Queensland Reds ‘up for challenge' of beating Crusaders in qualifying final
That's the belief of Queensland lock Josh Canham, who insisted the Reds were 'up for the challenge' in the qualifying final.
'Everyone knows the Crusaders in finals are a force but the boys showed last year it's possible to win over there,' Canham said in reflecting on Queensland's 33-28 win at Apollo Projects Stadium last season.
However, it was a different story when the teams met at the same venue earlier this season, with the Crusaders winning 43-19.
Crusaders (A) pic.twitter.com/PtvfJ3nikd
— Queensland Reds (@Reds_Rugby) June 3, 2025
'We've had a lot of good moments in our games, but fluctuated really poorly in our bad areas,' Canham said.
'Don't bounce up and down. All games fluctuate, but don't bounce that far, (and) we'll be in the game.
'It's never going to be perfect, but when things don't go perfect we don't put our heads down and go into a shell, we fight our way out of it.'
Canham's individual 'fight' will include a head-to-head battle with star Crusaders lock Scott Barrett, the captain of the All Blacks.
'I try not to think about my opposition too much but it's hard to ignore him,' Canham said.
'It's his all-round game. Detail around his lineout stuff, his carries, maul work … it will be awesome to go against his lineout as well.'
The Reds are hopeful that Wallabies captain Harry Wilson will be fit to play after he went off late in Queensland's 52-7 win over Fijian Drua last Saturday holding the arm he broke earlier this season.
Wilson went for scans but trained well on Tuesday with his arm heavily strapped.
Fellow back-rower Seru Uru is also in contention to return from a knee injury, but lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto hasn't recovered from a shoulder injury.
Another certain absentee is back-up flyhalf Harry McLaughlin-Phillips due to concussion protocols.
It means that starting No.10 Tom Lynagh will almost certainly need to play the entire match.
'I don't think I've played a full 80 (minutes) so far but I should be ready for it,' Lynagh said.
'I've got a whole season under my belt.'
Lynagh promised that the Reds would 'play how we want to play' and not overawed by the tough task ahead of them.
'We won't let the occasion dictate that. We just need to play smart footy in finals,' he said.
Canham backed Lynagh to give the Reds forwards a platform to take the game to the Crusaders in what was expected to be wet conditions.
'(Lynagh has) been great this year putting us forwards on the front foot, Canham said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Wallabies throw 'psycho' bolter to Lions for debut
Wallabies "psycho" Nick Champion de Crespigny has been thrust into a shock debut in the British & Irish Lions opener as coach Joe Schmidt plots a Brisbane boilover. The flanker, one of just two uncapped players in the 36-strong squad, surged into calculations after injury to pivotal backrower Rob Valetini and the in-form Langi Gleeson. Hulking lock Will Skelton, who missed the Fiji Test with a calf niggle, remains sidelined in another huge blow to the underdogs. Schmidt said all three were nearing full fitness and expects them to be available for next Saturday's second Test in Melbourne. Canberra-raised Champion de Crespigny returned from a Top 14 stint with Castres Olympique to play for the Western Force this season to join the back of a bulging queue of contenders. But, with two-time defending John Eales Medallist Valetini and Gleeson on ice - former captain Liam Wright (shoulder) is also out of the picture - he'll be asked to dent a Lions line that has enjoyed five relatively comfortable wins since arriving in the country late last month. "Big shoes to fill," Schmidt said of the debutant, who brings an aerial threat at lineouts and starch on either side of the ball. "He was on the radar (12 months ago). Not necessarily right in the middle, but in the periphery and got a little bit closer as the season wound on." Backrow partner Fraser McReight was less diplomatic. "He's a psycho; loves contact and ready to go," the No.7 said. "Loves the physical nature of the game. I've heard all the stories from the Force boys." The coach also backed "quietly confident" 22-year-old Tom Lynagh to steer the ship in a new-look halves combination with Jake Gordon. Ben Donaldson will provide backline back-up on the bench, with Schmidt resisting the temptation to recall veteran James O'Connor, who wore the No.10 in all three Tests 12 years ago. Hooker Matt Faessler returns after a last-start hat-trick in gold, having started for the Reds instead of playing against Fiji in his comeback from a hamstring injury. Andrew Kellaway has bumped Filipo Daugunu off a new-look bench that includes hooker Billy Pollard, scrumhalf Tate McDermott, prop Tom Robertson and flankers Tom Hooper and Carlo Tizzano. James Slipper will join George Smith as the only Wallabies to feature in back-to-back Lions series in the professional era while No.8 Harry Wilson has retained the captaincy. Lynagh hasn't played since the Reds lost their Super Rugby quarter-final in early June, with a broken hand ruling him out of the Fiji Test. The Italy-born, England-raised playmaker finished school and moved to Australia in 2021 and has flourished under Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss as the Queensland Reds' main man for the last two years. He'll make Australian rugby history as the first father-son Wallabies to face the Lions after Michael Lynagh wore the No.10 against the Lions in 1989. English lock Maro Itoje will captain a Lions side that had no room for exciting flanker Henry Pollock, in-form Welsh backrower Jac Morgan or coach Andy Farrell's son, Owen. 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. Wallabies "psycho" Nick Champion de Crespigny has been thrust into a shock debut in the British & Irish Lions opener as coach Joe Schmidt plots a Brisbane boilover. The flanker, one of just two uncapped players in the 36-strong squad, surged into calculations after injury to pivotal backrower Rob Valetini and the in-form Langi Gleeson. Hulking lock Will Skelton, who missed the Fiji Test with a calf niggle, remains sidelined in another huge blow to the underdogs. Schmidt said all three were nearing full fitness and expects them to be available for next Saturday's second Test in Melbourne. Canberra-raised Champion de Crespigny returned from a Top 14 stint with Castres Olympique to play for the Western Force this season to join the back of a bulging queue of contenders. But, with two-time defending John Eales Medallist Valetini and Gleeson on ice - former captain Liam Wright (shoulder) is also out of the picture - he'll be asked to dent a Lions line that has enjoyed five relatively comfortable wins since arriving in the country late last month. "Big shoes to fill," Schmidt said of the debutant, who brings an aerial threat at lineouts and starch on either side of the ball. "He was on the radar (12 months ago). Not necessarily right in the middle, but in the periphery and got a little bit closer as the season wound on." Backrow partner Fraser McReight was less diplomatic. "He's a psycho; loves contact and ready to go," the No.7 said. "Loves the physical nature of the game. I've heard all the stories from the Force boys." The coach also backed "quietly confident" 22-year-old Tom Lynagh to steer the ship in a new-look halves combination with Jake Gordon. Ben Donaldson will provide backline back-up on the bench, with Schmidt resisting the temptation to recall veteran James O'Connor, who wore the No.10 in all three Tests 12 years ago. Hooker Matt Faessler returns after a last-start hat-trick in gold, having started for the Reds instead of playing against Fiji in his comeback from a hamstring injury. Andrew Kellaway has bumped Filipo Daugunu off a new-look bench that includes hooker Billy Pollard, scrumhalf Tate McDermott, prop Tom Robertson and flankers Tom Hooper and Carlo Tizzano. James Slipper will join George Smith as the only Wallabies to feature in back-to-back Lions series in the professional era while No.8 Harry Wilson has retained the captaincy. Lynagh hasn't played since the Reds lost their Super Rugby quarter-final in early June, with a broken hand ruling him out of the Fiji Test. The Italy-born, England-raised playmaker finished school and moved to Australia in 2021 and has flourished under Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss as the Queensland Reds' main man for the last two years. He'll make Australian rugby history as the first father-son Wallabies to face the Lions after Michael Lynagh wore the No.10 against the Lions in 1989. English lock Maro Itoje will captain a Lions side that had no room for exciting flanker Henry Pollock, in-form Welsh backrower Jac Morgan or coach Andy Farrell's son, Owen. 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. Wallabies "psycho" Nick Champion de Crespigny has been thrust into a shock debut in the British & Irish Lions opener as coach Joe Schmidt plots a Brisbane boilover. The flanker, one of just two uncapped players in the 36-strong squad, surged into calculations after injury to pivotal backrower Rob Valetini and the in-form Langi Gleeson. Hulking lock Will Skelton, who missed the Fiji Test with a calf niggle, remains sidelined in another huge blow to the underdogs. Schmidt said all three were nearing full fitness and expects them to be available for next Saturday's second Test in Melbourne. Canberra-raised Champion de Crespigny returned from a Top 14 stint with Castres Olympique to play for the Western Force this season to join the back of a bulging queue of contenders. But, with two-time defending John Eales Medallist Valetini and Gleeson on ice - former captain Liam Wright (shoulder) is also out of the picture - he'll be asked to dent a Lions line that has enjoyed five relatively comfortable wins since arriving in the country late last month. "Big shoes to fill," Schmidt said of the debutant, who brings an aerial threat at lineouts and starch on either side of the ball. "He was on the radar (12 months ago). Not necessarily right in the middle, but in the periphery and got a little bit closer as the season wound on." Backrow partner Fraser McReight was less diplomatic. "He's a psycho; loves contact and ready to go," the No.7 said. "Loves the physical nature of the game. I've heard all the stories from the Force boys." The coach also backed "quietly confident" 22-year-old Tom Lynagh to steer the ship in a new-look halves combination with Jake Gordon. Ben Donaldson will provide backline back-up on the bench, with Schmidt resisting the temptation to recall veteran James O'Connor, who wore the No.10 in all three Tests 12 years ago. Hooker Matt Faessler returns after a last-start hat-trick in gold, having started for the Reds instead of playing against Fiji in his comeback from a hamstring injury. Andrew Kellaway has bumped Filipo Daugunu off a new-look bench that includes hooker Billy Pollard, scrumhalf Tate McDermott, prop Tom Robertson and flankers Tom Hooper and Carlo Tizzano. James Slipper will join George Smith as the only Wallabies to feature in back-to-back Lions series in the professional era while No.8 Harry Wilson has retained the captaincy. Lynagh hasn't played since the Reds lost their Super Rugby quarter-final in early June, with a broken hand ruling him out of the Fiji Test. The Italy-born, England-raised playmaker finished school and moved to Australia in 2021 and has flourished under Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss as the Queensland Reds' main man for the last two years. He'll make Australian rugby history as the first father-son Wallabies to face the Lions after Michael Lynagh wore the No.10 against the Lions in 1989. English lock Maro Itoje will captain a Lions side that had no room for exciting flanker Henry Pollock, in-form Welsh backrower Jac Morgan or coach Andy Farrell's son, Owen. 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.
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Business time as Farrell makes tough first Test calls
Andy Farrell has overlooked son Owen for a British and Irish Lions berth in their Brisbane opener and resisted the temptation to blood excitement machine Henry Pollock. The Lions coach on Thursday confirmed his side for Saturday's series opener against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium. Farrell was a late call-up to his fourth tour after Elliot Daly (arm) suffered a tour-ending injury, despite not playing international rugby for nearly two years and enduring an injury-hit season in France with Racing 92. But he impressed off the bench in Saturday's thrashing of the AUNZ Invitational XV and looked a chance to provide cover in the centres and No.10 for the Test opener. English flyer Marcus Smith has instead won the utility spot on the bench, able to cover flyhalf and fullback. Pollock, the high-octane 20-year-old with just one Test under his belt, and fellow in-form back-rower Jac Morgan were other unlucky omissions. England's Ellis Genge teams up with Leinster pair Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, two of 11 Irish players in the 23. Irish duo Jack Conan and Tadhg Beirne won back-row spots alongside England's Tom Curry, while Leinster scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park will partner Scottish gun Finn Russell in the halves. Andy Farrell said the selection of his back row was a real challenge. "That is the hotly contested part of the team that has been talked about for quite some time, and rightly so because of the quality we have got there," he said. "We feel that is the right combination for the first Test ... Tadhg with his quality in the set piece, but also his ability on the floor or as a ball-playing No.6. That complements Jack in a similar regard, with Tom being the engine we all know you need in Test match football." Morgan was stiff to miss out after he was player of the match against the Queensland Reds, and the coach was asked how close he was to being involved. "As close as you can imagine. I am gutted for players like that ... and Henry (Pollock) as well because they could easily be in this side, but that shows the good place we are in as a group," Farrell said. The coach said his son Owen was a hot chance of being involved in the clash against First Nations and Pasifika on Tuesday in Melbourne. "He was in contention, but I feel like Tuesday will be good for someone like Owen," Farrell said. Scottish pair Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones will occupy the centres, while two more Leinster products - Hugo Keenan and James Lowe - join England speedster Tommy Freeman in the back three. Lock Maro Itoje will captain the side for the first time. Farrell played for Wigan Warriors in the 1994 World Club Challenge final win in rugby league over Brisbane. He recently said it was one of the highlights of his dual-code career, but was then asked how it would compare with getting one over the Wallabies. "I actually met (former Broncos captain) Gorden Tallis today and was reminiscing on a few things, and '94 was a great memory," he said. "This seems a little bit bigger. This is huge. This would mean the world to me." LIONS: Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Finn Russell, James Lowe, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Tommy Freeman, Hugo Keenan. Bench: Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Bundee Aki Andy Farrell has overlooked son Owen for a British and Irish Lions berth in their Brisbane opener and resisted the temptation to blood excitement machine Henry Pollock. The Lions coach on Thursday confirmed his side for Saturday's series opener against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium. Farrell was a late call-up to his fourth tour after Elliot Daly (arm) suffered a tour-ending injury, despite not playing international rugby for nearly two years and enduring an injury-hit season in France with Racing 92. But he impressed off the bench in Saturday's thrashing of the AUNZ Invitational XV and looked a chance to provide cover in the centres and No.10 for the Test opener. English flyer Marcus Smith has instead won the utility spot on the bench, able to cover flyhalf and fullback. Pollock, the high-octane 20-year-old with just one Test under his belt, and fellow in-form back-rower Jac Morgan were other unlucky omissions. England's Ellis Genge teams up with Leinster pair Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, two of 11 Irish players in the 23. Irish duo Jack Conan and Tadhg Beirne won back-row spots alongside England's Tom Curry, while Leinster scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park will partner Scottish gun Finn Russell in the halves. Andy Farrell said the selection of his back row was a real challenge. "That is the hotly contested part of the team that has been talked about for quite some time, and rightly so because of the quality we have got there," he said. "We feel that is the right combination for the first Test ... Tadhg with his quality in the set piece, but also his ability on the floor or as a ball-playing No.6. That complements Jack in a similar regard, with Tom being the engine we all know you need in Test match football." Morgan was stiff to miss out after he was player of the match against the Queensland Reds, and the coach was asked how close he was to being involved. "As close as you can imagine. I am gutted for players like that ... and Henry (Pollock) as well because they could easily be in this side, but that shows the good place we are in as a group," Farrell said. The coach said his son Owen was a hot chance of being involved in the clash against First Nations and Pasifika on Tuesday in Melbourne. "He was in contention, but I feel like Tuesday will be good for someone like Owen," Farrell said. Scottish pair Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones will occupy the centres, while two more Leinster products - Hugo Keenan and James Lowe - join England speedster Tommy Freeman in the back three. Lock Maro Itoje will captain the side for the first time. Farrell played for Wigan Warriors in the 1994 World Club Challenge final win in rugby league over Brisbane. He recently said it was one of the highlights of his dual-code career, but was then asked how it would compare with getting one over the Wallabies. "I actually met (former Broncos captain) Gorden Tallis today and was reminiscing on a few things, and '94 was a great memory," he said. "This seems a little bit bigger. This is huge. This would mean the world to me." LIONS: Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Finn Russell, James Lowe, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Tommy Freeman, Hugo Keenan. Bench: Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Bundee Aki Andy Farrell has overlooked son Owen for a British and Irish Lions berth in their Brisbane opener and resisted the temptation to blood excitement machine Henry Pollock. The Lions coach on Thursday confirmed his side for Saturday's series opener against the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium. Farrell was a late call-up to his fourth tour after Elliot Daly (arm) suffered a tour-ending injury, despite not playing international rugby for nearly two years and enduring an injury-hit season in France with Racing 92. But he impressed off the bench in Saturday's thrashing of the AUNZ Invitational XV and looked a chance to provide cover in the centres and No.10 for the Test opener. English flyer Marcus Smith has instead won the utility spot on the bench, able to cover flyhalf and fullback. Pollock, the high-octane 20-year-old with just one Test under his belt, and fellow in-form back-rower Jac Morgan were other unlucky omissions. England's Ellis Genge teams up with Leinster pair Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, two of 11 Irish players in the 23. Irish duo Jack Conan and Tadhg Beirne won back-row spots alongside England's Tom Curry, while Leinster scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park will partner Scottish gun Finn Russell in the halves. Andy Farrell said the selection of his back row was a real challenge. "That is the hotly contested part of the team that has been talked about for quite some time, and rightly so because of the quality we have got there," he said. "We feel that is the right combination for the first Test ... Tadhg with his quality in the set piece, but also his ability on the floor or as a ball-playing No.6. That complements Jack in a similar regard, with Tom being the engine we all know you need in Test match football." Morgan was stiff to miss out after he was player of the match against the Queensland Reds, and the coach was asked how close he was to being involved. "As close as you can imagine. I am gutted for players like that ... and Henry (Pollock) as well because they could easily be in this side, but that shows the good place we are in as a group," Farrell said. The coach said his son Owen was a hot chance of being involved in the clash against First Nations and Pasifika on Tuesday in Melbourne. "He was in contention, but I feel like Tuesday will be good for someone like Owen," Farrell said. Scottish pair Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones will occupy the centres, while two more Leinster products - Hugo Keenan and James Lowe - join England speedster Tommy Freeman in the back three. Lock Maro Itoje will captain the side for the first time. Farrell played for Wigan Warriors in the 1994 World Club Challenge final win in rugby league over Brisbane. He recently said it was one of the highlights of his dual-code career, but was then asked how it would compare with getting one over the Wallabies. "I actually met (former Broncos captain) Gorden Tallis today and was reminiscing on a few things, and '94 was a great memory," he said. "This seems a little bit bigger. This is huge. This would mean the world to me." LIONS: Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Finn Russell, James Lowe, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Tommy Freeman, Hugo Keenan. Bench: Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Bundee Aki
Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
A Wallabies great fell 23 minutes short of a Lions shock. This is his game plan
Twelve years after he fell 23 minutes shy of inspiring a historic triumph, Wallabies great James Horwill issued a stunning declaration. 'The Wallabies can get the job done,' he told this masthead, on the eve of the British and Irish Lions series. 'If we keep our guys on the park and fit, I'm very confident we can get the job done.' Horwill, the last man to captain the nation into a Lions series, was left to lament a three-try, 10-minute burst from the 57th minute in the third Test that buried their hopes in 2013. He recalls the missed penalty goal after the siren at Suncorp Stadium which sealed their opening Test defeat, after Christian Lealiifano was concussed early and Berrick Barnes and Pat McCabe were also forced off with injuries. And while the Wallabies would bounce back in a one-point thriller in Melbourne, a boilover was not to be. Yet even without injured stars Noah Lolesio, Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, Horwill was adamant the current group could complete the task. How the Wallabies can get the edge While the Lions have gone unbeaten from their five tour encounters thus far, Horwill has seen chinks in their armour. Despite a host of Wallabies not partaking, the Brumbies and Waratahs went toe-to-toe with their juggernaut rivals, winning a combined 14 turnovers to three. 'The Tahs showed that a bit of line speed [can pressure the Lions], and probably the disruption of the breakdown that both teams targeted quite aggressively,' Horwill said. 'I'm sure Joe Schmidt's been looking at that going 'maybe there's an opportunity there for us'. When you've got guys like Fraser McReight and Carlo Tizzano, they are out-and-out ball hawks. Loading 'The Brumbies had a very similar game – a lot of disruption to their flow, a lot driven from that defensive breakdown disrupted the flow and pattern the Lions wanted to play. 'No doubt [Lions coach] Andy Farrell and his assistants have kept a lot of stuff up their sleeve ... but the Wallabies have a bit of vision to work with.' The Wallabies still need to convert that pressure into points, but Horwill believed even in a 52-12 defeat, the Reds proved it can be done when daring to throw caution to the wind. A grubber from halfback Kalani Thomas was scooped up by centre Josh Flook to score, while prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen's try came on the back of short passes at the line from inside their own half to generate field position. The guile of fullback Tom Wright, aerial threat of Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, audacious X-factor of Len Ikitau, and ruck speed of Tate McDermott will all be key strike weapons to utilise. 'They [the Reds] started well and showed when they hold the ball in phase play in their 22 they were able to create concerns, and throw things up that were a little bit different,' Horwill said. 'It took the Lions out of their comfort zone. That's something the Wallabies have to look at.' The captain and the warrior Horwill still cannot fathom how his former teammate, James Slipper, continues to pack down in the scrum after 140 Tests. But the Wallabies most-capped player will have a role to play beyond his physical prowess. Harry Wilson will captain in the greatest challenge of his career – an incredible resurgence from the star No.8, who was left out of the 2023 World Cup squad under Eddie Jones. Even after suffering broken arms in consecutive seasons since, the relentless ball-runner has become Schmidt's most influential figure. 'He has always been a barometer who gets the guys on the front foot. He's growing and maturing as an individual and understanding what it takes to get the best out of his body,' Horwill said. Loading 'The way he's bounced back is unique, [and] he seems to perform better with the leadership.' Where Horwill had Stephen Moore and Ben Alexander in support, Slipper – who joins George Smith as the only Wallabies to play in back-to-back series – will be that for Wilson. But the 25-year-old's long-standing connection with flanker Fraser McReight – praised by McDermott as 'a real strength of ours' for their support play and interchange of passing – looms as a point-of-difference to break the Lions apart. 'They haven't only played at Reds level but from lower down through the years, so having that sixth sense is great for both of them to know where they are,' Horwill said. 'Having combinations like that, if you're under pressure and under stress, you've got to understand sometimes you don't need to communicate, you can't communicate, you just know guys are there.' Is Lynagh ready for this stage? It would have been a moment of heartbreak for incumbent five-eighth Lolesio when he was ruled out of the series, having undergone neck surgery after being stretched off in Australia's clash with Fiji. It has thrown Tom Lynagh into the furnace, where he will create the first father-son pairing to challenge the Lions after his father, Michael, did the same in 1989. At 22, and coming off a finger injury, it is an almighty task for a man who has fought expectations of his famous surname. But while his four Test caps to date have come off the bench, Horwill has seen enough to suggest he was ready – if he and his teammates embraced the forthcoming pressure. 'Tommy's got a very cool head on his shoulders. He's got a very good kicking game – his out of hand kicking has been very strong – and I'm confident he's got the ability to get the job done,' Horwill said. 'It's clear there's going to be some intent, there's going to be some traffic in his way. He can deal with it. 'It's a big atmosphere, but the focus and the process has got to be the same.
