SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The Lions' victory over Australia was like watching men against boys - here's why that's a worrying sign
It was not what a Lions series should all be about.
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BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
No-one can stop Stokes overdoing it but himself
I had everything crossed while watching Ben Stokes run in to bowl on the final day of the fourth Test against times he looked like Laurel and Hardy's car with various bits of his body looking like they were going to fall off because of his Stokes there is always lots of talk about someone in the dressing room, whether it is his vice-captain Ollie Pope, his friend and team-mate Joe Root, or coach Brendon McCullum, having to tell him not to push himself too are past that point now. It is clear no-one is going to be able to tell Stokes what to is hard because Stokes knows how important he is to his team. He feels the responsibility because it is his team and at Old Trafford he was head and shoulders above the other bowlers on either he has got to look after himself and look at the bigger him, England's hopes of winning this series at The Oval next week or in the Ashes in Australia this winter would be massively diminished. It really is Stokes or bust for England right now. Archer 'not the express bowler some expect him to be' It is both a huge compliment to Stokes and a concern that he offered so much more threat than the rest of his bowling attack, particularly with the old has taken six wickets after a ball is 40 overs old in this series. Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue have taken two wickets combined across the same shows his bowling really is world return to Test cricket has been largely encouraging but on Sunday he discovered what it is to be truly Test-match feet looked sore, his pace was down to 83mph in his final spell and he did not look as also confirmed he is not the express bowler some people expect him to can do that role for a spell here or there where he really heats things up, like he did at times in his comeback at Lord's, but he is not like Mark can bowl at 95mph whenever you throw him the ball but, for whatever reason, Archer's rhythm is not always is great he is back and that he has been able to play two games is another step on his progression to playing in the he just needs a few weeks to put his feet up because if he did not remember what Test cricket feels like, he will now. 'Dawson not threatening but may work down under' After Archer made his comeback at Lord's, the England player returning here was Liam Dawson after eight years away, in place of the injured Shoaib Bashir.I am still not sure about Dawson as England's bowled tidily – 47 overs for only 95 runs in the second innings – but that he did not take a wicket as England pushed for victory on the final two days summed it up. He did not look action is is very chest-on compared to the more traditional off-spinner's technique of getting sideways and using your hips to pivot and put more action into the Dawson is 35 and has had a good career, I am by no means calling for him to change his technique but that is a reason why he is never going to be a big turner of the course the other way of looking at his performance is that he was largely accurate and may actually be what England need when it comes to bowling in the heat down under, you do not want to leak runs through your need to hold up an end to allow the quick bowlers to rotate and have a rest. That is why Graeme Swann was so valuable when England won under Andrew Strauss in the 2010-11 will rightly get another go at The Oval, where he will hope to make even more of an impression. Changes are a must for The Oval When it comes to the fifth Test, England will have to make changes because Woakes, Carse and Archer look is no surprise given all four Tests have gone the full five days – something unheard of in recent years in this Tongue and Gus Atkinson look certainties to return to bolster the bowling attack and then it will be about whether Stokes is fit to play a full part, fit enough only to play as a batter, or not fit at when Stokes has not been able to bowl England have looked to squeeze in a fourth seamer, like they did in the 2023 Ashes when Moeen Ali was recalled to be a spin-bowling will be desperate for Stokes to play but if not they will just have to go in with three pace bowlers plus Dawson. That keeps the batting strong for a game they cannot afford to will be desperate for some more grass on the pitch, anything to give pace and bounce to help his bowlers, and then hope his body need him. Without Stokes they are half the Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Matthew Henry
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Jack Conan reveals video from Katie Taylor inspired Lions before second Test win
Jack Conan has revealed that an inspiring video from Irish boxing great Katie Taylor helped the British and Irish Lions find the resilience needed to close out their series against Australia. Taylor, an Olympic gold medal winner and current undisputed world super lightweight champion, sent the good luck message to Andy Farrell's squad in the build-up to Saturday's second Test at Melbourne Cricket Club. The 39-year-old's words on the ability to dig deep turned out to be prophetic as the Lions emerged 29-26 winners after fighting back from an 18-point deficit. 'The video was unbelievably poignant and powerful. It spoke about being prepared to win with skill, but also being ready to win by will,' said Ireland number eight Conan, who like Taylor hails from Bray in County Wicklow. 'That was something that was massively summed up in the game because we were not at our best at all. 'It's huge because she comes from the town I'm from. I'm incredibly proud of where I come from and I know Katie is as well. 'She's gone on to achieve incredible feats in the boxing world. To be such a superstar, incredibly humble and driven is something that we leant on as well because we knew that Australia are a hugely proud nation and they showed it in spades. 'Everyone loved it, even the English and the Scottish boys and the Welsh boy – it resonated with everyone. It was unbelievably poignant, it was class. It really hit home for us.' It took a beautifully-taken try by Hugo Keenan with 51 seconds remaining to separate the rivals in one of the greatest Lions matches ever played. Remarkably, Keenan's touchdown was the first time they led in the match. Conan admits that victory tastes all the sweeter for having been taken to the wire as Australia raised their game to a whole new level a week after starting the series with a whimper in Brisbane. 'We were not at our best by any measure, but physically the lads dug in unbelievably well,' he said. 'It was disappointing how we played, but we played for 80 minutes. Hugo getting over the line in the last minute was just unbelievable. 'It wasn't my best game. A lot of us weren't at the races at all, but we stuck in there. You can't fault the effort. I thought the defensive sets we put in, just whacking people and just staying in there, was unbelievable. 'It's something that will go down in history. They won't be writing the history books about how s*** we were, but they'll say that we won and that's all that matters. 'Everyone's over the moon. To be part of a Lions winning series team is incredibly special. The celebrations in the changing room wouldn't have been the same if we'd won by 20.'
Scotsman
4 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Scotland's trio deserve chance for sporting immortality with Lions - and one man deserves place in sun
Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... After one of the greatest British and Irish Lions Test matches, it is safe to assume that a few drinks were consumed by the tourists in Melbourne over the weekend. The 29-26 victory in front of 90,000 spectators at the MCG clinched the series against Australia with a game to spare in the most dramatic of circumstances, with Hugo Keenan scoring a try right at the death. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Lions at one point in the first half trailed a rejuvenated Wallabies outfit 23-5. They produced their greatest fightback of all time, which had previously stood at toppling South Africa when 10 points behind in 1938. Keenan's score is now etched into folklore. Scotland's Finn Russell signs a flag after the Lions overcame Australia. | Getty Images The squad and the tens of thousands of Lions fans who flocked to Melbourne surely celebrated long into the night. Winning tours are the exception, not the rule, and regardless of Wallabies' well-documented issues, they put up a serious fight in the second Test. Some will argue that the hosts were hard done by when Italian referee Andrea Piardi stuck to his guns and refused to rescind Keenan's try amid Australian complaints that Jac Morgan had taken out Carlo Tizzano illegally in the build-up. It was a big call for Piardi and his team of officials, but Morgan did not do enough to concede a penalty. No doubt the ref enjoyed his post-match pint after such a stressful moment, even if the Australians were unhappy. The foundations of this Lions team have been been built in Ireland - nine starters on Saturday night came from that nation. But amidst the Guinness, there is whisky. Scotland can rightfully claim a tangible part in this victory, even if only two Scots were in the first XV in Melbourne. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jones has his moment in the sun Finn Russell pulled the strings at stand-off and while his goal-kicking was wayward - he only landed two from five - his general play was strong, especially in the second half. He spotted gaps in behind the Australian defence and held his nerve at the death to make sure the ball eventually found its way to Keenan. Huw Jones would not have kept his place at centre had Garry Ringrose not self-certified his concussion 48 hours before kick-off. Ringrose is undoubtedly a world-class 13, but so is Jones. This match was further evidence of his capabilities. He scored a try yet again, displayed his pace and power while defending diligently. From a Scottish perspective, it was a shame that his usual partner, Sione Tuipulotu, was unavailable due to injury after the first Test. He has been the poster boy of Scottish rugby over the past 12 months, but Jones rightly has his moment in the sun. Blair Kinghorn made his Lions Test debut on 60 minutes when replacing James Lowe and he played an important part in a vital period of the match. His searing running nearly brought a try and it was telling that the Lions wrestled control away from the Wallabies when they called for reinforcements off the bench. Kinghorn - the third Scot in this momentous win - continued his remarkable rise to the very top of world rugby. Since moving to Toulouse in December 2023, he's won the French Top 14 twice, the European Cup once and is now a Lions tour winner. Not bad at all. Blair Kinghorn came off the bench and helped the Lions land victory. | Getty Images There could be more for these Lions. Immortality awaits in Sydney next Saturday. A series whitewash beckons at the Accor Stadium and with Australia clearly shattered by events in Melbourne, history is there for the taking. Even the classes of 1971 and 1974 were unable to produce 100 per cent records, achievements that also eluded the 1997 and 2013 vintages from the professional era. Becoming the greatest Lions team of all time was the aspiration when arriving Down Under and, while the strength of the Wallabies may mitigate against that being a realistic claim, 2025 will at least be in the conversation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Russell, Jones and Kinghorn will want to be part of that. Russell is the Lions' undisputed stand-off and it would be madness to take him out of the firing line next weekend, but Jones' and Kinghorn's positions are less nailed-on. Head coach Andy Farrell may want to turn to Ringrose if he has recovered from his concussion in time, or his son Owen Farrell, who came on in Melbourne. Tuipulotu could also be in contention. Pre-tour, many saw Kinghorn as the first-choice full-back. Has he done enough to push back in front of Lowe? Farrell and Co know the significance of one final win. Ahead of travelling down under, many rugby experts believed the Lions may never have a better chance of going undefeated on tour and while some of the pre-Test matches were tough watches, the team was never in any real danger. You can only defeat what is put in front of you and the Lions, so far, have pounced upon their prey. Do other Scots have a chance? Could any other Scots enter calculations? Prop Pierre Schoeman is down the pecking order and winger Duhan van der Merwe, despite scoring a hat-trick of tries against an Invitational XV, hasn't yet troubled at Test squad. Lock Scott Cummings and scrum-half Ben White have been more impressive when called upon and would be in with a shout should Farrell wish to switch things up. Then again, the coach may stick with the guys that have so far proved their worth. They deserve to finish the job. That includes Jones, one of the stars of this tour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What do Australia have left? Returning forward Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, both back from calf injuries, were magnificent and lifted everyone around them in Melbourne, but their team was clearly undercooked for the first Test. While pride is at stake, the Wallabies have a Rugby Championship starting next month to focus on.
