Tom Lynagh always knew a decision would have to be made, though he likely didn’t expect it to come so soon. At just 17, in his final year of school and amid the isolation of the COVID-19 lockdowns, he joined a video call from his home in London. On the screen, thousands of miles away, sat Brad Thorn and Sam Cordingley, a former All Black and a former Wallaby.
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With a proposition that would shape his future. The safer path would have been to stay in London, living in Richmond with his parents and playing alongside his older brother Louis at Harlequins. But Thorn and Cordingley’s offer to move to Brisbane.
And join the Queensland Reds pulled at something deeper in Lynagh. Moving overseas would put on ice any drives to play for England. All Lynagh’s chips would be on Aussie green and gold.
Five years after that pivotal video call, the decision comes full circle. Lynagh earns his first start for Australia against the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane. We all sat down, he took his time, spoke to the right people, and made a sensible, mature, and well-informed choice, says Paul Burke. Former Ireland and Harlequins fly-half and Lynagh’s director of rugby at Epsom College.
And that he had chances to stay in England, nevertheless, he went with his heart, with what he required. It was an enormous step out of his comfort zone, without his mum and dad.
British Irish Lions 2025: Tom Lynagh Carves His Path
Living with his grandparents and adjusting to a new environment, Lynagh arrived in Australia carrying more than just his luggage. His father, Michael, is a bona fide Wallaby great, a 72-cap fly-half and national icon. Like Tom, he wore the No. 10 jersey, and throughout Tom’s school years, Michael was a constant, quietly supporting from the sidelines.
Nevertheless, it was an attitude, as much as congenital qualities, that marked Lynagh junior out to Burke. From the outset, he was tremendously able,” Burke adds.
He was a bizarre cricketer, an outstanding footballer, and a beautiful rugby player. His useful drive and aptitude to read a game were very unusual, but most of all, it was his appeal and boldness.
The light kid with a big name and a small frame surely confused prospects on arrival in Australia. Sensitively, he is tough, says Jon Fisher, assistant coach at Queensland Reds.
You might look at him and see a posh kid from Richmond, but he’s tough. The great thing about Tommy is his composure, not laid-back in a lazy sense. But calm, controlled, and incredibly measured in everything he does.
Every time we have frolicked in games of meaning contrary to the Kiwi teams, Tommy has measured field position. He has got a hell of a boot; he is a consecutive threat. I think he is prepared. No one knows for sure, though. Originally behind James O’Connor, an important figure in the 2013 series, in contradiction to the Lions.
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Lions Vs Wallabies Tickets: Lynagh’s Test Debut Comes Early
Lynagh made his Queensland Reds debut in February 2023. This season, he’s grown in confidence with the ball in hand, scoring four tries in 13 appearances. However, his international experience remains limited to just three appearances off the bench for the Wallabies. Totaling only about an hour of Test rugby.
Had first-choice Wallaby fly-half Noah Lolesio not suffered a neck injury a fortnight ago. The 22-year-old probably wouldn’t even have made Saturday’s matchday 23. Opposite him at 10 for the tourists on Saturday will be Finn Russell. A period older, Russell’s whole vocation has been structured to his match.
In contrast, Lynagh’s journey is only just beginning. Australia coach Joe Schmidt admits it’s less than ideal for his first Test start to come on such a grand stage. He may have to learn quickly, Schmidt said. Crash courses can sometimes become train wrecks. But Lynagh, shaped in England and refined in Queensland, has shown to be a smart student ubiquitously he has been so far.
Australia prop Taniela Tupou will be given another chance to persuade pickers he earns a shot contrary to the British & Irish Lions. Released from Joe Schmidt’s squad, tighthead prop Taniela Tupou will feature in the First Nations & Pasifika XV tour match.
Centre and winger Filipo Daugunu was also made available, joining Tupou in Toutai Kefu’s First Nations squad for Tuesday’s clash against Andy Farrell’s Lions in Melbourne. Both players were left out of the Wallabies’ squad for the series opener against the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday.
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British and Irish Lions 2025: Wallabies Roll the Dice on Lynagh and Alaalatoa
Joe Schmidt selected Allan Alaalatoa as his starting tighthead, with New South Wales prop Tom Robertson named on the bench. It’s the second time Taniela Tupou has been released from Wallabies duty. Having also missed the warm-up Test against Fiji to play for the New South Wales Waratahs in their tour match loss to the Lions in Sydney.
Tom Lynagh’s journey from a teenage decision made in lockdown London to a Test start against the British and Irish Lions is a testament to courage, character, and conviction. He chose Australia over the comfort of familiar routes in England or Italy. Embracing the unknown for a chance to follow in his father’s footsteps and to forge a name of his own.
Saturday’s match may be the beginning of a long career or a tough lesson, but either way, it marks the arrival of a young fly-half unafraid to bet on himself. As he lines up in Brisbane, the weight of expectation will be heavy not just from fans.
But from a legacy he was born into. Yet Lynagh has never shied away from forging his path. Whether Saturday brings triumph or trial, it’s clear he belongs on this stage. This is more than a debut; it’s the culmination of a bold choice made five years ago and the start of a new chapter for both Lynagh and Australian rugby.
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