Young gun Jorgensen ready and hungry to face Lions

Perth Now

21-06-2025

After fearing the worst, Wallabies sensation Max Jorgensen has declared himself "100 per cent" ready to tackle the touring British and Irish Lions.
Jorgensen has been sidelined since late March after falling victim to a hip-drop tackle and sustaining ankle syndesmosis in a NSW Waratahs Super Rugby Pacific loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington.
The after-the-siren try-scoring hero of Australia's famous victory over England at Twickenham last November admits he wondered if he'd miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to face the Lions when he first suffered the injury.
"Obviously it goes through your mind. It's pretty hard when you get injured," Jorgensen said after being named in Joe Schmidt's 36-man squad for the Wallabies' season-opening Test against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6.
"You can't say anything until you get scans and stuff like that, so I sort of just hoped for the best and the scan turned out really well.
"So, yeah, and look where I am now. So it's good."
The series-opening Test against the Lions is on July 19 in Brisbane.
Jorgensen is certain he will be ready.
"Oh, yeah, 100 per cent," the 20-year-old wing wonder beamed.
"I'm pretty much back to full fitness and playing games, so yeah.
"I pretty much started full training this week, and last week, so am just getting back into it at the moment, but I can't complain. It's feeling really good."
With coach Schmidt playing his cards close to his chest, Jorgensen has "no idea" where he ranks in the Wallabies' wing pecking order, or if he will feature against Fiji or be placed on ice for the Lions showpiece.
Whenever, whatever, he just wants back on the park competing.
"There hasn't been any discussions," he said.
"That's all up to the coaches, so I don't think that's any of my decision.
"I just want to play the game, 100 per cent. I play the game to play footy ultimately. I don't want to be just training and and in rehab.
"It's not that good a place to be in but, yeah, I just want to play games."
Despite his immense class and potential, Jorgensen didn't take his spot in the Wallabies squad for granted and said it was a nervous wait before receiving the phone call from manager Chris Thomson.
"It's pretty nerve-wracking and stressful," he said.
"I think most boys would say the same thing. You're always waiting for that call and you don't find out too early. You find out pretty late, so you're pretty nervous right up until the squad announcement.
"And the Lions (series) is massive. It's a it's a once-in-a-career opportunity pretty much. They only come once every 12 years, so it's it's a pretty cool thing."