Brumbies Playmaker Lolesio’s Resurgence Ahead of Wallabies Selection

Standout Season Secures Lolesio’s Future with Brumbies and Wallabies

On February 23, 2024, during the round one Super Rugby Pacific match between Melbourne Rebels and ACT Brumbies at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Australia, playmaker Noah Lolesio of the Brumbies showcased his skills on the pitch. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

The 24-year-old five-eighth has recently committed his future to the Wallabies, signing a contract extension that will keep him with the Brumbies and Rugby Australia until the end of 2025. Lolesio admits he had considered giving up on Australian rugby at the start of the year, but a standout season with the Brumbies has convinced him to stay.

After falling out of favor under former national coach Eddie Jones last year, Lolesio is now back in contention for Wallabies squad selection under the new regime of Joe Schmidt. The skilful playmaker says he is a changed player and person after a challenging couple of years, which included a transformative three-month stint in French rugby with Toulon.

“It’s probably the most critical experience I’ve had so far in my rugby career,” Lolesio said. “My experience over there was awesome, I really enjoyed it. The French lifestyle put rugby into perspective and helped me grow on and off the field.”

Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham, one of the Wallabies’ finest No.10s in his own right, has no doubt about Lolesio’s readiness to resume the national team role. “He’s someone that gives a lot of players around him confidence. He’s got a really good handle on the way that we want to play and he’s got a really good skill set.”

A semi-final win over the Blues this Friday at Auckland’s Eden Park – the “graveyard of Australian rugby” – would cement Lolesio’s place in the mind of Wallabies selectors after collecting the Super Rugby Pacific season’s second-highest points tally of 140. The match-up is also an opportunity for Lolesio to prove how far he has come since his drop-goal attempt to seal a win against the Blues in the 2022 semi-final was charged down in the dying seconds.

Lolesio remains coy about his national team prospects, but is full of praise for his “hard-working” potential future mentor Schmidt. “I’ve just really put all my energy and focus into doing the best job for the Brumbies and just trying to enjoy myself as well because when I enjoy my footy, that’s when I tend to be playing my best.”

🔗 Source