Carter Gordon returns to Wallabies No. 10 jersey to face Ireland in sold-out Sydney

Carter Gordon will wear the Wallabies No. 10 jersey against Ireland at a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Sydney, marking only his third international appearance on Australian soil and his first since returning from a spell in rugby league.

The 25-year-old Queenslander last started a Test 1,070 days ago, when he was handed his first fly-half start against the All Blacks in the 2023 Bledisloe Cup clash at the MCG in front of 83,994 fans. Since then, Gordon attended the 2023 Rugby World Cup, played Super Rugby Pacific with the Melbourne Rebels, and signed with NRL side the Gold Coast Titans in June 2024 before securing a return to rugby union ahead of the 2025 Spring Tour.

Having joined the Queensland Reds for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season, Gordon made 10 starts in what was a largely injury-free campaign. He will now partner ACT Brumbies captain Ryan Lonergan in a new-look halves combination against Ireland.

Wallabies captain Harry Wilson, who played alongside Gordon at the Reds, was effusive in his praise ahead of the match. “It’s been really good for Carter to have a pretty injury-free year for Reds. He got a lot of footy for us,” Wilson told reporters at Allianz Stadium. “He loves the defence side of being a fly-half, he’s always wanted to get in there. His chat, his communication was really good for us at Reds and since he’s come into Wallaby camp, he’s really grabbed that and he’s been leading that. He’s had a really good two weeks in the hot seat and we’re really excited to play with him.”

Gordon is one of two Reds players named in the Wallabies backline. Fullback Jock Campbell also returns to the Test arena after an absence of more than 1,300 days, rewarded for a standout Super Rugby Pacific season in which the 31-year-old started all 14 of Les Kiss’ Reds matches, playing the full 80 minutes in the majority of them.

“I’m so happy for Jock, he’s worked so hard to get back here,” Wilson said. “His Super Rugby performances this year were unbelievable. He’s come back this year fitter, faster and stronger than I’ve ever seen him at 31 years old.”

Elsewhere in the backline, inside centre Len Ikitau brings 50 Test caps of experience, while winger Max Jorgensen has 20 appearances in gold. Western Force winger Dylan Pietsch and NSW Waratahs centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii have also been selected.