Scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan said his decision to remain in Australia revolves around his fight to finally earn a Wallabies debut after years on the cusp of a call-up.
Lonergan once again finds himself in Wallabies camp after he was selected for the first two rounds of the Rugby Championship in South Africa.
The 27-year-old has been called into the Wallabies squad by three separate coaches (Dave Rennie, Eddie Jones, Joe Schmidt) without a Test appearance, despite captaining Australia A/Australia XV on several occasions.
He was first called in by Rennie in 2021 alongside brother Lachlan, who would debut against France that July.
Since then, just under 50 players have debuted for the Wallabies, with Ryan opting to continue his fight for an elusive gold jersey rather than head overseas.
“I definitely thought about [moving overseas or that I wouldn't play for the Wallabies] but I just recently signed two years because I want to stay here and play," Lonergan told reporters.
“My focus is on representing Canberra and my country. So excited to be able to do that when I can.”
Lonergan has spent time with the squad this year, called in as an additional squad member during the British & Irish Lions tour.
“I’ve just been fitting in where I can, do your homework and understand any small changes," he notes.
“I’ve been in and around it for a little bit now, so I'm quite familiar with the calls, but there's always a bit of stuff to pick up on.
“It feels the same, I’ll just come in and play my part and we'll see what happens throughout the week.
“I've been in and out a few times. So I'll just try to train the best I can throughout the week and we'll see what happens on the weekend.”
