Ben Donaldson will cheer the Western Force on from afar this weekend, with the Wallaby hoping the Super Rugby Pacific side can make history with an upset win over the highly-favoured British & Irish Lions in Perth.
Donaldson is in camp with the Wallabies, who are preparing to take on Fiji at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on July 6 – the first time these two sides will meet since the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool stage, which the Fijians won 22-15 in Saint-Etienne.
When the Wallabies announced their 36-man squad last Thursday, it was also revealed that some Force players would remain in Perth to face the Lions on Jun 28, rather than join the national squad right away.
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Wallabies bolter Nick Champion de Crespigny was among those who will stay out west, along with Darcy Swain, Jeremy Williams, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson and Nic White. Carlo Tizzano and Harry Potter were called into Wallabies camp from the start.
95-Test Wallaby Kurtley Beale spoke with reporters in Perth on Tuesday, as the anticipation and hype for the Lions’ first match on Australia’s shores continues to build. While the visitors are strong favourites, Donaldson is confident those selected to play will do the Force proud.
“Yeah, they’ll win I reckon,” Donaldson quipped.
“Nah it’s an awesome experience for them and a great challenge.
“You saw the Brumbies win 12 years ago so it’s not impossible. Everyone knows it’s going to be a great challenge for the group, a few boys who have only played a few games here might get a crack for the Force.
“They’re just working hard. I was back there the last two weeks training with them and they’re ripping in, they’re training really hard and they’re having a bit of fun at the same time. [Kurtley Beale] has spoken to the group about really enjoying the next couple of weeks, so has [Nic White], so has Sam Carter.
“They’re really excited and hopefully they get the win.”
There’s been a lot of talk of this week about whether all Wallabies should suit up for their Super Rugby clubs against the Lions, with Lios chief executive Ben Calveley calling for Test starts to feature in these matches.
Coach Joe Schmidt has since responded, as the Wallabies continue to prepare for Fiji ahead of the Lions Series. Potentially, this could mean some players miss out on facing the Lions at all, if they’re not selected to represent the Wallabies in any of the three Tests.
Donaldson was asked about whether he would’ve wanted to play for the Force on Saturday, but as the playmaker explained, there’s “a good share” of Wallabies who are still in Perth while the others set their sights on facing the Flying Fijians.
“We just do what the coaches want. We get the schedule… there’s four of us Force boys who are here,” Donaldson said.
“They’re super excited, as are the other boys in the squad who get an opportunity to play this weekend against the Lions.
“It would have been awesome to play. Any game you get to play against a Lions team is pretty cool but like I said, we’re in camp now, we’re preparing for this Fiji Test next week and really excited to watch the Force boys play this weekend.”
