Lynagh bringing his own swagger to Lions
Wright has spent much of his Test career alongside Noah Lolesio in the No.10 jersey, while the pair have also played five years of Super Rugby Pacific together at the ACT Brumbies.
Lolesio was ruled out of the Lions series having undergone neck surgery after an injury during the Test against Fiji, with Lynagh making his starting debut in the opening loss to the Lions in Brisbane.
Ahead of the must-win match at the MCG on Saturday night, Wright said Queensland playmaker Lynagh had settled in and brought his own "swagger".
"Tommy's brought his own little swagger that he's got at the Reds," Wright said of Lynagh, whose father Michael was a Wallabies great.
"I've admired that about his game for a little while - he's got like a slight sort of subtle confidence about himself.
"I think we're going to see more and more of that ooze out of him the more comfortable he becomes in that starting 10 jersey.
"Tommy has is an incredible skill set that we've all got to back and continue to pour confidence into him because we believe in him and the skill set that he does have and the game plan that he's sort of driving from within."
Wright said he felt for his good friend Lolesio, who may have played his last Test for Australia after opting to move his career to Japan.
He said the 25-year-old had showed his class by spending time with Lynagh in the Wallabies camp and passing on his knowledge.
"Noah was trying to add his two cents worth around what he sees and feels and helping Tommy," Wright said.
"It was a cool sort of passing of the torch, at least for the short term at least, with his neck injury.
"We've got real belief in Tommy though and what he can bring to this side for sure."
Meanwhile the Wallabies' backline believe they will be more prepared for the aerial assault from Lions playmaker Finn Russell.
Wright hoped they could make more use of their time and space with the ball to launch a counterattack.
Young winger Max Jorgensen's first-half try came when he plucked the ball from Lions fullback Hugo Keenan in an aerial contest.
"We know the aerial raid that's coming again, ball on foot, and the way that we can nullify that, get numbers behind the ball again," the 28-year-old said.
"We saw a couple of instances where we're able to shift the ball away from that sort of aerial threat or crumbs and find a little bit of space ... so if we're good enough to take those opportunities again, that would be nice."
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ABC News
26 minutes ago
- ABC News
Australian rugby looks for pride and soul in the mud and the rain of a Lions dead rubber
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Even after the difficult decade it's endured there are too many diehards, too much love for the game at a grassroots and community level for that to happen and that's come to the fore at all three Tests where the crowd has been thick with local club jerseys on children and adults alike. What this series has done is make rugby feel prominent and important in Australia's crowded sporting scene again. It has made the game vital in a way it hasn't been in years and the sense of occasion has been enormous. People were invested. Pubs and stadiums were filled, as were column word counts and television segments and podcast hours. It's reactivated old fans, who remember the glorious times, and in a world addicted to nostalgia that's a powerful force. It might inspire a few new ones as well, which can still happen in defeat — just ask Max Jorgensen, one of rugby's brightest stars, who might not have been here at all had he not attended the 2015 World Cup final as an 11-year-old. This series and the Wallabies' prospects and performances felt important in a way that cut through the malaise that has too often enveloped the game in recent years. The magnitude of the events over the past three weeks, the sense of panache, would make any young athlete dream of being a part of a series like this. But eventually, the confetti is swept away and the fans wander off into the night in search of one last beer together before it's all over and the wait starts for 2037 and the Stadium Australia precinct grows cold and quiet again. A 2-1 loss can have plenty of upside, but it's still a 2-1 loss and pride alone can't run a game forever. There are silver linings to be found, not manna from heaven — but silver can still take you a long way. Australian rugby needed that win in Sydney but not as badly as it needed this as a whole experience to both fill the coffers and win a few hearts and minds. 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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Five quick hits: Wallabies vs British and Irish Lions, third Test from Stadium Australia
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McDertmott saw tired defenders next to the breakdown, so darted from the back and ducked under their arms. The scrum half then reached out and slammed the ball on the ground, sending the large contingent of Wallabies fans into hysteria. The Wallabies had a 15-point lead again and they were not going to give it up. History had been achieved for a side so often written off.
The Age
an hour ago
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Why the Voss call is easier for Carlton than the Goodwin call for Melbourne
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