Young Tom was not one of them. “I remember being at my primary school at the sports field watching the second or third game,” Lynagh said. “I can’t quite remember which one it was, but we were all in this clubhouse. There was probably 300 kids and parents in there, all cheering for the Lions. And I was the only one going for Australia.” Lynagh was born in Italy and grew up in England due to the work of his father – former Wallabies captain Michael Lynagh – being in London. But unlike his older brother Louis, who played for England schools and is now a member of the Italian Test side, Tom always felt an affinity for Australia. In 2021, he moved to Queensland to pursue a career with the Reds when he was 18. Fast-forward four years and Lynagh is now on the cusp of playing for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions, 12 years after being a one-out supporter in that school hall.