Dragons carnage as THREE players are rubbed out with head injuries in 30 minutes of chaos
Andrew Webster's men recovered from a 10-point first-half deficit to snap an alarming three-game losing streak after the Dragons lost three forwards before the break in freakish scenes at Go Media Stadium.
The Dragons activated 18th man Tyrell Sloan after back-rowers Hamish Stewart and Jack De Belin were injured.
Both suffered category-one concussions from a head clash while tackling Warriors enforcer James Fisher-Harris.
Then interchange forward Hame Sele also failed a HIA following a 29th-minute head knock.
Despite the setbacks, the Dragons enjoyed a 10-0 lead following an early try-scoring double from powerhouse centre Mathew Feagai.
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— NRL (@NRL) August 15, 2025
A four-pointer six minutes before the break to Chanel Harris-Tavita, after a skilful sideline offload from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, put the Warriors back in the contest.
St George Illawarra overcame their reduced one-forward rotation to hold the Warriors at bay for much of the second half before the home team finally drew level at 10-10 with a 62nd-minute try to centre Adam Pompey.
Pompey's second soon after, when the Dragons' short-side defence fell for a clever dummy-half dummy from Taine Tuaupiki, gave the Warriors the lead for the first time with six minutes remaining.
'Far from perfect. That's pretty clear,' said coach Webster.
'But an amazing amount of effort and scramble and working hard for each other and finding a way.
'When you're not playing the best football, I don't think your first win (after a losing streak) is going to be a 20-point victory. It's going to be a win.
'That's what we come up with tonight.' Friday night's victory vaulted the Warriors above Penrith into fourth spot on the ladder after the New Zealanders' season threatened to unravel.
The injury-hit Warriors could have slumped to as low as seventh by the end of the round. Instead, they extinguished the Dragons' slim finals hopes.
St George Illawarra, though, were still claiming a moral victory.
'We spoke at halftime about it could be one of the greatest wins if we can steal it,' skipper Damien Cook said.
'But even not getting the result is still a massive win for us as a club and the team.
'Just the resilience and character that we showed for each other, it's a massive, massive step in a good direction for us.
'We still had a great result. We lost some players early but we rallied together and, while we didn't get the result tonight, we're not going to let the result take away from a massive achievement that we had.'
Coming off back-to-back wins over finals-bound Cronulla and Canberra, the Dragons had the chance to steal the match at the death and claim another major scalp but weren't able to cash in on a Sloan line break.
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Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
How Australia stunned the Springboks with a comeback for the ages
Some matches follow the most predictable script. Others flip it in spectacular style. Australia's exploits at Ellis Park on Saturday belong to the latter category. Their comeback from 22-0 down against the Springboks, at a venue where they had not won since 1963, was jaw-dropping to witness in real time. It has taken a while to digest and decipher, too. Notwithstanding signs of progress over the British and Irish Lions series, a Wallabies victory was difficult to foresee. In the 19th minute, when Siya Kolisi surged over with South Africa rampant, a triumph for Joe Schmidt's men over the back-to-back world champions seemed impossible. An hour and 38 unanswered points later, Australia had stunned their hosts. This is how they did it. Early encouragement At full-time, a beaming James O'Connor diplomatically described the opening quarter as a 'scratchy' one for his team. The fly-half insisted, however, that there had been good signs. Schmidt offered a window into the mindset at half-time, when the Wallabies were 22-5 down. The experienced head coach reminded his players that they had won the second 20 minutes 5-0. Repeat that in the third quarter and they were in the game. Australia were troubling their rivals' rush defence even amid South Africa's early blitzkrieg. Here, in the fifth minute when they are already 7-0 behind, Australia bounce back towards the far touchline two phases after a line-out on that side of the field. Having carried in midfield from the set piece, Len Ikitau returns to his feet and wraps around Tom Hooper to dink a left-footed chip in behind Edwill van der Merwe: This next play comes from Australia's own half just beyond the half-hour mark. Max Jorgensen, trailing from the blindside wing, is the man to watch. O'Connor's pass to Ikitau is fired across two back-rowers, Fraser McReight and Hooper: Jorgensen then helps overload the defence by taking a pull-back from Ikitau that goes behind the run of Joseph Suaalii: As it happens, a kick through from Tom Wright just dribbled over the try-line into the dead-ball area in this instance. But there was enough for the Wallabies to feel confident if they could keep their composure. A vital response Australia's first try was instigated by a box-kick from Nic White, the 35-year-old scrum-half who has postponed his retirement. Jorgensen does brilliantly to regather the ball ahead of Manie Libbok in a catch that is reminiscent of his try in the first Test of the Lions series: Although an in-field offload does not go to a gold shirt, the Wallabies react well. Billy Pollard chops down Malcolm Marx and James Slipper swoops to jackal after Lood de Jager has taken out White to leave the ball exposed: Breakdown disruption and accuracy in possession was a vital pillar of this display. South Africa lost five of their 102 attacking rucks, with McReight typically influential, whereas Australia lost just one of 77. Indeed, they hit touch from this penalty and zig-zagged through seven phases. Will Skelton and Taniela Tupou were prominent, but the Springboks were not significantly dented: Schmidt teams do tend to be able to retain the ball for long sequences and at the seventh ruck (R7 on the map), South Africa are penalised when Kwagga Smith dips towards the ball in a manner that Ben O'Keeffe does not condone: With penalty advantage, the Wallabies score through Dylan Pietsch: Rewinding slightly, watch Ikitau and O'Connor scan the Springboks' defence on the scoring phase: They back themselves to play through it, with Ikitau feeding his team-mate and then arcing around to receive an offload that O'Connor throws blind. This camera angle shows the vision and dexterity: O'Connor, on the way to Leicester Tigers for the upcoming season, had not featured for Australia in a Test match for three years and had not played at all since June 21. No wonder he called this his favourite game for the Wallabies. In the second half, an emboldened Australia kept chipping away. Disciplined but desperate disruption Schmidt is renowned for teaching players to read referees and for Australia to concede just four penalties was extraordinary, because they fought for everything. Such a low tally of penalties reflects their resilience in the scrum and around the field. As well as scrapping on the floor, they caused South Africa to lose five of 16 line-outs. Here, just before half-time, Wright trusts Andrew Kellaway to drift across and tackle Kolisi. Ikitau keeps covering and fells Andre Esterhuizen when an offload is thrown inside. Wright mops up the loose ball and Van der Merwe is penalised for flopping on top of a prone opponent: This next clip comes from the 50th minute, with Australia 22-12 down and five metres from their own line. Eben Etzebeth lines up a carry into two far smaller men in Jorgensen and Kellaway. You can also see Tate McDermott, moonlighting on the wing. Note the starting position of Hooper: He swings around to arrive at the tackle area and, because Franco Mostert has driven down to the ground, Hooper is able to address the ball. The Exeter Chiefs-bound back-rower absorbs the attempted clear-out of Ox Nche and shows a strong lift to O'Keeffe, earning the penalty: While Ikitau was off the pitch tending to a cut, Australia assembled a centre partnership of Suaalii and Kellaway with McDermott on the wing. Their flexibility under pressure was highly impressive. Suaalii's interception came while this makeshift back line was on the pitch. A few minutes previously, he gets a look at Libbok's expansive distribution from close to the edge of the defensive line: When South Africa bid to impart width a little later, Suaalii picks off a somewhat rushed pass. Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marx are in a huge amount of space… …but Suaalii's opportunism pays off handsomely. Attacking principles pay off Sometimes a side will change tack to haul themselves back into a contest. More often, though, it pays to stay patient and keep the courage of your convictions. It felt like the Wallabies trusted their primary plans to come off rather than pivoting drastically away from them. In the first half, for example, Harry Wilson was rocked by a two-man tackle from Marco van Staden and Esterhuizen after a short tip-pass from Nick Frost: He kept offering himself as a flat runner, though, and had his reward when Australia burst through the blitz thanks to Angus Bell's short ball. Nche is flat-footed and Etzebeth is pressing past the ball towards Wright. Wilson's angle dissects those two forwards beautifully: If you can keep your nerve, it is possible to pick holes through the middle of an aggressive defence. Bell, a bustling runner, was part of a bench that comprehensively eclipsed the Springboks replacements. He was integral to Wilson's second try, moving the ball towards Wright after White's ballooning box-kick is recovered by the effervescent duo of Jorgensen and Hooper: Wilson's tireless support rewards the evasion of Wright, who is formidably slippery in these situations: And Australia extended their advantage from the next restart, which is superbly taken by a soaring Suaalii: A couple of phases later, Bell carves past several defenders… …and South Africa end up with both centres close to the near touchline with openside wing Canan Moodie. Libbok is in the back-field with Damian Willemse, leaving Kurt-Lee Arendse in a vulnerable position on the far 15-metre line. Etzebeth and Du Toit are mobile athletes, but O'Connor clearly senses a chance to release Jorgensen – because South Africa are likely to stay aggressive and push from out to in: Sure enough, the Springboks do keep pressing. That makes their line narrower and a looped pass releases Jorgensen, who confounds Libbok with mesmeric footwork: Australia's last try neatly encapsulated their blend of defiance and dynamism. It begins from a quite perilous situation. Suaalii has gone hunting for another interception but Willemse comes away with the ball. Zane Nonggorr, the replacement tighthead prop, and Hooper are in the middle of a disjointed defensive line and South Africa have a fleet of backs poised to break out. Watch Jorgensen: He stays composed and backpedals, keeping his eye on the ball-carrier as Esterhuizen trucks up the pitch. When a pass is delivered to Jesse Kriel, Jorgensen spins and sprints. This forces Kriel into a hooked pass, which Esterhuizen cannot hold: Wright has another unstructured scenario, and dances through to score: Celebrations were somewhat muted, because the Wallabies know that they must front up in Cape Town next week. South Africa will have been profoundly stung by this result. Rassie Erasmus was fiercely critical at the final whistle and will no doubt lead a forthright review. Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe and Handre Pollard may return to the Springboks line-up. Wilson and Pietsch, meanwhile, appeared to pick up worrying injuries for the Wallabies. The odds will be stacked against Australia again. But after a miraculous evening in Johannesburg, which showcased rare steel and togetherness as well as brilliant attack, they would not have it any other way.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Shutting them up' – Darts star blasts social media ‘haters' after losing to Luke Littler in New Zealand Masters final
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BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Global XV to watch out for at 2025 World Cup
England's star-studded squad are favourites to lift the Women's Rugby World Cup trophy in Wales and Scotland also have top talent looking to shine at the tournament which will see games played at eight venues across outside the home nations, who should you watch out for?Here is BBC Sport's global XV to keep an eye on. Prop - Hope Rogers (United States) The United States front-row forward has been a standout performer for Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR), winning a place in the league's team of the year for the past two 32-year-old, who scored a hat-tick against Australia in May, recently became the Eagles' most-capped women's player and is set to play in a fourth World Cup. Hooker - Katalina Amosa (Australia) The 23-year-old only made her Test debut in May against Fiji but has gone on to start four of Australia's past five Tests, bagging a try in a defeat by of those starts came against World Cup contenders New Zealand and Canada to mark an incredible rise for the dynamic Amosa, who only made her debut in Super Rugby - featuring four teams from Australia and one from Fiji - last brother, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, is also a hooker and came off the bench in the Wallabies' third Test win over the British and Irish Lions. Prop - DaLeaka Menin (Canada) The 30-year-old is another one of Exeter's destructive props, having joined the side in is a key player for World Cup-chasing Canada and was the player of the match in a victory over world champions New Zealand last as "a terrifying prospect" in the loose, Menin powered over in the Pacific Four Series' 27-27 draw against the Black Ferns in May. Lock - Manae Feleu (France) The all-action lock made four breakdown turnovers and stole two line-outs during this year's Women's Six 25-year-old, who is the France co-captain, also made the second-most offloads (eight).Feleu missed out on the player of the tournament to Ireland's Aoife Wafer but will be central to her side's World Cup prospects. Lock - Michaela Leonard (Australia) The 30-year-old played at the last World Cup for Australia and has captained the side face the Wallaroos on 6 September and Leonard will be aiming to disrupt the Red Roses' formidable line-out steals against Canada in this year's Pacific Four Series indicates she has the capacity to do so. Flanker - Sophie de Goede (Canada) The 26-year-old captained Canada to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2022 and is one of the stars of the Saracens back rower, known for her barnstorming carries, returned to action last month after recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she suffered in June Goede, who is unique as goal-kicking forward, missed out on her Olympic dream last summer and will want to remind everyone why she is one of the best players in the world. Flanker - Kennedy Tukuafu (New Zealand) Tukuafu co-captained New Zealand to World Cup glory over England in 2022 and will be aiming to again lift the trophy.A typical open-side flanker who is sharp over the ball, the 28-year-old also enjoys carrying hard in the wider missed out on a starting spot in the last final, Tukuafu comes into this World Cup fully fit and an established starter. Number eight - Aseza Hele (South Africa) Hele has gone from strength-to-strength following her selection for the World Cup in 2022 after only five her side losing all three games three years ago, the 30-year-old caught the eye of Harlequins, who signed the big ball carrier in rugby certainly helped as she was at her dominant best in a World Cup warm-up win over a Black Ferns XV, skittling defenders off , externalfor fun. Scrum-half - Pauline Bourdon Sansus (France) Arguably the best scrum-half in the world, Bourdon Sansus continues to produce magical moments.A long-range drop-goal was part of an exceptional all-round player-of-the-match performance against Scotland in this year's Six of unpredictability, the 29-year-old has an excellent kicking game and can produce a moment of brilliance to unlock a defence. Fly-half - Ruahei Demant (New Zealand) The fly-half co-captained the Black Ferns to the World Cup title in 2022, before winning World Rugby women's player of the 30-year-old has experience on the biggest stage and produced a player-of-the-match performance in that final win over England in was at her silky best to help guide the Blues to this year's Super Rugby title in New Zealand and that was followed by helping the Black Ferns regain the Pacific Four Series. Wing - Kelly Arbey (France) A wonderful individual score against England in this year's Six Nations showed the 20-year-old can perform against the world's is not just her rapid pace and finishing ability that is a threat, Arbey has a wonderful offloading game, with a speculator one-handed effort setting up a try for Seraphine Okemba against French flyer is one of the youngest players in their World Cup squad but has taken to international rugby with ease. Centre - Alex Tessier (Canada) Another one of Exeter's foreign imports, Tessier is comfortable at both fly-half and inside 2024 World Rugby women's player of the year nominee will captain Canada at the tournament, which shows her value in a squad that contains former skipper De showed her dangerous running game with a try against England at last year's WXV1 tournament. Centre - Ilona Maher (United States) Ilona Maher has more than eight million followers on social media, the most of any rugby union player in the 29-year-old spent three months at Bristol Bears earlier this year, scoring four tries in a successful stint as attendances skyrocketed in the PWR. A first USA XVs cap since 2021 followed against New Zealand in May, with Maher using her powerful frame from outside the tournament opener is between the United States and hosts England, the stage does not get much bigger to shine. Wing - Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (New Zealand) Considered the greatest in the history of women's rugby, Woodman-Wickliffe has scored a record 20 World Cup tries and helped New Zealand become world champions in 2017 and April, the 34-year-old opted to come out of international retirement after stepping away following last summer's she still do it? A sensational seven tries against the United States in May showed her knack of scoring from the wing remains. Full-back - Claudia Pena (Spain) The full-back scored Spain's only try in a 97-7 World Cup warm-up hammering by the 20-year-old was a bright spark in the game and scored eight tries in an impressive debut season for ranked 13th in the world, face two difficult opening games against New Zealand and Ireland, but Pena's sharp acceleration and ability to stay strong in contact will make her a handful against the very best.
