Jock Campbell returns at fullback for the Wallabies against Ireland after 4-year absence

SYDNEY (AP) — Jock Campbell has been selected for his first test since 2022 and will start at fullback for Australia's Nations Championship opener against Ireland at a sold-out Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday.

Campbell will link with 21-year-old Max Jorgensen and Dylan Pietsch in a revamped back three for the Wallabies. Ryan Lonergan and Carter Gordon will form the halves pairing to start.

Advertisement

Campbell’s Queensland Reds teammate Josh Canham has been selected to make his first test start, partnering Western Force lock Jeremy Williams in the second row. No. 8 Harry Wilson was retained as skipper.

Head coach Joe Schmidt also picked 151-test veteran prop James Slipper on the bench. Slipper announced last month that he was coming out of retirement and planned to make an international comeback.

“The group has reconnected quickly and we’ve worked hard over the past week to prepare as best we can for what is an exciting challenge against the No. 3 team in world rugby,” Schmidt said in the squad announcement Thursday.

Advertisement

The Sydney test will mark the start of the end of Schmidt's coaching era at the Wallabies and close to the beginning of the Les Kiss era. Under Schmidt, the Wallabies were winless in their tour to Britain late last year.

Schmidt will coach the Wallabies for two further Nations Championship tests against France in Brisbane on July 11 and vs. Italy in Perth on July 18.

Kiss will officially take over as head coach on July 20. He is currently concluding his duties with the Queensland Reds Super Rugby side and assisting with selection.

Advertisement

Kiss will make his debut as head coach in the series against Japan next month.

Ireland had a strong 2026 Six Nations campaign, finishing as runner-up to France.

The Irish had a 36-14 loss to France before a 20-13 win over Italy at Dublin. Ireland then claimed its 15th Triple Crown, defeating England at Twickenham, Scotland and Wales

The Irish will face Japan and New Zealand following the test with Australia.

World Rugby bills the 12-team Nations Championship competition as North vs. South. The tournament has two conferences, the southern — in which northern teams are scheduled to travel south in July — and the northern — when southern teams will travel north in November.

Advertisement

Six rounds of matches will lead to a finals series in London in late November which World Rugby says will identify the best team in the world.

___

Australia: Jock Campbell, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’alii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch, Carter Gordon, Ryan Lonergan; Harry Wilson (captain), Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Josh Canham, Jeremy Williams, Allan Ala’alatoa, Josh Nasser, Angus Bell. Reserves: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Lachlan Shaw, Tom Hooper, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Tom Wright.

____

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

The Associated Press

Click here to read article