ACT Brumbies flyhalf Noah Lolesio vows to fight for Wallabies return

The 23-year-old was a shock omission from Eddie Jones' initial training squad, the veteran coach instead turning to Ben Donaldson and World Cup bolter Carter Gordon.

Lolesio and Gordon went toe to toe in Melbourne on Sunday, the Brumbies flyhalf making no secret of what the match meant to him.

The playmaker set the platform for his team's 33-26 victory and set tongues wagging after appearing to mouth "Carter Gordon" after crossing for his second try.

While conceding he let his emotions get the better of him on Sunday, Lolesio vowed to use that fire as motivation for the remainder of the season.

"I have no beef with Carter as a player or a person," Lolesio said. "I let my emotions take over but it shows how much the game means to me personally. Hopefully I can take that passion into every game going forward and into finals."

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While he has led the Brumbies to significant success since making Super Rugby debut in 2020, Lolesio has endured a torrid time at the international level.

Former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie refused to back the flyhalf and gave him limited opportunities.

The arrival of Eddie Jones was set to provide a fresh start, however the trend has continued. The pair are yet to have a one-on-one conversation since he was overlooked last month.

In a refreshingly candid interview, Lolesio spoke about how challenging the past few weeks have been and declared he has not given up on his Test aspirations.

"I'm really passionate about this game, I genuinely care about the Brumbies and being cut out of the Wallabies squad took a toll," he said. "I've been fighting for four years now, nothing's changed there. I'll keep fighting and do my best job for the team and I'm real passionate about that."

While he is yet to sit down with Lolesio, Jones has repeatedly stated he will pick players based on Super Rugby performances.

The Wallabies coach was in attendance on Sunday and the players responded accordingly. Gordon was superb for the Rebels while Lolesio produced one of his best games of the season.

The Brumbies were noticeably flatter in attack and the flyhalf benefited from playing on the front foot. It's a shift Lolesio will look to continue as he lets his form do the talking.

"I wasn't so much sending a message [to Eddie], hopefully my performance speaks for itself," Lolesio said. "He mentioned players select themselves. I'm not trying to do anything out of our system. I'm trying to be the best team man I can be, steering the boys around, making sure we're playing in the right areas and taking opportunities when they present for myself."

Lolesio's performance on Sunday turned plenty of heads and coach Stephen Larkham urged his protege to remain focused on performing in Super Rugby to fight his way back into the national fold.

While he conceded the Wallabies talk has been a distraction, Lolesio said the chase for a Super Rugby title is fuelling his World Cup dream.

"It's hard at times [to not get distracted]," Lolesio said. "What I usually tell myself and what Bernie's been pushing within the group is that if we collectively do a job, win games with the main goal of going all the way, that will get you selected.

"Have that goal to be on that plane heading to France in your mind, but the process in that is doing your job for the Brumbies. The whole squad has bought into that, which is why we have eight wins."

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