Injured Wallabies skipper targeting November return

Liam Wright says he has learnt from the painful lessons of trying to rush back from injury as he targets a November comeback for the Wallabies’ grand slam tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

A shock selection in July as Wallabies captain for the match against Wales in Sydney in his first Test since 2020, Wright’s dream return ended on a sour note when he was forced off in the second half with a shoulder injury.

In his desperation to return as quickly as possible, the Queensland Reds star has suffered “quite a few setbacks” in his ongoing recovery.

“It’s been quite a frustrating one obviously,” Wright said.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to get back as soon as possible and unfortunately there’s been quite a few setbacks throughout the process.

“Once I stopped putting that pressure to be back next week or the week after, and just let it do it’s course, it’s made the process a little bit easier.”

However, it’s still been a tough time for the 26-year-old blindside flanker following the high of not only earning a recall to the national team but also being named the Wallabies’ 89th skipper.

“I feel like I probably didn’t get to soak in and enjoy the week that was,” Wright said.

“Being back in the Wallabies Test team, being able to captain the boys, I feel like I didn’t get to revel in that as much as I would have liked after a win against a tough outfit in Wales.

“It’s still a tough one to take ... but I’m confident that if I can get myself fit, then I can hopefully rejoin the boys and try to earn my place in that squad again.

“We’re pushing hard for the spring tour (of the UK and Ireland), just getting (the shoulder) as strong as it can be and then reintegrate into rugby and contact when the camps are on in mid-October.”

As he works hard to regain his spot in Australia’s forward pack, Wright is also eyeing future success with the Reds after extending his Queensland contract by a year.

“I always feel incredible pride in the Queensland jersey, due to our fantastic fans and the role being a Queenslander has played in my life,” he said.

“There is plenty more I want to achieve here alongside this great squad and staff, both as an individual and as a team.”

Meanwhile, Wright’s Queensland teammate Fraser McReight is hopeful of returning from a broken hand for the Wallabies in Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup clash against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium.

McReight suffered the injury in the same Test that Wright hurt his shoulder but kept playing and didn’t succumb to the problem until after the Wallabies’ third Test of the year, a 40-29 win over Georgia.

Having missed Australia’s past four Tests – two against South Africa and two against Argentina – the 25-year-old openside flanker is desperate to return after having surgery on his hand.

“There’s that buzz of playing the All Blacks, one of the best teams in the world, so there’s not going to be a worry about the team not getting up for it,” said McReight, who added that the Wallabies could not afford to dwell on their embarrassing last-start 67-27 loss to Argentina.

“I’m sure there are lessons to be learnt but everyone’s come back ... and we’re rejuvenated,” he said.