Ronan O\u2019Gara has provided the latest update on Will Skelton, insisting that the Wallabies lock, who was called home to France from the Rugby Championship, will play for La Rochelle sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n
Skelton was released from Joe Schmidt\u2019s Australia squad<\/a> after starting the Rugby Championship Round Two match against South Africa in Cape Town on August 23.<\/p>\n However, he was nowhere to be seen when La Rochelle began their new 2025\/26 Top 14 campaign on the same day that the Skelton-less Wallabies defeated Argentina 28-24<\/a> in the Rugby Championship.<\/p>\n With Skelton<\/a> called home to France rather than provide further help to the Wallabies<\/a>\u2019 title bid, the expectation was for the second-row giant to feature in La Rochelle\u2019s opening game away to Bordeaux.<\/p>\n \u201cAustralia holds the cards\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Skelton, though, wasn\u2019t selected for the 18-23 defeat, and the post-game reaction of head coach O\u2019Gara didn\u2019t confirm his availability for next Saturday\u2019s Round Two home match against Clermont. That is the same day that the Wallabies will play Argentina in Round Four.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we will see Will soon,\u201d O\u2019Gara told reporters in Bordeaux before pausing. \u201cThe most important thing for him is rest. I have a very good relationship with him, but it\u2019s a rather complicated case because Australia holds the cards.\u201d<\/p>\n Skelton arrived in Australia with doubts surrounding his fitness for the series against the British and Irish Lions. He missed the first Test in Brisbane but returned to play an influential part in the other two matches, especially the third encounter in the Sydney rain, where the Wallabies beat the Lions to leave the final result 1-2.<\/p>\n Wallabies set for \u2018conversations\u2019 with Leicester after delivering update on Tom Lynagh\u2019s latest \u2018won\u2019t be risking him\u2019 setback<\/a><\/p>\n