Liam Wright’s season is officially over.
After starting the international season as Joe Schmidt’s first Wallabies captain, the inspirational Queensland Reds back-rower didn’t pull the jersey on again.
A niggling shoulder issue, which mystified doctors, delayed his progress and has now eventually forced him into shoulder surgery. It’s the 26-year-old’s eighth major injury in six years.
Wright had hoped to feature in Schmidt’s grand slam ambitions, but now will have to watch from the couch.
The latest mishap came as he attempted a late run to feature in one of the two travelling squads to the United Kingdom, with the ultimate goal of finishing with the Wallabies in time to take on Ireland in Dublin.
It’s terrible misfortune for a man who’d fought through so much to get explode back onto the international landscape.
Liam Wright captained the Wallabies and Wales at Allianz Stadium on July 06, 2024 in Sydney. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Indeed, his sixth Test was his first Test in four years and came with it the honour of becoming the Wallabies’ 89th captain.
But an innocuous tackle suffered in the second half against Warren Gatland’s Welsh in Sydney has once again slowed his progress.
In an interview with The Roar last month, Wright described the past few months as some of the most difficult he’s experienced given his stunning return, saying it was the “hope that killed him”.
“Given what was at stake, it has been the most challenging,” Wright added.
“I feel like probably the hardest part was I didn’t really get to enjoy the end of the week and after the game as much as I probably could have or should have, and just my mind immediately went to knowing that the shoulder didn’t feel quite right, and worrying about trying to get it back up and ready for the next Test … whenever that would be.”
Wright is due to have surgery in Sydney with the hope of fixing the injury once and for all.
Reds coach Les Kiss backed Wright to come out the other end of the unfortunate injury.
“As a man of character and resilience, if there’s anyone you back to be able to do the job again, to get it right, it’s him,” Kiss told the Brisbane Times ahead of their two-match tour of Japan.
“He was really looking forward to the Spring Tour, and if not, then joining the A team afterwards.
“Now is the time for him to go and get the job that’s needed on it [his shoulder], and I daresay by the first game of the year, he may be available again.”
The Reds will play two matches, including against Robbie Deans’ Saitama Wild Knights on November 4, as the Super Rugby franchise continues to strengthen their ties with the Japanese powerhouse.
Wright isn’t the only international who is missing the Wallabies and Reds tours, with former NRL premiership winner Suliasi Vunivalu on the comeback from yet another injury.
Vunivalu wasn’t in the frame for a national call-up, but it’s more than likely he would have toured Japan.
The winger, who fell out of favour with Dave Rennie before Eddie Jones took a liking to him, has one season left on his two-year deal but is exploring opportunities elsewhere.
Wallaby Tom Lynagh will play for Queensland before linking up with the Australia XV squad in England. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Kiss will have several Wallabies at his disposal in Japan, with rookie Test playmaker Tom Lynagh headlining a Reds squad that features Josh Nasser, Alex Hodgman, Matt Gibbon and Josh Canham.
In the wake of James O’Connor’s move to the Crusaders, Lynagh will share the minutes with fellow playmaker Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, who was also selected in the Australian XV side.
The former Irish assistant, who worked with Schmidt for years, said the tour represented an opportunity for Lynagh to get back to doing what he does best.
“Tommy’s just relishing the opportunity to get out there and play some footy, that’s for sure,” Kiss told the Brisbane Times.
“There’s no doubt he’s going to bring some qualities back, and some of those qualities are around the areas of ‘I’m good enough’.
“The things they [Lynagh and McLaughlin-Phillips] learnt from James was unbelievable, and you can see that coming through in their training now, and in a way, that blue sky’s opened up and they have to take that step forward now.
“There are a couple of blokes in the same boat – Josh Nasser is another one – but they know they’ve got an opportunity to get some game time, and that’s the key thing they’ve looked at.”