Past masters or young guns? Faced with the biggest crossroads of his Wallabies coaching career, Joe Schmidt has had a bet each way, recalling 35-year-old fly-half James O’Connor from exile to lead a young Wallabies attack in their bid to conjure an upset victory over the British & Irish Lions in the series kicking off on 19 July in Brisbane.
The selection of O’Connor – 12 years after he was blooded against the Lions in 2013 and 1,064 days since his last international – was the headline selection in the 36-man squad. The 2025 Wallabies join 191 men over 126 years to suit up against the best from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
