Gordon will miss a month with a medial ligament issue, while Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt showed his desire to select those committed to Australian rugby when he axed Langi Gleeson from a preseason camp after signing with Montpellier.
McDermott remains contracted until the end of the 2027 World Cup on home soil, and while Reds coach Les Kiss stopped short of suggesting his ball-running style would be needed to conquer the Lions, he believed his skipper’s arsenal would thrive on the big stage.
“He’s just a beast for trying to get every part of his game refined; Tate’s not that old, he’s right in his prime and is only going to get better.”
Les Kiss
“We’re really pleased with the way he is bossing the ruck and how he’s sniping around the edges and keeping defences honest. It takes a lot of heat off the next channel in terms of how you want to attack when you’ve got someone like Tate doing the damage around there,” Kiss said.
“It’s not for me to speculate on what the Wallabies will do, except we will do everything we can to ensure our players are as skilled as possible and are in a good place physically and tactically.”
While McDermott sits on the sidelines, Lynagh will continue his push to add to his four Wallabies caps on Saturday.
The 21-year-old produced one of his most composed performances in the 35-15 defeat of the Waratahs, showcasing his evolution in managing a contest while demonstrating his improved running game.
Tom Lynagh in action for the Reds.Credit: Getty Images
Of the Wallabies’ No.10 contenders, Brumbies star Noah Lolesio has only just returned from a three-game concussion lay-off, while Waratah Tane Edmed has been relegated to the bench.
The pair, along with Ben Donaldson, are off contract this year, while Lynagh is signed until 2026 and has a strong club combination with McDermott and Test centre Hunter Paisami.
“I know RA are just doing their due diligence and talking to the people they need to. I’ve had two discussions with them and that’s all I know,” Kiss said.
“I only get anywhere with good people. This is a team job, if that means other honours down the track for all our players for Wallabies jerseys, or anyone else, it’s great.”
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