International tug-of-war over Lynagh isn't over yet
The ball is in Eddie Jones' court in the race for Louis Lynagh, but Wallabies coach Dave Rennie won't concede the son of Australian great Michael Lynagh is lost to this country yet.
Italian-born Louis, 20, who's lived in England since he was five, has been named in Jones' extended 45-man England squad ahead of three Tests that include a clash with the Wallabies next month.
Younger brother Tom has moved to Brisbane on a contract with the Queensland Reds and declared his dream is to wear Wallaby gold like his father and fellow five-eighth.
A fullback or winger, Louis opted to stay in England with Harlequins and former Wallabies coach Jones made the first move in a sequence that could see the brothers one day clash at Test level.
But Rennie said Australia's director of rugby Scott Johnson had spoken to Michael about his son's allegiance and there remained an avenue for Louis to instead play for the Wallabies.
"Obviously Eddie's well aware of his lineage and (the need to) catch him quickly," Rennie said on Friday.
"But we'll see how things go there, whether they use him or not over the next period and whether there's any interest in him to come back to Australia.
"Not until he's capped (is he England's)."
Jones will have his first opportunity to blood Lynagh against Tonga on November 6, before they face Australia and then South Africa in consecutive weeks all at London's Twickenham Stadium.
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It’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
Go to commentsDon’t pay a blind bit of notice to Lukie… he likes the sound of his own voice and is always looking for something controversial to say. He has been banging on about Leinster's defensive system all season like he knows something Jacques Nienebar doesn’t. Which is the reason why he didn’t apply for the job obviously
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