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Former Wallabies flanker Liam Gill departs French club Lyon
By Online Editors
Former Wallabies flanker Liam Gill has left Top 14 side Lyon after three seasons with the club.
An announcement was made by the French team on Friday, leaving the 15-test Australian star without a club following the cancellation of the Top 14 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Gill played 60 times for Lyon since arriving from Toulon in 2017, scoring 15 tries in the process.
"Liam is one of the best players I have ever seen," said Lyon's assistant coach Kendrick Lynn in a statement.
"No matter the week, it didn't matter if he was a little injured or that he was not in his best form, he was going to give everything, come out bloodied and exhausted."
Gill's future remains up in the air, although previous reports have indicated there being an interest on the flanker's part in a return to Australian rugby.
According to a rugby.com.au report from two years ago, Gill's management reached out to Australian Super Rugby clubs in 2018 with the aim of playing in the 2019 campaign.
Money was stated as the prohibitive factor that prevented the move from coming to fruition, with the ex-Reds loose forward reportedly earning in excess of A$500,000 per year in France.
However, with Wallabies great David Pocock now off Rugby Australia's books, a move back to his homeland could well be on the cards for Gill, although the COVID-19 outbreak has hardly bolstered the organisation's coffers.
Should he return to Queensland, Gill would have stern competition for a starting role in his preferred position of openside flanker thanks to the development of Reds captain and one-test Wallaby Liam Wright.
The Reds have a number of promising youngsters in their loose forwards department, such as former Australian U20 stars Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight, meaning Gill would have his work cut out for him if he returns to Suncorp Stadium.
At the age of 27, though, there is still plenty of time for Gill to make an impact and add to the 15 caps he earned for the Wallabies between 2012 and 2013.
Gill, who became the youngest ever player to compete at a Junior World Championship in 2010 at the age of just 17, left Australia in 2016 after three seasons in the international wilderness to link up with Toulon.
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Latest Comments
No he's just limited in what he can do. Like Scott Robertson.
Go to commentsDont complain too much or start jumping to conclusions.
Here in NZ commentators have been blabbing that our bottom pathway competition the NPC (provincial teams only like Taranaki, Wellington etc)is not fit for purpose ie supplying players to Super rugby level then they started blabbing that our Super Rugby comp (combined provincial unions making up, Crusaders, Hurricanes, etc) wasn't good enough without the South African teams and for the style SA and the northern powers play at test level.
Here is what I reckon, Our comps are good enough for how WE want to play rugby not how Ireland, SA, England etc play. Our comps are high tempo, more rucks, mauls, running plays, kicks in play, returns, in a game than most YES alot of repetition but that builds attacking skillsets and mindsets. I don't want to see world teams all play the same they all have their own identity and style as do England (we were scared with all this kind of talk when they came here) World powerhouse for a reason, losses this year have been by the tiniest of margins and could have gone either way in alot of games. Built around forward power and blitz defence they have got a great attack Wingers are chosen for their Xfactor now not can they chase up and unders all day. Stick to your guns its not far off
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