Injury-hit Australia A call up Zac Lomax for first union representative tour of USA

Tom Lynagh has been ruled out of Australia A’s two-match tour of the United States through injury, with former NRL back Zac Lomax and Western Force team-mate Harry McLaughlin-Phillips called into the squad as replacements. Australia A face the USA Eagles in Nashville on 24 October and in New Jersey on 30 October.

Lynagh, 23, had been named in the initial 27-man squad last week. The Queensland Reds fly-half was Australia’s starting ten across the three Lions Series Tests in 2024 and also featured against Argentina on 6 September 2025, making his absence a notable one for a group that includes 11 capped Wallabies.

Lomax’s inclusion marks his first taste of representative rugby union since officially switching codes on 8 March, when he signed a two-year deal with the Western Force and Rugby Australia. The 27-year-old started six of seven appearances for the Force during Super Rugby Pacific, crossing for tries against the Crusaders and Fijian Drua, and rounded out the campaign with back-to-back 80-minute performances.

McLaughlin-Phillips, who moved to the Force from the Reds ahead of Super Rugby AUS, helped the western franchise claim the title earlier this month. The uncapped playmaker had already caught the eye of Wallabies head coach Les Kiss, who called him into the national squad ahead of the 42-38 win over the Springboks in Perth and retained him for the ongoing Bledisloe Cup series.

Zane Nonggorr and Kalani Thomas are among other current Wallabies squad members set to feature, with the tour offering additional game time for players on the fringes of the national setup. Matt Faessler will captain the side.

“It’s pleasing to pull together such a strong group of players for what will be a testing tour against genuine international opposition,” Australia A coach Stephen Larkham said. “A lot of the players selected have performed well across Super Rugby AUS and to have a number of Wallabies in the mix shows the depth that is being created across the Australian Rugby system.”