
Queensland hold on to force State of Origin decider
2025 State of Origin: Game twoQueensland: (26) 26Tries: Tabuai-Fidow (2), Munster, Capewell Goals: Holmes (5)New South Wales: (6) 24Tries: To'o (3)3, S Crichton, A Crichton Goals: Lomax (2)
Queensland held off an incredible comeback from New South Wales to win 26-24 and force a decider in the three-game State of Origin series.The Maroons scored four first-half tries to enter the break with a 26-6 lead in Perth.That left the Blues with a mountain to climb, but they started the second half strongly as Brian To'o completed his hat-trick to put his side back in contention.A 72nd-minute try from Angus Crichton cut the Maroons' advantage to two points, but the Blues missed several chances to complete the series win at the death.Goal-kicking errors proved costly for the defending champions, with Zac Lomax missing three of his five attempts, while Valentine Holmes was perfect with four from four.To make matters worse for the Blues, halfback Jarome Luai was placed on report for appearing to rake his fingers across Reuben Cotter's eyes in the 23rd minute.The series decider is on 9 July at Accor Stadium, Sydney.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Lions nearing full fitness after good Gibson-Park news, Farrell says
DUBLIN, June 18 (Reuters) - The British and Irish Lions expect to have a fully fit squad in the next week or so following a positive update on scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park, coach Andy Farrell said after naming his side for Friday's warm-up against Argentina. The Lions are in relatively rude health as they prepare to fly to Australia having only lost Scotland prop Zander Fagerson to injury in the lead up. Gibson-Park was the other main concern after he missed Leinster's United Rugby Championship (URC) final victory on Saturday with a minor glute strain. Hugo Keenan also missed the final but Farrell said the Leinster fullback ran for the first time a couple of days ago and is going pretty well, while Scotland centre Huw Jones returned to full training this week. "Good news on most of the injuries, they're all a week or so away from being fit. We didn't quite know until Jamison got another scan on Monday night, that was pretty positive. We're in good shape," Farrell told a news conference. With half the Lions touring squad involved in the URC and English Premiership finals last Saturday, Farrell's options for Friday's warm-up at the Aviva Stadium were limited but he was nevertheless excited to try out some new combinations from the four nations. "I did an exercise a couple of weeks ago, and I've done it about five times since, of what you think your test side could be, and you actually can't even go there because there's such good competition, and that's how it should be," Farrell said. "The exciting thing about Friday night is these guys get to show the teammates sat in the stands what they're all about. Because ultimately what happens on these tours, these guys, all they're trying to do is gain the respect of one another. Impress one another." A partnership Farrell is looking forward to seeing is one he hopes will prove a "dominant" option at centre as Ireland's Bundee Aki lines up next to Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu, who has barely played in an injury-hit season. Another physical combination sees captain Maro Itoje pack down next to Ireland's Tadhg Beirne in the second row. Tourists together in 2021, the pair have been roommates this time around and the big Munsterman has been surprised so far by one aspect of Itoje's leadership style. "He doesn't curse!" Beirne said, noting that he struggles with such restraint as Munster skipper. "He's been leading the team really well." Having played many a battle in Dublin wearing the white of England, Itoje has enjoyed a novelty of his own this week while walking around the streets of the Irish capital. "It's very nice to be so warmly received in Dublin, because that tends not to be the case," he said.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
That's how it should be – Andy Farrell insists Lions places still up for grabs
Andy Farrell has told his British Irish and Lions stars ahead of Friday's clash with Argentina that selection for the Test series is wide open. Maro Itoje captains the Lions for the first time and is joined in the starting XV by Marcus Smith, who has been picked at full-back behind an all-England half-back partnership of Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith. Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong is given the opportunity to prove his fitness after being named on the bench for the Aviva Stadium showdown having been sidelined since early May because of a calf strain. As many as 14 players could make their Lions debuts before the squad departs for Australia on Saturday and Farrell has demanded they make an immediate impact if they want a shot at facing the Wallabies. 'I did an exercise a couple of weeks ago, and I've done it about five times since, of choosing what the Test side could be,' the head coach said. 'You actually can't even go there because there's such good competition and that's how it should be. 'The exciting thing about Friday night is these guys get to show the team-mates who are sat in the stand what they're all about. 'We are looking for cohesion, connection and an ability to attack the game from the off. 'You can give yourself any excuse as far as time together is concerned, but we've had good prep and if you want to be a good Lions player you've got to hit your straps straight from the off.' Furlong has been troubled by calf and hamstring injuries all season, forcing him to miss the entire 2024 autumn series and all but one match of the Six Nations. If fit, the three-time Lions tourist will be favourite to start at tighthead prop in the Test series against the Wallabies, but first he must negotiate the curtain raiser against a Pumas side ranked fifth in the world. 'Tadhg is fit and ready to go and train well and as keen as everyone else to get the show on the road,' Farrell said. Duhan van der Merwe is another player looking to demonstrate his fitness ahead of Saturday's departure Down Under having been limited to just 11 minutes of action since the Six Nations because of ankle ligament damage. The Scotland wing is part of a heavy duty threequarter line that features England try machine Tommy Freeman and bulldozing centres Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu. Farrell delivered positive fitness updates on Jamison Gibson-Park (glute), Huw Jones (Achilles) and Hugo Keenan (calf), stating that all three should be available for the the first match in Australia against Western Force on Saturday week. Argentina were also the warm-up opponents in 2005 when they held Sir Clive Woodward's Lions to a 25-25 draw in Cardiff. 'It's a tremendous opportunity for myself and the whole team. This is our first opportunity to set the standard that we want to be set and be the kind of team that we want to be,' Itoje said.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
England stars have a chance to make an early Test case for the Lions in Argentina clash as Andy Farrell prepares to unleash a staggering amount of back-line firepower, writes CHRIS FOY
The Smiths are back together again and what a precious opportunity this is for England's leading playmakers to call the tune for the Lions. Andy Farrell has named what will surely be the most English line-up of the whole 2025 crusade. With most of the huge Leinster contingent resting after their URC success, Steve Borthwick 's stars have a chance to make an early Test case – including nine of them in the starting XV to face Argentina. Fin Smith at 10 and Marcus Smith at full-back is an intriguing prospect. That combination has been effective before for England and Farrell will hope that it can orchestrate a promising early showcase of his squad's attacking potential. Both men will know the score. They will be aware that Finn Russell has come into camp on the crest of a wave after guiding Bath to Premiership title glory. They will recognise that experience and pedigree make the Scot the front-runner to wear the No 10 shirt in the Test series against the Wallabies. But this pre-tour fixture in Dublin provides a valuable opportunity to score selection points, as the race for places begins in earnest. After this encounter with the dangerous Pumas, the Lions have just five more games to sort out their best XV, before the series opener against Australia in Brisbane on July 19. The clock is already ticking. It is a tight timetable, so any imperious performances will thrust players into the Test reckoning rapidly. For Fin Smith, this is a return to a happy place. Early last month, the rookie fly-half was outstanding as Northampton stunned mighty Leinster in a Champions Cup semi-final classic at the Aviva Stadium. The 23-year-old will survey the scene this time, savour the glorious flashbacks and use them to seize his chance to make a powerful statement. He can prove, despite his youth, that he has the control and composure to be a bona fide Test contender. For Marcus Smith, his versatility helped him make the cut for the tour squad – when his confidence and form had temporarily deserted him – and now it means he has a starting role. In time, Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan are bound to tussle for the right to be the first-choice full-back, but for now the more established of England's Smiths can demonstrate his credentials, as someone capable of being a game-changing bench asset for the Lions. Fin Smith's familiar alliance with club-mate Alex Mitchell should give the British and Irish side some attacking fluency and also give the Saints scrum-half the opening audition for a place which had seemed to have Jamison Gibson-Park's name on it until his recent injury scare. Tommy Freeman is another of the Northampton contingent who will enjoy being back where such a momentous club triumph took place – armed with thunderous personal momentum. The Lions can unleash a staggering amount of back-line firepower in this game, with the potent combination of midfield pair Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu and giant wing Duhan van der Merwe. Both of the imported Scots have made timely recoveries from injury to be involved and they are already deemed to be strong contenders for places in the Test XV. Farrell's side shouldn't be short of gainline impact in this fixture. Up front, Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie are a powerful England axis in the front row, with Genge especially capable of staking an early claim to become the pre-eminent loosehead prop, before Ireland's Andrew Porter makes his first appearance. At tighthead, Finaly Bealham gets the start but it will surely come down to veteran Tadhg Furlong or England's Will Stuart – another riding a wave – for the Test spot. Captain Maro Itoje and Tadhg Beirne could be the second-row partnership to take on the Wallabies and what a complementary double-act it should be. Both are athletic and both are breakdown threats, as are all of the chosen men in the back row; Tom Curry, Jac Morgan and Ben Earl. All are opensides by trade, so expect plenty of poaching, dynamism in the loose and defensive tenacity. Among the replacements, look out for the resumption of the Henry Pollock bandwagon. Heaven help Argentina if Northampton and England's new sensation enters the fray with the Lions on a roll and wreaking havoc. They should be capable of doing so, given the blend of power and X-factor invention in this line-up. It is game No 1 of the 2025 campaign so there will be cohesion issues; it won't all be nice and smooth. Combinations will take time to knit together and flourish. But it certainly looks good on paper. Given that so many players were unable to train in the Algarve due to club commitments, this is a promising show of force. Let the fun begin…