Heard the one about the Englishman, the Australian and the Italian? No, it is not an outdated joke, but the talk of the Lynagh family.
Siblings Louis, Tom and Nick dominate the rugby dynasty household’s dinner table with the genuine ambition of all making the 2027 World Cup — and all with different Test nations.
Former Australia fly-half Michael Lynagh’s three sons’ heritage means they could wear the Red Rose, represent the Wallabies or the Azzurri.
Louis is back in Harlequins colours after a nine-month knee injury battle; Tom is tearing up trees at Queensland Reds; while Nick is in Quins’ academy.
“We could play for three different countries, because we’re Italian, Australian and English,” Louis told Standard Sport. “It would be so cool if Nick plays for Italy, I make it with England and Tom for Australia, and we were all to end up at the 2027 World Cup.
“It’s pretty awesome for Tom to go to Australia, play a different style of rugby and experience that. I miss him a lot. Hopefully he misses us, but he doesn’t miss the weather! And, hopefully, Nick can come through and play professionally here.
“Maybe in a few years he could take my position at Quins — now that would be an interesting conversation for the family dinner table! It really would be amazing if we could all make it at international level. But Tom would tell you the same thing as I will, he just needs to keep playing and playing well for the Reds, like I need to keep playing and playing well for Quins.
“Obviously, a lot would have to happen, but to have three brothers on different teams at the same World Cup would be cool.”
Lynagh made his first Quins appearance of the season in Saturday’s 48-20 Premiership win over Newcastle, a try-scoring return after his nine-month absence. The 22-year-old suffered knee damage in the final regular-season match of last term, a 47-38 defeat by Exeter in June 2022.
An expected four-month lay-off dragged on, as Lynagh worked back to the cusp of a return, only to wind up back under the knife. His economics degree at the University of Surrey helped shift focus from painstaking rehab.
“I was meant to be back around October, and two days before my return the knee just didn’t feel quite right in training,” said Lynagh. “A scan showed there was a piece of meniscus floating around. They told me it would be a two-week thing, that I’d go in and walk out, but when I woke up they said they’d found more than had come up on the scan.
“I was basically out for the same amount of time again. It was a similar surgery, just not quite to the same extent. After back-to-back surgeries I basically had no quad muscle left. It was a big struggle for the first few months, but I tried to stay positive, I learned a lot of resilience through the recovery.
“And advice I’d give to anyone going through something similar, is just to take the positives, the little wins out of each day. It doesn’t even have to be the rehab, and that’s where the economics degree came in, it’s been a blessing in disguise to have another focus.”
If I were to get the chance to go to a camp with England or even play for them in the future, I’d take that with both hands
Harlequins host Bath at Twickenham on Saturday, with the Kaiser Chiefs playing at the Big Summer Kick-Off. Feeling better than ever, Lynagh cannot wait for the magic that comes with any match at HQ.
“I feel stronger and faster than before,” he said. “I feel like I’m seeing everything in slow motion almost, I feel I’ve learned more about rugby without even playing.
“Now I see things more clearly, I feel I have more time on the ball. For me, internally, that’s a really big confidence boost.
“I felt close to breaking through with England before the injury, and now I’m rebuilding. All I can do is stake a claim to get back into a starting jersey at Quins, to solidify my return.
“If I were to get the chance to go to a camp with England or even play for them in the future, I’d take that with both hands.”
Tickets for Harlequins’ Big Summer Kick-Off Premiership Rugby clash with Bath at Twickenham tomorrow are on sale here: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/harlequins
