Nod to the future: Teenage Lynagh impresses in his Queensland debut

When Dr Ian Lynagh ferried grandson Tom to Ballymore at the weekend en route to the 18-year-old’s first game for the Queensland Reds, he mentioned that the drive felt familiar.

Forty years earlier, Ian Lynagh had made the same drive to the same ground with Tom’s dad, Michael. The young man who would go on to become known as ‘Noddy’, captain the Wallabies and win a Rugby World Cup, was also 18 and also making his debut for Queensland.

“My granddad was driving me here and he said he got a bit of deja vu when my dad debuted at 18, so that was quite funny,” Tom Lynagh said on Saturday night.

With Ballymore’s stands knocked down ahead of a rebuild at the famous Brisbane venue, there weren’t many on hand to watch Tom make his debut for the Reds off the bench in a trial against the Western Force.

But for those few in the crowd who had earlier seen Michael running around at the same venue, there was no shortage of heads shaking and muttering about time flying.

And they had better get used to regular reminders, if Tom Lynagh’s mature form on debut – and the excited response from the Reds coaching staff – is any indication.

Tom Lynagh playing for the Queensland Reds in a trial against the Western Force.Credit:Brendan Hertel/QRU

“I thought he was outstanding,” Reds general manager Sam Cordingley said on Monday.

“You guys would have seen Thorny [Queensland coach Brad Thorn] is not backwards in coming forwards in picking young talent, so I would expect that, if the opportunity presents later on in the season, we may see him getting his [first] Reds cap.”

Michael Lynagh, aged 19, playing for Queensland in 1983.Credit:Fairfax

Tom Lynagh joined Queensland last year while still finishing school in London, where Michael and the Lynagh family have lived for many years. Unlike older brother Louis, who plays for Harlequins and was recently in an England squad, Tom aspires to play for Australia and the talented young five-eighth was happily contracted by the Reds.

He arrived in Brisbane over the summer with his father and has since moved in with his grandparents. The Reds were planning a gentle introduction to professional rugby with a 20-minute bench cameo against the Force, but the game-day withdrawal of James O’Connor with COVID-19 meant Lynagh played a full half.

And for a raw kid who was playing school rugby in England last year, where scrums and mauls were banned due to COVID, young Lynagh more than held his own, said Cordingley.

“It wasn’t a huge crowd here at Ballymore just due to the circumstances. [He had] a loud voice, good direction, really astute kicking, and he has exceptional speed. He is probably one of the fastest guys in our squad, so we are expecting big things from him,” he said.

Cordingley said Michael had managed to find the stream to Queensland’s trial and proudly watched from London.

“I had a chat to Michael after the game. We keep in pretty close contact with him obviously, don’t want to put too much a foot wrong with Queensland rugby royalty,” Cordingley said.

Tom Lynagh playing for the Queensland Reds in a trial against the Western Force.Credit:Brendan Hertel/QRU

“Somehow he managed to watch it. He was really pleased and mentioned he was really proud of Tom and what he achieved.

“Obviously a level of resilience, Tom was only planned to play 20 minutes and he ended up getting 40 minutes. That changed on the day, that was pretty significant in terms of a young men’s preparation in his first game for Queensland. All of the pressure of his family name, I thought it was outstanding.”

With the Reds experiencing a small COVID-19 outbreak, Tom Lynagh is expected to get more game time for the Reds this week in a trial against the Waratahs in Roma.

Australian Super Rugby teams have had a tendency to rush talented teenagers into action in recent years, often to their detriment.

Cordingley said they don’t plan to rush Lynagh’s progress, and, with O’Connor and Hamish Stewart experienced number tens, the plan to send the teen back to University of Queensland was likely to be followed.

“Tom may not see time this year, but if his trajectory continues from what we saw on the weekend, then he will probably pick himself,” Cordingley said.

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