Five years after failing to find a home in Super Rugby, Nick Champion de Crespigny’s incredible rise to the Wallabies is complete after being named in Joe Schmidt’s side to take on the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday.
The Canberra-born back-rower will start at blindside flanker in a back-row trio alongside captain Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight.
His stunning elevation to the national side comes after back-to-back John Eales Medallist Rob Valetini and Langi Gleeson couldn’t prove their fitness earlier in the week.
As revealed by The Roar, the Force back-rower is one of four changes from the side that beat Fiji in their one lead-up Test ahead of the Lions series, with Matt Faessler returning at hooker and Jake Gordon and Tom Lynagh forming a new-look halves pairing.
Nick Champion de Crespigny will make his Wallabies debut against the Lions on Saturday night in Brisbane. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Schmidt also opted to leave giant tight-five forwards Taniela Tupou and Will Skelton out, with Tom Robertson and Tom Hooper preferred instead.
It comes despite Skelton telling reporters on Monday that he was “raring to go” after tweaking his calf ahead of the 21-18 nail-biting win over Fiji in Newcastle earlier this month.
Schmidt, however, had no concerns about bringing Gordon and Lynagh straight into the starting side despite an injury-plagued last six weeks.
Gordon hasn’t played since late May, while Lynagh was forced off late in the Queensland Reds’ qualifying final loss to the Crusaders in early June with a concussion. A hand injury, which he took into the final, delayed his return further.
By being named at No.10, Lynagh won’t just make his debut start but will take on the Lions thirty-six years after his father, Michael, started in all three Tests in the 1989 series. They are the first father-son duo to play the Lions.
Schmidt, who earlier this week revealed that he was hoping his side wasn’t thrown any more late curveballs, said Saturday’s Test would be a huge challenge.
“The whole squad has worked hard as a group to prepare for what’s going to a massive challenge against an in-form Lions team,” Schmidt said in a statement.
“With the short runway leading up to such a big Test match, we know we must adapt fast and improve quickly, from the performance we had against Fiji recently.
“We’re very much aware of the occasion and conscious of earning the support from the public through the effort they see on the field.”
Wallabies playmaker Tom Lynagh (R) will follow in his father’s footsteps by taking on the Lions. Photo: Queensland Rugby Union
Champion de Crespigny’s elevation to the Wallabies continues an incredible five years for the bone-crunching back-rower, having left Sydney University to join French Top 14 side Castres.
Unable to work his way into a Super Rugby squad despite being on the fringe of the Rebels and Waratahs, former Wallabies assistant Pierre-Henry Broncan took a stab on the back-rower and immediately made an impression.
But wanting to turn his dream of playing for the Wallabies into a reality, Champion de Crespigny, on the back of encouragement from several well-known Australian rugby players, floated his name to Super Rugby franchises back home last year and Simon Cron’s Force pounced on him.
“I’ve got aspirations as an individual player to push myself to the highest level and see where that bar is and that was the main driving factor. I didn’t really want to die wondering,” Champion de Crespigny told The Roar from South Africa in a pre-season interview last year.
“I grew up watching Super Rugby, I grew up being a fan of the Wallabies, I just wanted to see what I could do. I back myself individually but just see where I actually rank in the pecking order.
“You’re a proud Australian, so you want to see what you can do.”
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has an almighty task ahead of him. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Lynagh’s rise to the No.10 jersey became a distinct possibility following Noah Lolesio’s season-ending injury earlier this month, but most thought that Schmidt would promote Ben Donaldson given the Force playmaker started on two occasions last year and had regularly featured in the matchday side over the previous two years, including in the Wallabies’ win over Fiji recently.
With the Wallabies down on several of their heavy ball-carriers, it’s expected that Schmidt will instruct his side to bombard the Lions in the air and try and feast on the crumbs on the ground.
It’s likely that replacement Hooper will come on in the second half in the second-row, while Carlo Tizzano will provide the Wallabies a second on-ball option to attack the breakdown.
Wallabies (1-15): 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
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway
