‘Wallabies is our priority’: Test success the focus of Lions tour games selections

Rugby Australia will prioritise the success of the Wallabies - and opportunities for local players - before romantic recalls of overseas-based Australians when selecting teams to meet the British and Irish Lions in warm-up tour matches.

Along with a three-Test series against the Wallabies, the Lions will play six tour games in Australia in their July tour; with fixtures against each of the Super Rugby sides, and games against an Australia & New Zealand (AUNZ) invitational side and an Indigenous & Pasifika invitational side.

As seen during the last Lions tour of Australia in 2013, just how many Wallabies players will be available for their states in the tour games will develop into a hot topic, given a 36-man Test squad will go into camp at the end of June, ahead of the first Test on July 19.

Complicating the picture even more this year is the Wallabies’ have a match against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6. The Lions meet the Force on June 28, then the Reds on July 2 and the Waratahs on July 5, before playing the Brumbies on July 9.

The AUNZ side then meets the Lions a week out from the first Test in Brisbane. Given the All Blacks are playing France in July, the Kiwi component of that team will be largely made up of Japan-based players, and stars like Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith are interested.

But while some Japan-based Australians will also be involved - Michael Hooper has been mooted as captain, and Will Genia and Israel Folau have expressed interest in playing - the Australian component will be majority local-based players, according to RA.

Israel Folau in action for the World XV at Twickenham in 2023.Credit: Getty

News the game won’t be treated as a glorified exhibition will be welcomed by some Australian Super Rugby players, who have privately expressed frustrations about talk of players who’ve left the country being given sought-after spots in Lions games.

Rugby Australia head of high-performance Peter Horne said the priority of picking teams - and the release of Wallabies players - will be geared towards beating the Lions in the three Tests.

“What we’ve said is that Wallabies Test matches are our absolute priority, that we want to win,” Horne said.

“They go into camp … and then it’s just really up to Joe [Schmidt], okay, what players in the squad should be available? We would work it out individually based on that.

“And then we have an approach where we want to make sure that our provincial games are competitive, and we’re putting out good quality teams.

“The same goes for those AUNZ and also the First Nations/Pasifika games. So, if there are players that are in the Wallabies squad, and we think that it’s in their best interest to have game time, then they’ll be made available.

“If we carry 36, not everyone can play right? So there is flexibility.”

Horne said the make-up of the AUNZ squad would be a mix of local Australian players, some overseas-based Australians and Japan-based Kiwi players. Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster was recruited as an assistant coach last week, and it is expected more coaches will be appointed from among Australia’s Super Rugby teams.

Foster said last week he anticipated Rugby Australia would use the fixture to give game time to fringe Wallabies and instil experience into young Aussies.

“They’ll look at the state of their squad once the Wallabies are picked and then say, ‘OK, well, let’s make sure that these 10, 12, 13 players go in’,” Foster said.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is making his return for the Waratahs.Credit: Getty Images

“But there is the chance to maybe put a few younger up-and-coming Australian players with some older heads, maybe some ex-All Blacks and then maybe try and find a few older Wallaby heads.”

Meanwhile, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been named to make his return for the Waratahs at outside centre against the Hurricanes on Friday night. With Andrew Kellaway rested, Max Jorgensen has moved to fullback and Warringah rookie Archie Saunders will make his debut on the wing after excellent form for the NSW “A” team.

Lock Miles Amatosero will also make his return to the side, with Hugh Sinclair rested.

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