Video: Max Jorgensen, Will Skelton and Nic White inside the Wallabies camp
Funny, quick-witted and happily sharing laughs - quite often at each others' expense — less than 48 hours before probably the biggest Test clash of their entire careers.
Three players — Max Jorgensen, Will Skelton and Nic White — sat down for some fun with Code Sports on Thursday, just moments after the second Test squad was named for the must-win clash at the MCG tonight against the British & Irish Lions.
Winger Jorgensen — punctual and polite — with his kit ready to change into arrived first, followed by Skelton, who was wearing only socks on his feet, while half White bounced in like a Labrador with his moustache ready for its close up.
During an afternoon generally reserved for sponsor commitments, the trio gave a glimpse into their off-field chemistry talking about their jetsetting lifestyle as Wallabies as part of the title partnership for the Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions tour to Australia 2025.
Skelton's deadpan response to the first thing he does when boarding a plane, 'Turn left', had his mates in stitches. He then happily named prop Taniela Tupou as the biggest snorer on the plane.
Jorgensen, 20, was mocked by White for still letting his mum pack his bags and for his luxury shopping habits during stopovers with mate Joseph Suaalii.
They also let slip there's an unwritten law that the more junior players give up their exit-row seats for teammates with the most Test caps, while there may or may not be a player who claps when their plane lands at a destination.
The Wallabies will be hoping there's 90,000 fans applauding their victory at the MCG on Saturday night.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Australian
33 minutes ago
- The Australian
Moruya preview: Absent trainer Joe Cleary to monitor Gerry Harvey pair on way back from Darwin
The dynamic duo of trainer Joe Cleary and Gerry Harvey can add to their extraordinary tally of shared winners in back-to-back races at Moruya Joe Cleary will be somewhere in the vicinity of 33,000 feet in the air when two of his spring, in partnership with the man he affectionately knows as 'Uncle Gerry', compete at ground level at Moruya on Tuesday. Cleary, as has often been the case, spends the first few days of each new season in the Top End where he invariably saddles up, or owns, a few in action on Darwin Cup day. With his flight home to Queanbeyan, via Canberra, taking up most of the daylight hours on Tuesday, Cleary will be monitoring the Gerry Harvey-bred and raced duo Feedback and Vermicella from the skies. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Blue-blooded mare Vermicella is likely to start a warm favourite in Tuesday's feature Benchmark 66 Handicap despite being rolled at $1.60 at her last start at Moruya on July 11. That said, the Cleary/Harvey mare was a close runner-up in the Benchmark 74 and lost no love at home. 'She was good,'' Cleary said. 'It was probably half my fault. I rode her too close. I just thought Capital Heart would be out and rolling and try and pinch it but as it turned out, it just fell into Your Not The Boss' hands whereas we should have probably been back where it was and have one crack them. 'She will be ridden colder on Tuesday, getting her back into her comfort zone, and I think you'll see the real Vermicella. 'She just runs straight over the top of them.' Cleary has been for years Harvey's go-to man to improve the respective resumes of fillies and mares before they return home to the Widden Valley to join Harvey's elite broodmare band. There is no doubt Vermicella will have a home there given her royal family but it seems that it will be later rather than sooner in her case. 'If she comes out and wins easily on Tuesday maybe we go to a Goulburn Cup and then that's a back door into the Little Dance,'' Cleary said. 'She is only going to get better with age. I can see her being a real nice country cups horse over Christmas.' — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 11, 2025 Vermicella's pedigree has Harvey's fingerprints all over it. Not only is she out of a mare by his New Zealand-based, hugely underrated stallion Swiss Ace, she is also a direct descendant of one of Harvey's most prized and successful foundation mares, St Kate. As for Vermicella's co-traveller and stablemate Feedback, his future earnings relies solely on his racetrack performances given he is a gelding. The son of Kermadec's first three runs were in Victoria when housed with Mitchell Freedman. Feedback changed states and stables over the autumn, resurfacing at Gundagai on June 28 finishing third on the Heavy 9. He followed that encouraging effort up with another third, this time over 1280m on the infamously on-pace Acton track in the nation's capital. 'The other day at Canberra, it was just a road for the leaders so in hindsight his run was a lot better than what it looked on paper,'' Cleary said. 'And he's trained on well. 'Before I came up here to Darwin, I gave him a gallop on the course proper and he worked super.' Feedback was listed as a $12 chance to win Tuesday's Tyre Torque Maiden Plate (1435m). 'Obviously I have got a healthy respect for Matty Dale's horse (Brannum/$1.95 fav), it's probably the one to beat on paper but Feedback has been screaming for seven furlongs,'' says Cleary. 'I think the addition of blinkers on his last start has really switched him on. 'He'll be ridden forward on Tuesday, look, he's not far off breaking his maiden.' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Bayou won't rest on Laurels Keith Dryden will hand over one of the sport's most recognisable sets of silks to Doncaster Handicap-winning jockey James Innes Jr on Monday when the Laurel Oak mare Blue Bayou steps out at Moruya. Canberra icon Dryden famously steered iron horse Handle The Truth to almost $2m in revenue for Laurel Oak including the 2019 Kosciuszko. Others to promote the Laurel Oak brand in recent times were Golden Slipper winner Fireburn and her Sir Rupert Clarke and Manikato Stakes-winning father Rebel Dane, both housed at Gary Portelli's Warwick Farm digs. Small in stature but big on heart, Rebel Dane is in fact the equine equivalent of an 'uncle' of the Moruya-bound Blue Bayou. Tuesday will be her second consecutive visit to the venue in quick time having finished runner-up there on July 21. 'Great run first-up I thought,'' Dryden said. 'She finished off well. Probably this race might be fractionally stronger than that one but I can see Blue Bayou being pretty competitive. 'I thought each-way, she is probably my best of the day.' Dryden, and his co-trainer Libby Snowden, saddle up an inviting $11 chance in the North Ryde RSL Maiden (1310m) in Brume De Soliel, a direct descendant of the broodmare gem Easy Date (the mother of Snippets). The daughter of Everest winner and current Randwick 1200m track record holder Yes Yes Yes has finished seventh at her two runs this campaign, both holding more merit than it appears. 'When Jeff Penza rode her at her first race, he gave her a real good report but she pulled up young and sore and immature,'' Dryden explained. 'So we gave her a good spell and then brought her back. 'She was disappointing first-up, even though it was only a 1000m, but the second run was a lot improved and I thought she has improved again since. 'I wouldn't think she could win but I reckon she is a place chance.' Dryden and Snowden's other likely runner on Tuesday's south-coast card is Bon River. The daughter of Bon Hoffa was $16 on debut on the Acton track but has seemingly been unduly punished for her underwhelming performance, priced at 100/1 to win on Tuesday. 'It'll improve,'' Dryden said. 'It was a bit hard to work out the other day on the synthetic because everything that led, won. 'And it got well back but its sectionals were actually quite good.' Horse Racing Form analyst Shayne O'Cass provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Moruya on Tuesday. Horse Racing Champion mare Via Sistina will lead an all-star cast of horses at Thursday's delayed barrier trials as the full list of finalists for the Australian Racehorse of the Year awards were announced.
Daily Telegraph
43 minutes ago
- Daily Telegraph
Cricket 2025: India wins fifth Test miracle in thriller to level series 2-2, Chris Woakes bats with one arm, Mohammed Sirah
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News. Mohammed Siraj was India's hero as they beat England by just six runs in a thrilling fifth Test at the Oval on Monday to end the series level at 2-2. England, set 374 to win, were bowled out for 367, with fast bowler Siraj taking 5-104, including a sensational burst of 3-9 on Monday's final morning. Australia vs South Africa T20I & ODI Series | Watch every ball LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. After resuming on 339-6, England lost four wickets for 28 runs on the final morning of a dramatic series. But England were soon 354-8, 20 runs shy of victory, after outstanding paceman Siraj, the leading bowler on either side this series, struck twice to remove Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton. When injured England last man Chris Woakes came into bat with his left-arm strapped up in a sling owing to an injured shoulder, England still needed 17 more runs for victory. Gus Atkinson hit a six off Siraj before England got the target down to single figures. But Siraj sealed the deal on a superb series by bowling Atkinson (17) as he knocked over the batsman's off stump to spark delirious scenes among the India team and their supporters in south London. Never miss the latest sports news from Australia and around the world — download the app direct to your phone. Chris Woakes walked out to bat in a sling. Photo: Kayo. You don't see that everyday. Photo: Kayo. The cricket world was in awe of Woakes' bravery and the theatre of Test cricket, although Woakes was not required to face a delivery in the end. Cricket stats guru Ric Finlay said on X: 'Immense courage by Chris Woakes.' Stuart Broad posted: 'Don't know how I feel about any of this right now. How is Chris Woakes feeling?! 'Test cricket hey. This series has been superb and what a finish. Woakesy to hit the winning runs left handed? Nothing is out of the question! Siraj heroic. Doing plenty!' Dale Steyn posted: 'WE LOVE TEST CRICKET. Incredible series! Well done, well done.' Harsh Bhogle said: 'I don't think anyone could have asked for anything more from a sport. It has been a privilege to have been here and to call the last moments will remain one of the biggest moments of my career.' The Telegraph's Tim Wigmore said: 'A spectacular series but England have now gone 7 series aainst Australia or India without winning. They've drawn 2-2 at home on 4 occasions, and then been thashed each series away.' Mohammed Siraj won the match for India. (Photo by) It is India's narrowest winning margin in a Test match. 'For us as a team that wasn't given a chance in this series, for us to fight back and fight in every game and get a result which is 2-2 (is great),' India's KL Rahul told Sky Sports. 'It might seem like a draw but for Indian Test cricket going into the future it will rank right at the top. 'From this, we will go on and win many more series outside of India,' the opening batsman added. Siraj finished with figures of 5/104 from 30.1 overs. India were without Jasprit Bumrah at the Oval after deciding to stand by a decision to only play the world's top-ranked Test bowler in three games of this five-match series -- a figure the fast bowler reached during last week's drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford. Siraj, who featured throughout the series, ended with 23 wickets at 32.43. Originally published as India wins fifth Test miracle in thriller, England's last man bats with one arm
Daily Telegraph
43 minutes ago
- Daily Telegraph
Hadouken too good again in ‘special' Darwin Cup triumph
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer Peter Robl summed it up succinctly after tenacious stayer Hadouken made it back-to-back Darwin Cup wins. 'What a race, what a ride, what a horse.' Hadouken ($3.30 favourite) needed every ounce of his toughness to defend his Darwin Cup crown, holding off a spirited challenge from grey Prince Jofra ($19) to prevail by a half-length. Motorace ($3.50), who was involved in a fascinating pre-race battle for favouritism with Hadouken, was a quarter of a length away in third but had too much ground to make up on a track that favoured on-pace runners. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! In a repeat of last year's race, Hadouken went toe-to-toe with leader Wolfburn but this time was able to shake off his rival much earlier when he hit the front turning into the home straight. Prince Jofra loomed late but Hadouken refused to surrender under the urgings of jockey Blake Shinn. Robl said the race worked out perfectly for Hadouken. 'He's just gritty, he's tough and that's what we've been saying all week, it will come down to that grind from the 500m,' Robl said. 'The Blake Shinn factor is a big factor, particularly in that last 100m. 'Mind you, Hadouken had to keep putting his head out but you get a horse like him and B. Shinn on top, it makes things a hell of a lot easier. 'He's a tradesman-like horse, he'll get there, he'll just grind, he won't really quicken. 'He's one tough horse to get past.' Shinn said it was a 'very special' moment to win the Darwin Cup for his best mate Robl. 'He had the horse spot on,' Shinn said. 'This is a really big race up here, it feels like a Group 1 race, I'm just proud to be able to do it for him. Peter Robl and Blake Shinn celebrate the win. Picture: Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin 'He fought like a caged lion, he presented so well in the yard he cantered to the gates perfectly. 'But that's his best asset, he's really tough. He can absorb pressure and keep fighting in to the end. 'This is a testament to Peter and his training ability and I'm just really delighted for him.' Hadouken has won five times in the Top End and took his prizemoney earnings to more than $530,000. Robl said he was keen to return next year to attempt a three-peat. 'Twelve months is a long time in horse racing but if the horse is good and well he'll certainly be back. Originally published as Hadouken proves too good again in thrilling Darwin Cup victory
