Carter Gordon and Ryan Lonergan injury status ahead of Brisbane Nations Championships Test
The Wallabies have made halves Carter Gordon and Ryan Lonergan and are set to overcome their injury problems in time to play against France on Saturday and continue the combination that looks promising ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Gordon, who has endured 18 months of horror on the injury front, was in strong touch early in Australia’s 33-31 Nations Championship defeat to Ireland; He played a crucial role at five-eighth in the first three tries before leaving the field in the 57th minute.
Lonergan, who received a blow to the throat in the 33rd minute and scored a goal that gave his country a 12-point lead, accompanied him on the sidelines.
Although Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt suggested Gordon was suffering from cramps, it would be a bitter blow if Gordon, who battled a serious spinal fluid leak last year and limited his fledgling NRL career to a single game with the Gold Coast Titans, was not available for the clash in Brisbane.
He suffered a quad tear, broken nose and a cracked ankle when he returned to rugby in time for the 2026 Spring Tour, and this year he missed three weeks for the Reds with a knee concern.
Lonergan, meanwhile, has boosted his chances of strengthening Australia’s No.9 hurler for the long term in his short tenure; He rushed for 39 metres, fifth most among the Wallabies, and made 36 passes. Scans taken shortly after the game confirmed he was not expected to be ruled out.
“I think we’ll get a medical update tonight [Monday]. I think Ryan is fine, I’m not sure about Carter – I think he had scans today and we’ll get an update later tonight on a couple of other players who’ve had a couple of outbursts,” Wallabies assistant coach Tom Donnelly said.
“I think we started really well [with Gordon and Lonergan as the combination]”I think we made a few mistakes at the back end of the game – especially that period when we broke the line five minutes before half-time and didn’t take advantage of the opportunity and our tempo dropped a bit.”
Wallabies and Reds full-back Jock Campbell, who ended his four-year Wallabies exile with a trial, added of Gordon: “I train with him a lot, so I know the talent he has. I’ve known him since he came to the Reds as an 18-year-old.
“He’s improved a lot as a player and he’s very talented, so it’s good to get out there and show what he can do.”
If his performance against Ireland was any indication, Campbell would have a good chance of retaining his place in the back row ahead of Tom Wright, who not only scored but also made the final pass for Dylan Pietsch’s try and ran 67 meters behind Max Jorgensen among his team-mates.
“It was good to be back. It was a big moment for me and my family, so it was nice to share it,” Campbell said after his first Test in 1,316 days.
“You always have ambitions, I think anyone who plays Super Rugby will have those ambitions, but that certainly wasn’t my main focus. My main focus was definitely making sure the Reds were playing good football and seeing what happens.”
While the Wallabies were tormented by end-of-game disciplinary issues against Ireland, receiving several offside penalties on their own line, renewed strength in their squad gave them hope of a challenge against France.
The combination of Reds hooker Josh Nasser and club team-mate Josh Canham took the honour, winning 92 per cent of their 12 lineouts, while winning four against the throw.
But Donnelly warned against complacency ahead of playing a tough French side who lost by two points to New Zealand in Christchurch last Saturday.
“I think it’s a really good start for us, but it’s just a Test match – a sunny day doesn’t mean summer. We’re just coming back, starting over this week and making sure we build our week in a way where our fundamentals are aligned really well, which will set us up to perform well,” he said.
“Them [France] “They have great big men but they also have extremely good jumpers and quick jumpers and their hookers are very accurate so we are well aware of the threat from the squad this week.”
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