Wallabies Call On Nick Champion De Crespigny For Surprise Debut In Lions Opener

Nick Champion de Crespigny will make a astonishment Wallabies debut successful nan British & Irish Lions opener, while Rob Valetini and Will Skelton were omitted pinch injuries.

The 29-year-old flanker, who played for Castres Olympique successful France successful caller seasons, slots into nan backmost statement adjacent to skipper and No 8 Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight.

Champion de Crespigny is 1 of conscionable 2 uncapped players successful Joe Schmidt’s match-day squad, and had surged into calculations aft wounded to pivotal backrower Valetini and nan in-form Langi Gleeson.

Schmidt has backed 22-year-old Tom Lynagh to steer nan vessel successful a new-look halves operation pinch Jake Gordon.

Ben Donaldson will supply backline backup connected nan bench, pinch Schmidt resisting nan enticement to callback seasoned James O’Connor, who wore nan No 10 successful each 3 Tests 12 years ago. Hooker Matt Faessler returns aft a last-start hat-trick successful gold, having started for nan Reds alternatively of playing against Fiji successful his comeback from a hamstring injury.

Uncapped Andrew Kellaway has bumped Filipo Daugunu disconnected a new-look chair that includes hooker Billy Pollard, scrumhalf Tate McDermott, prop Tom Robertson and flankers Tom Hooper and Carlo Tizzano. James Slipper will subordinate George Smith arsenic nan only Wallabies to characteristic successful back-to-back Lions bid successful nan master era while Wilson has retained nan captaincy.

Tom Lynagh will travel successful his father’s footsteps against nan Lions. Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Canberra-raised Champion de Crespigny returned from a Top 14 stint pinch Castres Olympique to play for nan Western Force this play to subordinate nan backmost of a bulging queue of contenders.

But, pinch two-time defending John Eales medallist Valetini and Gleeson connected crystal – erstwhile skipper Liam Wright (shoulder) is besides retired of nan image – he’ll beryllium asked to dent a Lions statement that has enjoyed 5 comparatively comfortable wins since arriving successful nan state precocious past month.

Lynagh hasn’t played since nan Reds mislaid their Super Rugby quarter-final successful early June, pinch a surgery manus ruling him retired of nan Fiji Test.

The Italy-born, England-raised playmaker vanished schoolhouse and moved to Australia successful 2021 and has flourished nether Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss arsenic nan Queensland Reds’ main man for nan past 2 years. He will make Australian rugby history arsenic nan first father-son Wallabies to look nan Lions aft Michael Lynagh wore nan No 10 against nan Lions successful 1989.

“The full squad has worked difficult arsenic a group to hole for what’s going to beryllium a monolithic situation against an in-form Lions team,” Schmidt said.

“With nan short runway starring up to specified a large trial match, we cognize we must accommodate accelerated and amended quickly, from nan capacity we had against Fiji recently. We’re very overmuch alert of nan juncture and conscious of earning nan support from nan nationalist done nan effort they spot connected nan field.”

The Lions will sanction their broadside later connected Thursday, erstwhile it’s expected coach Andy Farrell will corroborate boy and four-time tourer Owen will not beryllium portion of nan match-day 23.

Wallabies: James Slipper, Matt Faessler, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (c), Jake Gordon, Tom Lynagh, Harry Potter, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright. Bench: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway.