Schmidt backs Gordon for Wallabies return after league switch

Australia coach Joe Schmidt has backed fly-half Carter Gordon to be ready for a Test call-up against Japan next week, less than two weeks after switching back from rugby league.

Gordon, who left the Gold Coast Titans following an injury-hit spell in the NRL, will resume his union career on the Wallabies’ northern tour, which also includes Tests against England, Italy, Ireland and France.

With Tane Edmed the only other specialist fly-half in the squad, Schmidt said Gordon was “in the mix” to face Eddie Jones’s Japan in Tokyo on October 25.

“What struck me about him when he was playing for the Rebels is that he’s certainly brave enough — he’s not going to hold back,” Schmidt said. “Carter being the 10 in the squad, there’s a pretty good chance he may be involved.”

Gordon made his Wallabies debut under Jones at the 2023 Rugby World Cup before being dropped midway through the campaign. Reflecting on that experience, the 23-year-old said he still valued his time under the former coach despite Australia’s early exit.

“He doesn’t pick up the gigs he does without being such a good coach,” Gordon said. “Last year was crazy for everyone — I learned a lot about myself, and those are lessons I’ll carry with me.”