Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt has given an update on his captaincy choice for their upcoming series against the British & Irish Lions.

Owen Farrell was booed like a pantomime villain as he came on to take part in a fourth British and Irish Lions tour,

Schmidt insists ‘there’s not real confidence’ after his Wallabies side needed a 78th-minute try from Harry Wilson to sneak past a valiant Fiji side

Lynagh Snr was a sensational player in his pomp, winning a Rugby World Cup with the Wallabies in 1991, while his sons are starting out their careers at the highest level, with Tom boasting three caps ahead of the Series while Louis is currently representing Italy.

Joe Schmidt's preparations for the British & Irish Lions tour appear on shaky ground with the loss of first-choice flyhalf Noah Lolesio deepening the sense of pessimism surrounding the Wallabies following their lacklustre showing against Fiji.

With just 20 caps of Test experience between Ben Donaldson and Tom Lynagh, Joe Schmidt had no other choice but to bring James O'Connor into his Wallabies squad.

James O’Connor wasn’t answering his phone calls, and the Wallabies squad for the British & Irish Lions series was to be announced in an hour. As Australia’s coach dialled the number again from the team’s hotel lobby, he received a tap on the shoulder from James Slipper. “The bloke you’re after is outside,” Slipper revealed.

He’s mostly reverted back to the team that laboured to a scrappy 21-20 victory against the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney last weekend, with Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne handed the captaincy again with tour skipper Maro Itoje rested.

The shadow boxing is nearly at an end and the bell is set to ring for the first round of the coaching battle between Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell, and Johnny Sexton is not the only person desperately eager to see how the former Ireland partners handle the challenge.