The Queensland Reds ended the NSW Waratahs' unbeaten streak with a 35—15 victory in Brisbane to sit third on the Super Rugby Pacific standings. The Brumbies are one position behind following their 38—21 defeat of Fijian Drua in Canberra, while the Western Force went down 55—33 to the Crusaders in Christchurch. As players continue to jostle for berths in Joe Schmidt's Wallabies squad to face the British and Irish Lions, here are some of the talking points from round five of Super Rugby Pacific. McReight injury raises depth question It appears the Wallabies' worst fears won't be realised, with Fraser McReight's shoulder injury not considered a long-term concern at this stage. McReight finished the Reds' match against the Waratahs on the sidelines wearing a sling after sustaining an AC joint injury when scoring a try in the second half. He was set to be rested from the Reds' next match against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday, although it's uncertain if he will be available to play the Force in Brisbane the following weekend. With the Lions series approaching, Wallabies fans have reason to breathe a sigh of relief, but it begs the question: how would Schmidt cover for McReight at openside flanker if it had been a season-ending injury? It's a 'what if 'scenario ABC Sport touched upon earlier this season, but worth re-visiting in case McReight's shoulder injury does end up becoming a lingering issue. McReight is among the few Wallabies who could be considered one of the best in the world for their positions. He is a menace at defensive breakdowns and a valuable link player in attack. Carlo Tizzano has been outstanding for the Force this season and would be the closest 'like for like' replacement for McReight. Brumbies duo Rory Scott and Luke Reimer are also capable back-ups. Scott has started at seven and Reimer used from the bench for the Brumbies successfully in their past two matches, which may give Schmidt an idea about how to shape his match-day squad. The Waratahs' Charlie Gamble is another openside flanker who has impressed so far in Super Rugby Pacific. Christchurch-born Gamble fits the mould of a traditional Australian 'jackal', playing hard over the ball at the breakdown with a massive amount of energy. Despite the Waratahs' loss, Gamble put in a solid shift against the Reds and his 'hustle' shouldn't go unnoticed. Reds stake Wallabies claims The Reds earned bragging rights and retained the Bob Templeton Cup with their convincing win over the Waratahs. Gone are the days when Reds-Waratahs matches served as virtual Wallabies selection trials, with the Australian rugby landscape having expanded in the professional era. But Saturday night's encounter gave several Reds players, who would be considered fringe candidates to make the Wallabies match-day squad, the opportunity to show their wares against a domestic opponent. Blindside flanker Seru Uru and lock Josh Canham gave strong performances, as did outside centre Filipo Daugunu, although his best chance of Test selection will be as a winger. Among the Reds' established Wallabies, Harry Wilson and Tate McDermott didn't leap off the page, nor did they tarnish their reputations. Wilson made 22 tackles and crossed the chalk when he bumped off Joey Walton close to the line, but the Wallabies captain needs more impact with his ball carries in attack. He also coughed up possession three times in contact, an area of his game that needs attention ahead of the Reds facing the Highlanders. Ikitau shows class in Brumbies win If fit, Len Ikitau should be one of the first selected when the Wallabies squad is chosen for the opening Lions Test in July. The three tries he scored against the Drua on Friday night illustrated some of his key strengths, such as physicality in contact and an instinctive attacking game. Ikitau knows when to run the ball himself and can be damaging in close-range situations, with Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham describing his charge as "pretty much unstoppable". His support play is excellent, as he showed when he touched down for his third try in the second half. On the defensive side of the ball, Ikitau is the Brumbies' backline anchor and it wasn't surprising to hear Larkham showering further praise on the 39-Test international after the match. "I regard Len as the best defensive outside centre in the world," Larkham told the assembled media in Canberra. The reference to "outside centre" is interesting, perhaps suggesting Larkham believes Ikitau should be picked for the Wallabies in his preferred position. Ikitau was used at inside centre to accommodate Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in the number 13 jersey in three of the Wallabies' four Tests on last year's spring tour. With the sidelined Suaalii (toe injury) running out of time to press his claims for the Wallabies' fullback role, Ikitau may again play inside centre against the Lions. Lolesio re-joins Wallabies race Noah Lolesio made his return for the Brumbies against the Drua after missing three matches due to concussion. As expected, Lolesio was rusty at fly half following a month on the sidelines, although he still showed glimpses of his ability to direct the Brumbies attack. He re-joins the race to play 10 for the Wallabies, a role he held down in 11 of their 13 Tests last year. The Force's Ben Donaldson has been the best Australian fly half this season and Tom Lynagh continues to show promise for the Reds, but neither is kicking down the door of Wallabies selectors. Another highly touted contender, Tane Edmed, has been relegated to bench duties behind Lawson Creighton for the Waratahs after underwhelming displays in his two starts against the Highlanders and Drua. Lolesio has been an inconsistent performer at Test level since debuting in 2020, however Schmidt clearly backs his game management skills, even if a sizeable number of Wallabies supporters don't share the faith. The Super Rugby Pacific season has a long way to go, giving Lolesio the opportunity to turn some doubters into believers. Don't forget JOC across the ditch The possibility of James O'Connor returning to the Wallabies is remote, but his effort off the bench for the Crusaders against the Force showed the value of his experience. O'Connor replaced Taha Kemara at fly half in the 50th minute when the Crusaders — leading 27—21 — had yet to put the Force to the sword. He made an early impact with a clever 'show and go' on a second man play, before delivering a well-executed wide ball to Will Jordan in the lead-up to one of Macca Springer's five tries. The shape he brought to the Crusaders' attack was highlighted by retired All Blacks scrum half, Justin Marshall. "He (O'Connor) plays more at the line, a lot flatter than what Taha Kemara does, and that allows the ability for him to bring defenders in so they can't push out off him … if he's deep, they can," Marshall said in commentary on New Zealand's Sky Network. "I just think he's certainly allowing them (Crusaders) to attack in a different way when he's on the field, engaging defenders as a first receiver." This column has previously suggested it would be a significant call if Schmidt included O'Connor in his squad for the Lions series. It's a long shot, but the 34-year-old remains a bench option for the Wallabies, given his versatility to cover almost every backline position. His vast Test experience and previous appearances against the Lions would also be of benefit in a mentoring role to whoever starts at fly half.