NEWCASTLE – Wallabies playmaker Noah Reracio was seriously injured after stretching on Sunday, but manager Joe Schmidt once again rejected the suggestion needed for Australia to add an experienced playmaker for the British Ireland Lions series.
Lolesio was brought from McDonald Jones Stadium in 61 minutes of Australia’s 21-18 victory over Fiji. The fly half appears to be suffering from whipping as he was tackled under the visitor’s post.
Schmidt told reporters at a post-game media conference that he had no idea of the extent of Laurecio’s condition, but the Wallabies confirmed Sunday evening that he had been released from hospital and exempt from serious injuries.
However, it was the second time LOLESIO was taken from the field on the Medicab in three months. Lolesio was carried from HBF Park in Perth in a round 13 victory for Brumbies.
These three separate incidents led to questions about his ability to navigate what is expected to become an incredibly physical series against the Lions in Brisbane in 12 days.
A Wallabies spokesperson said Lolesio remains “a medically monitored follow-up… which will take place in the next few days.”
Lolesio was replaced by Bendonaldson of Newcastle on Sunday, but Schmidt also had two-cap young Tom Lina on his expansion team to face the Fijians.
He questioned whether it was time to add an experienced playmaker to the mix – the Wallabies will name their team to face the Lions on Wednesday – Schmidt once again stuck solids behind his young fly half trio.
“We obviously don’t choose the Lions team,” Schmidt said. “This was one of the games I sat in before that. We’ll sit down and look at our options. But looking at what Bendaldson did, we don’t know if he’s not exactly what he needs to do.
“He put us in the corner. He did what we needed to get in and get us to finish the game. So yeah, I don’t think we’ve been together for six months.
“So, now there’s another short runway for us to try and improve from where we are today.”
Rugby Australia confirmed the final make-up of the Aunt Twin Vestational team on Monday, as neither James O’Connor nor Bernard Foley were named as expected.
Harry McLaughlin Phillips and Tane Edge are given the opportunity to impress instead, but the cost of ensuring Foley at 35 and O’Connor at 34 is understood to be one of the important stumbling blocks that prohibit inclusion.
Meanwhile, on Sunday in Newcastle, Lolesio had previously produced a stable first half display as Wallabies controlled their possession and territory, but there was no Poles to build what was the halftime lead to command.
Instead, their 14-0 advantage fell to just nine points. From the hooter, the field tip gave the Fijian the opportunity to compete with the Fijians – virtually the only offensive advance in the first half – debutant fullback Salesi Rayasi moved his path to the three wallaby defenders and corners.
That recent attempt appeared to involve visitors.
In the end, only the second half five-pointers of skipper Harry Wilson’s five-pointers drove the Wallabies of Newcastle out of prison.
“It’s not really a way of thinking that we had time to consider, I’m sure it looks externally,” Schmidt replied when asked if the “weak” position was something Wallabies enjoy.
“We didn’t play enough today to expect people to bowl to Brisbane and knock on the lion, and I don’t know if there were any expectations before today.
“Like I said, we just have to build that quiet solution.
The Wallabies are also concerned about hooker Dave Polecki, another player struggling with a head knock at Newcastle.