Matt Faessler and Hunter Paisami could potentially face the British & Irish Lions next week, with the Wallabies announcing on Wednesday that the pair will return to Brisbane ahead of the Queensland Reds’ clash with the touring side on July 2.
While there are eight Reds players in the Wallabies’ 36-man squad, Faessler and Paisami are the only two who have been made available for the match at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium – the second fixture for the Lions in Australia, following their clash with the Force on Saturday.
Incumbent Wallabies captain Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight, Filipo Daugunu, Tate McDermott, Tom Lynagh and Zane Nonggorr will remain with the Wallabies ahead of the team’s first Test of the year against Fiji on July 6.
Coach Les Kiss revealed last week that the Reds had “long discussions” with players who had been picked to train in a Wallabies hub, and that there was a chance that “guys can come back” to Queensland for the historic Lions fixture.
“Last year we had a Wales match to head into, now we’ve got the British & Irish Lions which doesn’t get any better. Excitement is high, that’s for sure,” Kiss explained.
“We’ll work through that over the next week in terms of selection and people are really, really excited in the place to see what’s in store for us.
“It’s special, without a doubt. Talking with the other coaches, the coaching team, or actually all the staff in our professional department, it’s a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity, without a doubt.
“When you look through the history of the Reds versus the British & Irish Lions, there’s probably been probably 130, 140 players only that have represented the jersey against the British & Irish Lions. It’s a unique and a special group of people who have the opportunity to do that as a player, but from a staffing perspective, and the management, we’re excited as well.
“It ranks up there as one of the great occasions.”
For the first time in 12 years, the Lions are back on Australia’s shores, currently preparing for a clash with the Western Force in Perth this weekend. Thousands will pack the stands at Optus Stadium on June 28, before the Lions head east to Queensland.
Nick Champion de Crespigny, Darcy Swain, Jeremy Williams, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson and Nic White were all picked in the Wallabies squad, but have stayed in Perth to play for the Force against the Lions.
The Lions will also take on the NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies, before suiting up for a match against an AUNZ Invitational XV on July 12 – the first time since the late 1980s that Australia and New Zealand have joined forces on the rugby field.
