Uncapped McLaughlin-Phillips earns Wallabies debut after 'dominating the second team' in training

Harry McLaughlin-Phillips will come off the bench for the Wallabies against the All Blacks after earning his Test call-up through a standout training camp, with captain Harry Wilson declaring the uncapped fly-half has been “dominating the second team” ahead of the Bledisloe Cup clash. Ben Donaldson’s upper leg injury forced the change, with Declan Meredith named to start at No. 10 and McLaughlin-Phillips in line for a debut appearance.

The ‘HMP’ nickname has followed the fly-half through a rapid rise in Australian rugby. McLaughlin-Phillips came through the Australian Schools and Under-18 pathways before representing the Australia Under-20s, then made his Super Rugby Pacific debut with the Queensland Reds on 24 February 2024. He has since started for the Reds and the AUNZ Invitational XV against the British & Irish Lions, earned Australia A honours, and helped the Western Force claim the Super Rugby AUS title after moving west following a career-best season in Queensland.

“Really excited for HMP. He’s worked hard over the last few years at the Reds and he’s really developed over the last 12 to 24 months,” Wilson told reporters on Friday. “The way he’s been training, he has been dominating the second team and now it’s an opportunity for him to do it in the gold jersey. He’s a young fella who’s had a few years of Super Rugby experience and now he gets the opportunity to do it on the big stage.”

Wallabies head coach Les Kiss has a close familiarity with the prospect, having worked alongside McLaughlin-Phillips during multiple seasons in Queensland — a relationship that may ease the transition to Test rugby.

Meredith, who debuted during the Nations Championship in July and started three Tests this year for a two-win return, also drew praise from Wilson. “The way he’s trained this week, the way he’s been training over the past few months has given us a lot of confidence. I’m really excited for Decky — I really hope he grabs it with both hands and really puts his imprint on the game.”

The backdrop to the selection news is a Wallabies side stung by defeat in Auckland, where the All Blacks extended their winning streak against Australia to a record 12 consecutive Tests. Australia had arrived in New Zealand on a six-game unbeaten run, and Wilson himself scored one of two first-half tries to keep the margin to three points at the break, but the All Blacks pulled clear in the second half to win convincingly.

With the series now shifting to Australian soil, McLaughlin-Phillips could find himself in the middle of a high-stakes Bledisloe Cup response — a considerable stage for a first Test appearance.