Relief as Wallabies star avoids spinal injury, but headaches grow for Schmidt

Just days after the smiling British and Irish Lions coaches unveiled their squad to tour Australia, a weekend of injury scares in Super Rugby Pacific only left Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt with extra headaches.

After NSW star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was stretchered off Allianz Stadium on Friday night with a nasty concussion, the sight of Wallabies five-eighth Noah Lolesio being taken from the field in Perth on Saturday night in a neck brace was another heart-in-mouth moment for Schmidt and Australian fans.

In an incident coach Stephen Larkham later described as scary, Lolesio was caught awkwardly in a ruck in the first half of the Brumbies’ 33-14 win over the Western Force at HBF Park. A counter-ruck by several Force players against Lolesio led to halfback Henry Robertson landing on the back of his neck, with his chin pinned dangerously down on the chest.

Lolesio was taken to Royal Perth Hospital amid concern of a serious neck injury. Fortunately, the scans showed no fractures, the Brumbies confirmed on Sunday morning. After speaking to his relieved partner and family, Lolesio left hospital and returned to team hotel in the early hours on Sunday morning.

“Noah is in good spirits and will continue to be monitored by the club’s medical team over the coming days. A timeline for his return to play will be determined based on ongoing assessment and symptom resolution,” the Brumbies said in a statement.

The early diagnosis was that Lolesio suffered ligament damage in his back, but it is not known how long it will keep him out of action. There are three weeks remaining in Super Rugby’s regular season before the finals begin, and the first Test against the British and Irish Lions is 69 days away.

Noah Lolesio of the Brumbies is stretchered from the field.Credit: Getty Images

News of Lolesio being cleared of major injury will have greatly relieved Schmidt, but any hope of Saturday’s massive derby clash between the Brumbies and the Reds in Canberra providing insight into who should be his No.10 against the Lions has now also been dashed.

Schmidt is a believer in adding selection weight to performances in finals and high-pressure derby clashes, and Lolesio facing his in-form rival Tom Lynagh could have helped one present a compelling case over the other, in a victorious team.

But Lolesio is all but certain to miss the game, and Lynagh may not even get a chance to push his credentials in the huge game either.

The 22-year-old did not return to the field after half-time in the Reds’ win over the Waratahs after suffering a concussion, meaning Lynagh will likely miss the Brumbies’ clash as well, under the return-to-play protocols.

With just under 10 weeks before the first Test, there is hope Lolesio will have enough time to return to full fitness.

Lolesio started in nine Tests last year and, if fit, would still be the man most likely to wear the Wallabies No.10 in the first Test against the Lions in Brisbane on July 19. Given the high stakes of a Lions series, Lolesio’s experience a 32-Test playmaker is a sizeable trump card over the young contender.

The Brumbies star recently signed to play in Japan next year but Schmidt has indicated he will not put a line through departing players when selecting a squad to win the Lions series.

Lolesio’s nasty injury came just a day after fellow Wallaby Suaalii was also stretchered off with a head knock in the Waratahs’ loss to the Reds in Sydney.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii of the NSW Waratahs is taken off the field after sustaining a concussion against the Reds on Friday eveningCredit: Getty Images

Suaalii will miss the Waratahs’ clash with the Crusaders on Friday night, at least, and while the star code-swapper will definitely be selected for duty against the Lions, getting him to the starting line fit and healthy will be a major priority for Schmidt.

If the Crusaders extinguish the Waratahs’ slim finals hopes this week, Rugby Australia may err on the side of caution regarding Suaalii’s return.

The Waratahs sit in eighth on 22 points, four adrift of the top six with three games left. With favourable results elsewhere, three wins would give the Tahs a chance of making the play-offs, but they also face the Blues and the Force away, and they haven’t won a game on the road all year.

Beating the Crusaders (third on 37 points) at home could provide patriotic support to the second-placed Brumbies (39), and possibly Reds (32).

With a horror 0-19 record in play-off games in New Zealand over 25 years, Australian sides effectively need to finish in the top two to be a chance to win Super Rugby. The Brumbies also still have a bye to serve in the second-last round.

Watch all the action from the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season on Stan Sport, the only place to watch every match, live and on demand.