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Liam Wright confirmed as 89th Wallabies captain ahead of Wales Test
By Finn Morton
Coach Joe Schmidt has named a surprise captain to lead Australia on Saturday night with Queensland Reds backrower Liam Wright set to become the 89th Wallabies captain when they take on Wales in Sydney.
Wright will lead the men in gold into battle at Allianz Stadium after also being named to start at blindside flanker. It’d been reported earlier in the week that the 26-year-old had been given the nod to lead the team and that’s now been confirmed.
The loose forward’s leadership selection may have come as a surprise to some or even most, but Wright has proven himself captaincy material throughout the grades in Queensland. Wright captained Queensland U20s, Queensland Country and is now co-captain at the Reds.
Fellow Reds co-captain Tate McDermott has also been named in the Wallabies’ 23 but will come off the pine, with NSW Waratahs skipper Jake Gordon picked in the No. 9 jersey.
Reds teammate Matt Faessler starts at hooker alongside Test centurion James Slipper and another former Queensland prop Taniela Tupou. Western Force skipper Jeremy Williams is one of two debutants in the starting lineup, and joins Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in the middle row.
Captain Wright will pack down alongside Reds teammate Fraser McReight in the backrow, while reigning John Eales medallist Rob Valetini completes the forward pack as the No. 8.
Joining Jake Gordon in the halves is Brumbies pivot Noah Lolesio who returns to the Test arena for the first time in years. Outside them is Queensland pair Hunter Paisami and debutant Josh Flook in the midfield.
Former Melbourne Rebels utility Filipo Daugunu is back in Wallaby gold after being named on the left wing, while NSW Waratahs recruit Kellaway will take his place on the right. In-form Brumbies outside back Tom Wright starts at fullback.
On the bench, there are another five potential debutants. Isaac Kailea, Angus Blyth, Charlie Cale, Tom Lynagh and Dylan Pietsch are all in line to debut in Wallaby gold should they be called on to come off the bench.
The Wallabies’ first Test of the year against Wales at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium is scheduled to get underway at 7:45 pm AEST. Earlier, the Wallaroos play Fiji as part of the double header.
Wallabies team to take on Wales
- James Slipper
- Matt Faessler
- Taniela Tupou
- Jeremy Williams*
- Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
- Liam Wright (c)
- Fraser McReight
- Rob Valetini
- Jake Gordon
- Noah Lolesio
- Filipo Daugunu
- Hunter Paisami
- Josh Flook*
- Andrew Kellaway
- Tom Wright
Replacements
- Billy Pollard
- Isaac Kailea**
- Allan Alaalatoa
- Angus Blyth**
- Charlie Cale**
- Tate McDermott
- Tom Lynagh**
- Dylan Pietsch**
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Latest Comments
was I right to infer that you assumed a 1:1 correspondence between points and places?
If so why were you so evasive about admitting that?
I've typed out a reply regarding the pool format but I won't send it if you don't answer my question.
Go to commentsFoster should never have been appointed, and I never liked him as a coach, but the hysteria over his coaching and Sam Cane as a player was grounded in prejudice rather than fact.
The New Zealand Rugby public were blinded by their dislike of Foster to the point of idiocy.
Anything the All Blacks did that was good was attributed to Ryan and Schmidt and Fozzie had nothing to do with it.
Any losses were solely blamed on Foster and Cane.
Foster did develop new talent and kept all the main trophies except the World Cup.
His successor kept the core of his team as well as picking Cane despite him leaving for overseas because he saw the irreplaceable value in him.
Razor will take the ABs to the next level, I have full confidence in that.
He should have been appointed in 2020.
But he wasn’t. And the guy who was has never been treated fairly.
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