Wallabies star Noah Lolesio stretchered off with suspected spinal injury

A spinal injury to Wallabies flyhalf Noah Lolesio has overshadowed the ACT Brumbies’ surge to an all-important Super Rugby Pacific home playoff.

Lolesio was stretchered off wearing a neck brace, and in apparent extreme pain, midway through the first half of his Brumbies’ 33-14 derby win over the Western Force in Perth.

UPDATE: Brumbies issue health update on Noah Lolesio.

The Brumbies’ and incumbent Australian No.10 was twisted in an accidental off-the-ball play while trying to repel a Force attack on his goal line in the 20th minute of Saturday night’s derby.

It was initially unclear if Lolesio had suffered a back, hip or leg injury in the incident.

But Stan Sport’s sideline commentator and former Wallabies star Cameron Shepherd said Lolesio had sustained a spinal injury.

“We don’t want to speculate too much at the moment because there’s a lot of scans and a lot of checks that need to be done,” Shepherd said.

“But the one small bit of good news is that he is moving his arms and legs.

“They have confirmed it is a spinal injury. At the moment, we just don’t understand the severity. But, fingers crossed, moving his arms and legs is obviously a very, very good sign.”

Two-time World Cup-winning Wallabies legend Tim Horan added: “It wasn’t a great sign that he was holding the green whistle. That shows he was in a lot of pain.”

Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham provided an update after the match.

“He’s gone to hospital, I think he’s getting some scans, but yeah, there’s full function and full feeling and all that sort of stuff,” he told Stan Sport post-match.

“It was certainly a bit of a shock for Noah. A really awkward position and some pretty big boys on top of him so yeah, hopefully he’s OK.”

Lolesio’s injury comes almost exactly 24 hours after fellow Wallabies star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was escorted off the field on a medicab and in a neck brace during another Australian derby between his NSW Waratahs and the Queensland Reds in Sydney.

Suaalii was knocked out after copping an accidental knee to the head from his Waratahs and Wallabies teammate Andrew Kellaway.

Waratahs coach Dan McKellar said post-match Suaalii went home with his parents in a “groggy” concussed state.

Concerned Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was watching on at Allianz Stadium.

While Lolesio will most likely be overlooked for Test selection in 2025 after opting to move to Japan at season’s end, his injury is another potential huge blow for Schmidt ahead of the looming arrival of the British and Irish Lions for a three-Test series this winter.