A Wallabies great fell 23 minutes short of a Lions shock. This is his game plan

Twelve years after he fell 23 minutes shy of inspiring a historic triumph, Wallabies great James Horwill issued a stunning declaration.

“The Wallabies can get the job done,” he told this masthead, on the eve of the British and Irish Lions series.

“If we keep our guys on the park and fit, I’m very confident we can get the job done.”

Horwill, the last man to captain the nation into a Lions series, was left to lament a three-try, 10-minute burst from the 57th minute in the third Test that buried their hopes in 2013.

He recalls the missed penalty goal after the siren at Suncorp Stadium which sealed their opening Test defeat, after Christian Lealiifano was concussed early and Berrick Barnes and Pat McCabe were also forced off with injuries.

And while the Wallabies would bounce back in a one-point thriller in Melbourne, a boilover was not to be.

Yet even without injured stars Noah Lolesio, Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, Horwill was adamant the current group could complete the task.

How the Wallabies can get the edge

While the Lions have gone unbeaten from their five tour encounters thus far, Horwill has seen chinks in their armour.

Despite a host of Wallabies not partaking, the Brumbies and Waratahs went toe-to-toe with their juggernaut rivals, winning a combined 14 turnovers to three.

“The Tahs showed that a bit of line speed [can pressure the Lions], and probably the disruption of the breakdown that both teams targeted quite aggressively,” Horwill said.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 05: Josh van der Flier of the British and Irish Lions is tackled during the tour match between NSW Waratahs and British & Irish Lions at Allianz Stadium on July 05, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Credit: Getty Images

“I’m sure Joe Schmidt’s been looking at that going ‘maybe there’s an opportunity there for us’. When you’ve got guys like Fraser McReight and Carlo Tizzano, they are out-and-out ball hawks.

“The Brumbies had a very similar game – a lot of disruption to their flow, a lot driven from that defensive breakdown disrupted the flow and pattern the Lions wanted to play.

“No doubt [Lions coach] Andy Farrell and his assistants have kept a lot of stuff up their sleeve ... but the Wallabies have a bit of vision to work with.”

The Wallabies still need to convert that pressure into points, but Horwill believed even in a 52-12 defeat, the Reds proved it can be done when daring to throw caution to the wind. 

A grubber from halfback Kalani Thomas was scooped up by centre Josh Flook to score, while prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen’s try came on the back of short passes at the line from inside their own half to generate field position.

The guile of fullback Tom Wright, aerial threat of Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, audacious X-factor of Len Ikitau, and ruck speed of Tate McDermott will all be key strike weapons to utilise.

“They [the Reds] started well and showed when they hold the ball in phase play in their 22 they were able to create concerns, and throw things up that were a little bit different,” Horwill said.

“It took the Lions out of their comfort zone. That’s something the Wallabies have to look at.”

The captain and the warrior

Horwill still cannot fathom how his former teammate, James Slipper, continues to pack down in the scrum after 140 Tests.

But the Wallabies most-capped player will have a role to play beyond his physical prowess.

Harry Wilson will captain in the greatest challenge of his career – an incredible resurgence from the star No.8, who was left out of the 2023 World Cup squad under Eddie Jones.

Even after suffering broken arms in consecutive seasons since, the relentless ball-runner has become Schmidt’s most influential figure.

“He has always been a barometer who gets the guys on the front foot. He’s growing and maturing as an individual and understanding what it takes to get the best out of his body,” Horwill said.

“The way he’s bounced back is unique, [and] he seems to perform better with the leadership.”

Where Horwill had Stephen Moore and Ben Alexander in support, Slipper – who joins George Smith as the only Wallabies to play in back-to-back series – will be that for Wilson.

But the 25-year-old’s long-standing connection with flanker Fraser McReight – praised by McDermott as “a real strength of ours” for their support play and interchange of passing – looms as a point-of-difference to break the Lions apart.

“They haven’t only played at Reds level but from lower down through the years, so having that sixth sense is great for both of them to know where they are,” Horwill said.

“Having combinations like that, if you’re under pressure and under stress, you’ve got to understand sometimes you don’t need to communicate, you can’t communicate, you just know guys are there.”

Is Lynagh ready for this stage?

It would have been a moment of heartbreak for incumbent five-eighth Lolesio when he was ruled out of the series, having undergone neck surgery after being stretched off in Australia’s clash with Fiji.

It has thrown Tom Lynagh into the furnace, where he will create the first father-son pairing to challenge the Lions after his father, Michael, did the same in 1989.

At 22, and coming off a finger injury, it is an almighty task for a man who has fought expectations of his famous surname.

But while his four Test caps to date have come off the bench, Horwill has seen enough to suggest he was ready – if he and his teammates embraced the forthcoming pressure.

“Tommy’s got a very cool head on his shoulders. He’s got a very good kicking game – his out of hand kicking has been very strong – and I’m confident he’s got the ability to get the job done,” Horwill said.

“It’s clear there’s going to be some intent, there’s going to be some traffic in his way. He can deal with it.

“It’s a big atmosphere, but the focus and the process has got to be the same.

“You can’t get away from it, you’ve got to embrace it. The whole country is right behind them.”