Harry McLaughlin-Phillips marks Wallabies debut at Bledisloe Cup match

Gunnedah can now proudly boast about having two ‘Harrys’ in the Wallabies after Harry McLaughlin-Phillips marked his debut at a recent Bledisloe Cup test match in Sydney.

McLaughlin-Phillips, who grew up in Gunnedah before moving back to Queensland, had been named among the reserves for the Wallabies’ second test match against the All Blacks.

He lived in Gunnedah when his parents Jodie and Andrew ran the Court House Hotel.

McLaughlin-Phillips played rugby on the Sunshine Coast and then attended Brisbane Boys’ College for his secondary schooling years – the same school as Junior Red Devils export Ben Gunter who plays for Japan Rugby League One club Saitama Wild Knights.

His Wallabies debut comes off the back of success in the Super Rugby Pacific Competition, first playing for the Reds from 2024 to 2026 and then being signed up for Western Force from the 2027 season.

McLaughlin-Phillips now becomes Wallabies #1001 after his run on Accor Stadium.

Wallabies captain Harry Wilson, a former Gunnedah Red Devil, addressed media ahead of the All Blacks game and said he was excited for McLaughlin-Phillips.

“He’s worked hard over the last few years at the Reds … and he’s really developed over the last 12 to 24 months,” Wilson said.

“The way he’s been training, he’s been dominating the second team and now it’s an opportunity for him to do it in a gold jersey.

“He’s a young fella who’s had a few years of Super Rugby experience and now gets an opportunity to do it on the big stage.”

For the Wallabies, the second All Blacks match wasn’t the equaliser they hoped it would be.

The Wallabies went down to the All Blacks, losing 19-50 at Auckland’s Eden Park in the first game of the series.

The Wallabies returned home for the second test in the Bledisloe Cup, with the All Blacks again claiming a strong win 43-21.

Last month, the Wallabies were able to defeat World Cup champions the Springboks in what was a thrilling victory for the Australian side in Perth.

The Wallabies now turn their sights to the Nations Championship which kicks off in London’s Allianz Stadium on 9 November before heading to Edinburgh and Cardiff to continue the series.