Jorgensen firms in Wallabies selection race ahead of Lions series

In the Super Rugby Pacific competition held in Sydney, the New South Wales Waratahs, boasting numerous Australian national team members, defeated the Western Force 34-10, maintaining their unbeaten record. The ACT Brumbies defeated the Blues 21-20, achieving their first victory at Eden Park in Auckland since 2013. The Queensland Reds, however, suffered their first loss of the season, falling to a heavy 19-43 defeat against the Crusaders in Christchurch.

With the British and Irish Lions series approaching, here are some talking points from Round Four of Super Rugby Pacific. Of particular note are Jorgensen's outstanding performance for the Waratahs, and the heavy defeat suffered by the Reds, indicating key shifts in team dynamics.

Jorgensen's performance for the Waratahs was exceptional. It would be surprising if Australia's national team coach, Joe Schmidt, has not already included Max Jorgensen's name on the starting wing list, preparing to face the Lions in the first test in Brisbane. Jorgensen has been outstanding for the Waratahs, and played his best level of the season in the win over the Force. The 20-year-old scored two tries, the first showcasing how he can use speed in limited space, while the second—scored from an intercept—was a classic opportunist's effort.

The Reds were brought back to reality after their Trans-Tasman loss to the Crusaders on Sunday afternoon. After winning their first two games, it was a forgettable outing for the Reds, whose leaky defense allowed their opponents to score seven tries. Their work on attack was largely ineffective, with passes frequently missing their mark and poor decisions being made. Amidst the chaos, Australia's national team open-side flanker, Fraser McReight, maintained his reputation, demonstrating resilience and skill.

The Brumbies put their season back on track with a gritty win over the Blues on Friday night. Crucial to the rare victory in Auckland was the performance of fullback Tom Wright, one of several current Brumbies players in the Australia national team setup. Wright's performance was not without its blemishes, missing a tackle on AJ Lam in the lead-up to Angus Ta'avao's first-half try, and dropping a high ball. But he excelled in the critical moments of the second half, stopping a threatening midfield break from Finlay Christie with a one-on-one tackle on the 22-meter line.

Schmidt's choice of who he selects as his lock combination against the Lions is an intriguing point of discussion. Last year, he called on Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Will Skelton, and Angus Blyth to start in the second row in Australia's national team test program. With the Melbourne Rebels' dissolution, now playing for the Reds, Kanaamro also featured off the bench. After his move from the Brumbies to the Force, Swinton's performances have been encouraging, so his return to the test arena cannot be ruled out. Swinton has been outside of the international arena since featuring in his most recent of 17 tests in 2022.

Through handing 19 players their test debut in 2024, Schmidt has shown he wants to identify the key element of any potential success: depth. This will be at the forefront of the Australia national team coach's mind ahead of the Lions series, as Super Rugby Pacific takes its toll. In the Waratahs' win over the Force, Australia national team players Jake Gordon (knee) and Langi Gleeson (leg) were injured, while Suaalii has been sidelined since his debut in Round One. There are other existing injury concerns, with Rob Valetini and Salakaia-Loto missing the Brumbies' and Reds' first four games respectively through injury.