British and Irish Lions tour: Australia’s Noah Lolesio ruled out of series

Australia’s preparations to face the British and Irish Lions have suffered a major setback after first-choice fly-half Noah Lolesio was ruled out of the series.

The 25-year-old was carried off the pitch in the Wallabies’ 21-18 win over Fiji on Sunday with an apparent whiplash injury.

He was initially discharged from hospital later that day, raising hopes he would be fit to face the tourists. However, after further check-ups, he had surgery on Tuesday afternoon.

Rugby Australia said Lolesio “will spend a period of time away from the game during his rehabilitation”. That absence will span the entirety of the series against the Lions.

Lolesio was left out of Australia’s Rugby World Cup squad in 2023 but has since become the Wallabies’ go-to fly-half under head coach Joe Schmidt.

He started five of the Wallabies’ six Rugby Championship games last year and all four of their autumn internationals in the northern hemisphere.

Ben Donaldson seems most likely to take on the 10 role, with Tom Lynagh – the England-raised 22-year-old son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh – also in the squad named for the Fiji fixture.

Schmidt could call on the experience of Bernard Foley and James O’Connor to bolster his options.

The first Test against the Lions takes place in Brisbane on 19 July, with the second and third Tests being staged on the following weekends in Melbourne and Sydney.

The Fiji fixture was Australia’s only warm-up match for the series.