The 'posh Lad From Richmond' Steering The Wallabies Against The Lions

First Test: Australia v British and Irish Lions

Date: Saturday, 19 July Kick-off: 11:00 BST Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Coverage: Live matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app pinch post-match study connected iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live and Rugby Union Weekly podcast

Tom Lynagh knew nan prime was going to come. Perhaps he didn't expect it to get truthful soon though.

Just 17, successful his last twelvemonth of schoolhouse and nan depths of Covid lockdowns, he logged connected to a video call.

On nan screen, connected nan different broadside of nan world, were Brad Thorn and Sam Cordingley, a erstwhile All Black and Wallaby respectively.

The easier prime would person been to enactment successful London, surviving successful Richmond pinch his parents and playing astatine Harlequins pinch his older relative Louis.

But Thorn and Cordingley's connection - to travel to Brisbane and play for Queensland Reds - tugged astatine Lynagh.

Moving overseas would put connected crystal immoderate ambitions to play for England. Italy, who he besides qualified for and who Louis now represents, would beryllium tricky fixed nan logistics.

All Lynagh's chips would beryllium connected Aussie greenish and gold.

On Saturday, 5 years connected from that video call, they salary retired arsenic he starts for Australia against nan British and Irish Lions successful Brisbane.

"We each sat down, he thought astir it, said to each nan applicable parties and made a sensible, mature and informed decision," says Paul Burke, erstwhile Ireland and Harlequins fly-half and Lynagh's head of rugby astatine Epsom College.

"He understood that his talent was recognised complete present and that he had opportunities to enactment successful England, but he went pinch his heart, pinch what he wanted.

"It was a immense measurement retired of his comfortableness zone, without his mum and dad, staying pinch his grandparents and establishing himself successful a caller environment."

Lynagh travelled down nether pinch baggage. His begetter Michael is simply a 24-carat, 72-cap Wallaby legend. Like Tom, he played fly-half. Michael was an ever-present connected nan touchlines of Tom's schoolhouse matches, softly watching and supporting.

But it was an attitude, arsenic overmuch arsenic inherited attributes, that marked Lynagh inferior retired to Burke.

"From nan outset he was highly talented," Burke adds. "He was ever going to beryllium destined for greatness.

"He was a awesome cricketer, an fantabulous footballer and a sublime rugby player.

"His functional activity and expertise to publication a crippled were very natural, but astir of each it was his characteristic and attitude.

"I said to him erstwhile he was leaving that it would clasp him successful bully stead."

The ray kid pinch a large sanction and a mini framework surely confounded expectations connected presence successful Australia.

"Defensively he is tough," says Jon Fisher, adjunct coach astatine Queensland Reds.

"You mightiness deliberation this is nan posh lad from Richmond, but he is tough

"The beauty astir Tommy is he is very composed, I wouldn't opportunity laid backmost - because that astir apt has connotations that are unfair, but he is very measured.

"Every clip we person played games of value against nan Kiwi teams, Tommy has controlled section position.

"He has sewage a hellhole of a boot, he is simply a moving threat. I deliberation he is ready."

No-one knows for judge though.

Initially down James O'Connor - a cardinal fig successful nan 2013 bid against nan Lions - Lynagh made his debut for nan Reds successful February 2023.

This year, he has shown much pinch shot successful hand, crossing for 4 tries successful 13 games.

But his Test acquisition is scant.

Lynagh has 3 appearances disconnected nan chair for nan Wallabies, adding up to a full of an hr of world crippled time.

Had first-choice Wallaby fly-half Noah Lolesio not suffered a cervix wounded a fortnight ago, nan 22-year-old astir apt wouldn't moreover person made Saturday's matchday 23.

Opposite him astatine 10 for nan visitors connected Saturday will beryllium Finn Russell. A decade older, Russell's full profession has been building to his match.

By contrast, Lynagh's has only conscionable begun.

Australia coach Joe Schmidt admits it is "not ideal" for Lynagh's first Test commencement to travel connected specified an elevated stage.

"It whitethorn beryllium he has to study quickly," Schmidt said.

Crash courses tin move into train wrecks.

But Lynagh - produced successful England and polished successful Queensland - has proved to beryllium a smart student everyplace he has been truthful far.