Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Wallabies halves Carter Gordon and Ryan Lonergan are poised to overcome injury issues in time to play against France on Saturday, and continue what looked a promising combination ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Gordon, who has already endured a horror 18 months on the injury front, was in strong touch early in Australia’s 33-31 Nations Championship defeat to Ireland – the five-eighth playing a pivotal role in their first three tries before leaving the field in the 57th minute.
He was joined on the sidelines by Lonergan, who copped a knock to his throat after 33 minutes, having scored to give his country a 12-point lead.
While Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt suggested Gordon’s removal was due to cramping, it would be a bitter blow should he be unavailable for the clash in Brisbane, having fought a serious spinal fluid leak last year which limited his fledgling NRL career to one game with the Gold Coast Titans.
Upon his return to rugby in time for the 2026 Spring Tour, only to suffer a quad tear, broken nose and a crack in his wrist, while he missed three weeks for the Reds this year with a knee concern.
Lonergan, meanwhile, boosted his chances of cementing Australia’s No.9 jumper long-term in his brief stint – running for 39 metres, the fifth-most among the Wallabies, and recording 36 passes. Scans shortly after the game confirmed he is not expected to be ruled out.
“I think we get a medical update tonight [Monday]. I think Ryan’s good, I’m not sure about Carter – I think he had scans today, and we get an update later tonight around another couple of players as well who have come through with a couple of bangs,” Wallabies assistant coach Tom Donnelly said.
“I thought we started really well [with Gordon and Lonergan as the combination], I think we made a few mistakes at the backend of the game – particularly those five minutes before halftime where we made a linebreak and didn’t capitalise and sort of fell off the pace a little bit.”
Wallabies and Reds fullback Jock Campbell, who ended a four-year Wallabies exile with a try, added of Gordon: “I train with him a lot, so I know the ability he had. I’ve known him since he was 18 when he came into the Reds.
“He’s developed a lot as a player, and he’s very skillful, so it’s good him getting out there and showing what he can do.”
If what he showed against Ireland was any indication, Campbell would be strong odds to retain his place at the back ahead of Tom Wright, who in addition to scoring laid on the final pass for Dylan Pietsch’s try and ran for 67 metres – trailing on Max Jorgensen among his teammates.
“It was good to be back. It was a big moment for me and my family, so it was good to share that,” Campbell said after his first Test in 1316 days.
“You always have ambitions, I think everyone who plays Super Rugby would have those ambitions, but it definitely wasn’t my main focus. My main focus definitely was trying to get the Reds to play some good footy and see what happens.”
While the Wallabies were cruelled by late-game discipline issues against Ireland, conceding several offside penalties on their own line, renewed strength in their lineout has presented hope they will contend with France.
They won 92 per cent of their 12 lineouts, while winning four against the throw, as the combination of Reds hooker Josh Nasser and his club teammate Josh Canham reaped rewards.
However, Donnelly warned against complacency ahead of playing a formidable French outfit who lost by two-points to New Zealand last Saturday in Christchurch.
“I think it was a really good start for us, but it’s only one Test match – one sunny day doesn’t make a summer. We just go back, start again this week, and make sure we build our week around our fundamentals align up really well, which should hopefully set us up to perform well,” he said.
“They [France] have got some great big men, but they’ve also got some extremely good jumpers – and fast jumpers – and their hookers are very accurate, so we’re well aware of the threat that’s coming this week around the lineout.”
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