‘It’s a process’: Lynagh’s 18-minute season suffers another cruel blow

Wallabies five-eighth Carter Gordon has been cleared of a serious knee injury that threatened to derail his hopes of clinching the nation’s No.10 jumper, however injury-plagued teammate Tom Lynagh has had his luckless season dealt another cruel blow.

Concern was immediate when Gordon was helped from the field during the Queensland Reds’ triumph of the Crusaders before last week’s bye.

Having scored a try-of-the-year contender to help take down the New Zealand juggernaut, he was spotted on the ground in agony early in the second half after experiencing pain following contact.

However, any fears of long-term damage have been erased, and he is expected to be fit in time for the club’s run to the Super Rugby Pacific finals having avoided the need for surgery.

“We’re not sure of the timeframe, it’s nothing serious as it seems at this stage. It’s cartilage, and those things can be tricky, so we’re just going to take it week by week,” Reds coach Les Kiss said on Wednesday.

“I think those things always scare you, so it was the right thing just to take him off and back our resources. He’s in good spirits.”

Gordon has been considered the frontrunner to spearhead the Wallabies’ attack this year, in what looms as a crucial preparation period ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil.

Western Force maestro Ben Donaldson appears to be his strongest competitor, with Noah Lolesio currently playing in Japan.

Lynagh, who featured in the first two games of the British and Irish Lions series last year before being forced to battle injuries, has managed just 18 minutes of action this year, with hamstring issues and illness holding him back.

Kiss has now confirmed the son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh has sustained a calf cartilage issue, with a comeback deadline uncertain.

However, the coach was confident the 23-year-old would still feature at some point this season.

“We’re still working through that slight little injury on his calf, so we’re just making sure we don’t rush it. It’s a process, and as we’ve always done, we’ll look after him and make sure we get things right,” Kiss said.

“He did a full training the other day and just felt something at the end afterwards. One thing I do know about Tommy, if he has a week off or four weeks off, the next game he plays, he’s always on.

“I think the bottom line for Tommy is we keep doing the right thing with him and work with him to make sure we get it right. That’s the idea of this whole process, to make sure we get that longevity that he’s after in terms of playing games on games.”

While Gordon is still expected to miss several weeks, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips will take the play-making duties for this weekend’s Super Round clash with the Blues in Christchurch.

Prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen will also make his 150th Super Rugby appearance, while Massimo De Lutiis made his return from a hamstring issue in club rugby on the weekend and is available for selection.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.