SYDNEY (AP) 鈥� Veteran prop James Slipper says he is planning a comeback to international and has made himself available for the Wallabies’ three Nations Championship matches in July, and possibly next year’s
The 37-year-old Slipper, who is Australia鈥檚 most-capped international player with 151 test appearances, played Super Rugby for the ACT Brumbies this season and has signed on for 2027. In March, after his 203rd match in the southern hemisphere tournament. He played 104 games for the Queensland Reds from 2010 to 2018 before joining the Canberra-based Brumbies.
鈥淎t this stage, yeah, just for the July series and then there鈥檚 a few things again working out behind the scenes, like I want to keep playing next year,鈥� Slipper told media in Sydney on Wednesday.
Slipper indicated he felt he wasn鈥檛 quite done at test level when he announced his international retirement
鈥淏ut I probably surprised myself a little bit with how well I played this year,鈥� Slipper said. 鈥淚 know I probably wasn鈥檛 the best prop running around, but I still felt like I was moving well, so it was just a matter of the circumstances of the year led me to this position.鈥�
Injuries to frontrowers
Injuries to fellow loosehead props Tom Robertson, Tom Lambert and Blake Schoupp left Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt short of frontrowers, so the call went out to Slipper.
If he plays all three tests in July against , Slipper would surpass All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock as rugby鈥檚 second most-capped player with 153.
Retired lock Alun Wyn Jones holds the record at 170 tests 鈥� 158 for Wales and 12 for the British and Irish Lions.
If he makes it to next year’s global tournament, it would be Slipper’s fifth Rugby World Cup, highlighted by a run to the final in 2015.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 a reason for me to be available for the World Cup, then I鈥檒l put my hand up,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to make myself probably playing the best rugby I can for the Brumbies . . . but a couple of things need to happen there.
鈥淚 need to earn that. I need to be playing well. I鈥檝e got to be a better option than other looseheads in the country at the time. So at no stage am I sitting here thinking I鈥檓 going to be a certainty for the World Cup.鈥�
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