quivront (11.70) was third. "It's one of those things where you like to think you have a bit of local knowledge, but on a day like today, when it's breaking everywhere, it can be anyone's game," Callinan said. "Jules has been on such a roll and in such good form ... for him to not even get a score, that does show how hard it was." Baker was sitting second and looking as though he would progress in heat 13, only to be narrowly pipped on the buzzer by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. Crisanto needed a wave score of 5.00 points or more to leap ahead of Baker and earned a 5.30 on his buzzer ride to finish with a two-wave heat score of 11.50. Baker, the 2022 Surfest champion, finished third with 11.20. Brazilian Samuel Pupo took a commanding win with a score of 15.24. Cibilic was the first local to advance to the round of 32, set to be surfed on Friday. The 25-year-old natural-footer hit the lead in heat 10 with 10 minutes remaining and won with a best two-wave score of 12.00 points. He edged Hawaiian Finn McGinn (11.60) in second while Australian Mikey (11.10) and Japan's Tenshi Iwami (9.23) were eliminated. "I'm frothing and stoked to get through," Cibilic said. "You don't really need local knowledge out there on a day like today, just fitness to get back out there and get in the right spot. "I feel like I took off on 15 waves and fell off on 13 of them, so I'm just stoked that I pulled off a couple. "In the off-season, I really worked on getting fit and trying to surf with a clear head, especially for conditions like this." Merewether's Philippa Anderson is through to the women's round of 32 after winning her opening round heat on Monday.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Queensland Reds searching for key to Super Rugby Pacific finals success in New Zealand
The Reds must beat one of Super Rugby Pacific's top-four teams for the first time this season on Friday night in Christchurch if they are to avoid being knocked out in the first week of the finals series for the fourth successive year. A Queensland team that finished fifth on the ladder meets the second-placed Crusaders, who will end the Reds' season with a win at Apollo Projects Stadium. The two teams met at the same venue at the same stage of the finals series in 2022, with the Crusaders winning 37-15. Queensland's trend of losing in New Zealand in week one of the finals was to continue in 2023 and 2024, with successive losses to the Chiefs. 'We've had a number of quarter-finals here in the last couple years ago, so we know what it's going to be like,' Reds captain Tate McDermott said on Thursday. 'We know that the crowd and weather might not be on our side, but it's a really exciting challenge for this group, particularly after the disappointment of last year's quarter-final.' Tomorrow, we go ðŸ�¨ — Queensland Reds (@Reds_Rugby) June 5, 2025 The Reds were beaten 43-21 by the Chiefs in Hamilton at the same stage last season, with the game as good as over in less than 25 minutes after the hosts scored four unanswered tries. 'You've obviously got to start fast and if you don't start fast, you've got to stay in the grind which we didn't and found ourselves down four tries,' McDermott said. 'It's all about momentum (on Friday) night. We've got to make sure that first of all, we try to get that momentum, and you can do that through a number of ways, but then if we don't have the momentum, we use our defence to get the momentum back. 'We haven't iced those big moments when we've been in the lead in a couple of quarter-finals, just taking our foot off a little bit. and we can't do that.' The Reds announced on Thursday that McDermott's fellow halfback Kalani Thomas had signed a new two-year deal with Queensland. 'Being around home in a good environment and playing for a team I love, I didn't want to leave,' said 23-year-old Thomas, who will come off the bench on Friday night. 'I had a couple of options to consider but I want to commit in Australia, especially with the World Cup coming up in 2027. 'My ultimate goal is to play for the Wallabies. I may or may not. but I'll know I've given it my all.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Master v apprentice: The Wallabies' great debate nears a verdict
This is a clash of master versus apprentice like Australian rugby has not seen in years, and right at the heart of the Wallabies' hopes of dismantling the British and Irish Lions. On one side stands Tom Lynagh, the evolving five-eighth whose father Michael's legacy ensured expectations would always follow him. On the other side awaits James O'Connor, the nation's last No.10 to battle the Lions, and who has developed a reputation in 2025 as a composed finisher off the bench. He also happens to be the man who mentored Lynagh behind the scenes at Ballymore last year, although the 22-year-old admits he has not heard from him for weeks. When Lynagh's Queensland Reds head to Christchurch to challenge O'Connor's Crusaders in the first week of the finals, more will be on the line than Wallabies caps. Australian rugby has been crying out for Super Rugby success. The country's two clubs still with hope have stumbled at this stage – the Reds, three straight quarter-final exits, and the Brumbies, perennial semi-finalists. Lynagh's task will be daunting. He's set to play 80 minutes, with Harry McLaughlin-Phillips ruled out with a concussion suffered on Saturday against the Fijian Drua. Loading 'You've seen how much of a professional he is,' Reds outside centre Josh Flook said. 'He's just improving week by week, he's getting more confident and his game management's increasing. Even just through the week how he's speaking up at meetings, it's a really cool thing, and we'll back him 100 per cent.' Triumph across the ditch might mean more than ending the Reds' first week of the finals hoodoo. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has stated finals form would favour consideration at the selection table, while noting those who had committed to Australian rugby would be preferred in tight choices. That puts Brumbies star Noah Lolesio, Schmidt's leading man in 2024, on the back foot, with the Gold Coast product headed for Japan. Should Lynagh orchestrate a finals shock in enemy territory, the jersey could be sealed. 'What I have seen [of Lynagh] is really positive,' Schmidt said. 'I think Tom is a really brave player, defensively he does a good job, and he's actually a lot better in the air than people would give him credit for. 'His kicking game is long enough, his passing game is efficient, and he's growing into a guy who can drive the game around the field. They're a lot of the aspects we would be looking for.' Lynagh is confident he has the game to thrive in Wallabies colours. He has developed a fierce running game to complement his booming boot – which inspired three of winger Lachie Anderson's four tries against the Drua – as his combination with Reds and Australia halfback Tate McDermott grows. 'The big thing about Tommy is he's strung multiple games together, which hasn't happened in the past,' McDermott said. 'He's controlled and led the side, which is not easy at his age. 'We can go into the Test arena together, 100 per cent, but in order to do that we have to be playing consistently good in the maroon jersey. 'I think we've only just started.' And yet, Lynagh refused to think that far ahead. 'Obviously, the deeper you go [in finals] you've got a better opportunity and more time to show what you've got,' Lynagh said. 'But I want to take care of what we've got in front of us and stay present.' In O'Connor's case, Schmidt has spoken to him about the prospect of an international swan song. The 34-year-old's steady hand, direct kicking game and effective work off the tee has been, in part, responsible for the Crusaders' second-place finish. O'Connor's Test return has the backing of former Wallabies skipper James Horwill, who waged war with the Lions alongside O'Connor in 2013 and declared: 'I'm sure he's in the mix'. Loading Such has been O'Connor's proficiency in the closing minutes, a fast start will be crucial for the Reds. This stage of the season has been a tipping point, but Lynagh declared the team was not the same as those that fell in the past. 'We've got belief to turn games around if things aren't going our way, and that's based on past experiences we've had as a team together,' Lynagh said.
