Wallabies punt on rookies for Lions after injury chaos strikes
After key forwards Rob Valetini, Will Skelton and Langi Gleeson were all ruled out with injury, Schmidt has named 28-year-old De Crespigny in the no.6 jersey for a high-pressured first Test at Suncorp Stadium.
The Western Force flanker has been a journeyman, and returned from four years in France late last year to try and fulfil his dream of playing for the Wallabies.
His chance has come but via a substantial loss for the Wallabies, with two-time John Eales medal winner Valetini unable to overcome a calf injury picked up in camp three weeks ago. Gleeson was his replacement in the Wallabies' side who narrowly beat Fiji in Newcastle, but the in-form Waratah then picked up a hamstring strain during training.
Skelton was also left out after failing to overcome a calf injury, further removing some heft against a Lions pack that is likely to be stocked with big men, when named on Thursday afternoon.
Tom Hooper and Carlo Tizzano were named on the bench as middle-row cover, but there was no spot for struggling star prop Taniela Tupou, with veteran Tom Robertson preferred as the tighthead reserve.
Robertson, 30, hasn't played for the Wallabies since the end of 2022, after suffering an ACL injury ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
James Slipper has been preferred to start at loosehead prop ahead of Angus Bell, and will become just the second Australian - and third player overall - to have played the Lions in two Test series since the 12-year cycle began.
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News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Got it wrong': Wallabies left heartbroken as ‘terrible' call costs Aussies historic victory
The Wallabies have been denied an upset win over the British and Irish Lions in heartbreaking and controversial fashion after the visitors scored a last-gasp try to claim a thrilling 29-26 victory. Hugo Keenan went over for the Lions in the 79th minute to win it, only for Australia to desperately appeal the try, claiming Jac Morgan had made contact with the head of Carlo Tizzano at the breakdown in the lead-up. Referee Andrea Piardi, however, deemed there to be no foul play in the lead-up, much to the frustration of Stan Sport's Morgan Turinui in commentary. 'The referees were too weak to give it (the penalty),' he said. 'You cannot hit a guy in the back of the neck to save the ball who is legally jackling. The referees have got it wrong. It has cost the Wallabies survival in the series... a terrible decision that decides this match.' You can watch the controversial moment in the player above. A shattered skipper Harry Wilson said after the game he was 'probably not in the right emotion to speak' about the decision. Coach Joe Schmidt, meanwhile, said the Wallabies may have got a 'different decision on another day and another time'. 'I think it was described as arriving at the same time and we can all see that's not the case,' he said. 'We can all see clear contact with the back of the neck. Lions great Martin Johnson said after the game that he agreed with the call, arguing 'you have to be very, very sure to change the game on the ref's decision'. Former Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper, on the other hand, said if the incident happened in the first minute 'it probably gets awarded'. Turinui, meanwhile, only delivered an even more scathing assessment of the decision when pressed on the matter again post-game. 'That decision is 100 per cent completely wrong,' he said on Stan Sport. Lions blatant foul play is rewarded by northern hemisphere officials … a shameful end #Wallabies — Gray Connolly (@GrayConnolly) July 26, 2025 A very sad night for rugby when once again refereeing destroys a great game and turns people away from rugby in Australia. “Both players arriving at the same time. So no foul play.â€� Except one player cleaned out the other with a shoulder to the head. #lionsvswallabies — Tim Ayliffe (@TimJAyliffe) July 26, 2025 That is a rubbish decision. Clearly foul play. That’s a red card in super rugby. — Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) July 26, 2025 A truly brutal way to lose a series for the Wallabies. — Jonathan Drennan (@JWDrennan) July 26, 2025 'The referee got it wrong. His two assistant referees got it wrong. The TMO got it wrong Joel Jutge, the head of the referees, is out here on a junket. He needs to haul those referees in and ask for a please explain... the refereeing group, when it counted, got the match-defining decision completely wrong. 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