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Liam Wright shocked to be named Wallabies captain against Wales at Allianz Stadium

“I don’t think there’s a long-term vision at the moment,” Wright said. “I think I’m probably just focused on this series at the moment. I’m going to do the best I can in this jersey for as long as I can. It’ll be in Joe’s hands after that.”

Wright’s return to the national team has not been easy, as he has suffered from hamstring, shoulder and hand injuries in recent years.

The Wallabies squad at the Allianz Stadium on Friday ahead of the first test against Wales.

The Wallabies squad at the Allianz Stadium on Friday ahead of the first test against Wales. Credit: Getty Images

Some don’t even believe Wright is in Australia’s best starting XV. The Queensland captain now has another ‘c’ next to his name.

“I’ve been away from the jersey through injuries for the last three or four years… I’ve had to watch from afar, and especially when my body wasn’t able to do the job, it was tough,” Wright said. “I think that’s helped me become the man I am today. I feel a lot more ready now in the team than I probably did four years ago.”

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“I’m proud of the resilience I’ve shown and the way I’ve fought to get back here. I think I always believed that if I could get my body back, play a full season, play consistently… then I could find my way back into the team.”

Wales have lost their last seven Tests and have not beaten the Wallabies in Australia since 1969.

“We’ve picked an exciting team and the starters are very excited,” Wright said. “For us to really unleash that exciting back line… the forwards have got to do the job.

“There was a lot of talk about the World Cup… but it wasn’t ignored. The boys really took it upon themselves, not just to turn away from it, but to learn from it.”

Look at each July International Rugby Test ad-free match, live and on demand on Stan Sport with All Blacks v England (Saturday 4pm AEST), Wallaroos v Fiji (Saturday 4.30pm AEST), Japan v Maori All Blacks (Saturday 6.50pm AEST), Wallabies v Wales (Saturday 7pm AEST), South Africa v Ireland (Sunday 12am AEST) and Argentina v France (Sunday 4.50am AEST).