Pete Samu absence to provide extra motivation against Lions, says Toutai Kefu
Samu has been withdrawn from the side comprising of players with First Nations or Pacific Island heritage after it emerged that he did not fulfil strict eligibility criteria having only recently signed for the NSW Waratahs.
The composite team replaced the Melbourne Rebels in the Lions' touring schedule after they entered administration and the terms of agreement for the game state only those currently attached to Super Rugby franchises can be selected.
Australia number 8 Samu, who has spent the last two seasons at French club Bordeaux, was able to play for the AUNZ Invitational XV that faced the Lions in Adelaide last Saturday because that match operated under different terms.
The Lions say they did not object to Samu's selection for Tuesday's showdown at Marvel Stadium but Rugby Australia are understood to dispute this.
On the eve of the first Test in Brisbane, First Nations and Pasifika head coach Toutai Kefu said the row would provide his players with ammunition to cause a famous upset.
"I'm absolutely gutted, I still can't believe that they would do it, complain about it, I suppose it is what it is, but it's extra motivation for our boys," Kefu said.
"We're a team that's just been put together, we're facing a massive challenge as it is, so he (Samu) would have definitely strengthened us, there's no doubt about that.
"They must have been worried we were going to win. I don't know why they would do it."
RA is disappointed that Samu will not be in action in the fixture that takes place between the first and second Tests.
"Pete Samu is a valued member of the Waratahs and has added greatly to the First Nations & Pasifika squad since entering camp. We had naturally hoped he would be playing in this fixture," an RA spokesperson said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
What are Daniel Dubois' career earnings and what is his boxing record before Usyk rematch?
DANIEL Dubois is a former heavyweight champion from London with a punch so hard his nickname is 'Dynamite'. He's facing Oleksandr Usyk on July 19 — here we take a look at his boxing record and career earnings. Advertisement 2 Dubois (right) is set to take on Oleksandr Usyk (left) at Wembley Credit: Getty What is Daniel Dubois' net worth? According to multiple outlets, He began earning six-figure sums Dubois earned £1.75 million when After facing Joyce, Dubois pulled in a further £1.8m across his next four fights. Advertisement Read more on Daniel Dubois Although he How much he received for his knockout victory over He earned around £3.5 million from his clash with Anthony Joshua. What is Daniel Dubois' boxing record? Dubois' boxing record stands as 22–2–0. Advertisement Most read in Boxing Exclusive Exclusive This means he's won 22 of his 24 professional bouts, losing two and drawing none. Dynamite has won 19 of his fights via knockout, giving him an impressive KO percentage of 86%. Dubois has seen some major success during his career — he held the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title from June 2022 to August 2023. He also held the British and Commonwealth titles between 2019 and 2020. Advertisement His He most recently picked up a win over Anthony Joshua, with his last fight a loss against Usyk in Poland. 2 Dubois is a former WBA Heavyweight Champion Credit: Jamie McPhilimey What TV channel is Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2 on and can it be live streamed? Advertisement There are three options for a DAZN subscription, Annual - either paying a one-off fee or monthly - and a monthly option. An annual pass can be purchased for £119.99 in the United Kingdom. That's just £2.30 per week or 65p per fight (based on 185 fight nights per year). A monthly flexible pass is priced at £24.99 per month, which can be cancelled at any time. A subscription allows you to watch every live event and all on-demand programming on DAZN Advertisement A DAZN subscription costs: Annual Super Saver: £119.99 annually Monthly Saver (12-month deal): £14.99 per month Monthly Flexible pass (cancel any time): £24.99 per month
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
How devout, clean-living Brit Daniel Dubois could be the man to FINALLY beat Usyk and reach boxing immortality
DANIEL DUBOIS could be a young man who is about to step into history. If the 27-year-old Brit beats Ukrainian Advertisement 7 Daniel Dubois is vying to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Credit: Getty 7 Brit Dubois will take on Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk at a packed Wembley Stadium Credit: Getty And for once in boxing, all the hype is justified. Tonight will be the first time ever that the undisputed heavyweight championship has been decided on British soil. Dubois holds the IBF belt, but the rest — WBC, WBO, WBA — are in the lethal hands of Ukraine's Usyk. The winner takes all. Advertisement READ MORE ON DANIEL DUBOIS Once-a-century phenomenon And if Dubois wins, he will immediately step into the hallowed realm of British boxing legends, right up there with Lennox Lewis, who became undisputed heavyweight champ by beating Before that, the last British boxer to hold the undisputed title was Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899. An undisputed British heavyweight champion of the world is, it seems, a once-a-century phenomenon. If Dubois wins. And that's the big if. Usyk is the most formidable of opponents. Advertisement Most read in Boxing Unlike 'Dynamite' Daniel Dubois — who has lost two fights, both in hugely controversial circumstances — the 38-year-old Ukrainian remains undefeated. And Usyk has a record that shows he has fought and beaten more elite British fighters than any boxer since David Haye reveals which British boxer Dubois must copy to beat Usyk The 6ft 3in fighter — modestly sized for a heavyweight — has beaten Tyson Fury (twice), Anthony Joshua (twice), Derek Chisora and, between the Gypsy King and AJ fights, Dubois himself. But during their fight in Advertisement In the fifth round, Usyk collapsed to the canvas with a Dubois body shot to the lower abdomen that was controversially, some would say ludicrously, declared a low blow. The fight was stopped for four minutes while Usyk recovered, and he went on to stop Daniel in the ninth round. And while it is true that Usyk won well in the end, many feel that he should never have had the chance. 'I've been cheated out of victory tonight,' Dubois said at the time, and he had a point. Advertisement 7 Usyk stopped Daniel in the ninth round in their last fight Credit: Getty 7 Dubois was once hailed as the future of British heavyweight boxing Credit: Refer to Caption If he genuinely has no fear about facing the destroyer of so many British dreams, then that is because Dubois feels he has beaten his opponent once already. At 27, Dynamite Daniel Dubois — Triple D — has already seen it all. Advertisement At the peak of his fighting prime, the softly spoken South Londoner has been battle-hardened in ways few other fighters ever experience. 'He has been through his trials and tribulations,' Lennox Lewis recently said of Dubois. 'He's the King Slayer.' Dubois knows what it is to be lionized, ridiculed, robbed blind and then lionized once more. In his early twenties, he was the rising star of British boxing, claiming the vacant British heavyweight title in 2019 with a fifth-round knockout against Nathan Gorman. Beating AJ in such devastating fashion showed the world one irrefutable fact: There is nothing wrong with Daniel Dubois' heart. Tony Parsons Commentator Steve Bunce wrote: 'Dubois fought like an old-seasoned bruiser, his feet flawless, his jab a stiff weapon inherited from the relics of the ring.' Advertisement Young and unbeaten, Dubois was hailed as the future of British heavyweight boxing until the strange night at the start of the pandemic, when he suffered his first defeat. Joe Joyce, a decent but ageing fighter who Dubois was expected to walk through, shattered the orbital bone around Daniel's left eye early in the fight, causing retinal bleeding. Dubois took a knee in the tenth round and stayed down — possibly saving his eyesight, and probably his career. But the backlash from fellow and former pro boxers for quitting a fight because he was in danger of losing his eyesight was vicious and merciless. Advertisement Top fighters who Dubois had hero worshipped tore him to shreds. David Haye said that he would rather be 'knocked sparked out' than ever quit. 7 Dubois did not simply beat Anthony Joshua, he destroyed him Credit: �Mark Robinson Photography/Matchroom 7 Daniel with dad Dave, sister Caroline and brothers Prince, left, and Solomon in 2020 Credit: Getty Advertisement Many feared Dubois would never recover from that defeat, because it called into question the one thing no boxer can have called into question — his heart. But his greatest victory came in September last year. In front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Dubois did not simply beat Anthony Joshua, he beat him up. Daniel dropped British boxing's former Golden Boy multiple times until he knocked him cold in round five. You could sense the torch being passed from one generation to the next. It was the final act in the rehabilitation of Daniel Dubois. Advertisement Scar tissue Beating AJ in such devastating fashion showed the world one irrefutable fact: There is nothing wrong with Daniel Dubois' heart. It is not too much to suggest the fighter has been preparing for this moment all his life. He has never had a sip of alcohol. Never taken drugs. Doesn't own a smart phone. One of seven children, he was raised in a council flat in Deptford, South London, by a single father in a devout Christian household. Advertisement Dubois and his younger brothers and sisters were home-schooled by their ruthless market trader dad Stanley, doing press-ups on their closed fists in the front room while reciting Psalm 144, verse 1 from the Bible, the prayer of David, the Warrior King. If Dubois wins, it will be one of those boxing nights that transcends the only sport that can never be called a game. Tony Parsons 'Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.' This tough upbringing certainly worked for Daniel's sister Caroline, too. At 24, she is an undefeated world champ, holding the WBC and IBO lightweight belts. Advertisement Can her older brother grab the glory tonight? Usyk is a truly great champion, and it is widely believed that he beat much bigger, stronger men — not least Tyson Fury, Joshua and Dubois himself — because he is ultimately a better boxer than all of them. But Usyk is also 38. The world has already witnessed Daniel Dubois take Usyk to places the Gypsy King and AJ never managed to. 7 Advertisement And only Father Time keeps his unbeaten record for ever. Dubois remains what he has always been — a knockout artist, a virtuoso of the lights-out KO, defeating all but one of his 22 vanquished opponents by stoppage. The Brit has, as they say, heavy hands. He also has scar tissue from past trials and tribulations, inside and outside of the ring, that most fighters never know. Advertisement Being mocked after losing to Joyce, being robbed blind when he was beating Usyk in If the Ukrainian champion is ever going to be beaten, the time is tonight, the place is Wembley. Hero for the ages And the man to beat him is a devout, clean-living young Londoner who styles himself Triple D. Daniel Dubois is ready. He is one fight, one night — possibly one punch — from a truly historic victory, the kind of event that comes along every 100 years or so. Advertisement Holder of all the belts, rightful heir to a place in the sparsely populated pantheon of British heavyweighted heroes who have been undisputed champion of the world. If Dubois wins, it will be one of those boxing nights that transcends the only sport that can never be called a game. Do what no man has ever done — beat Usyk — and Daniel Dubois will be a British sporting hero for the ages, up there with Now that's what I call undisputed. Advertisement
Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
It feels like the Lions are walking into a Wallabies ambush in Brisbane
Andy Farrell had a chance encounter with an old sparring partner when he was walking the streets of Brisbane earlier this week. The British and Irish Lions head coach got a pleasant surprise when he spotted Gorden Tallis, an icon of Australian rugby league. The pair had many battles in their playing days. Farrell v Tallis. The 'Man of Steel' vs the 'Raging Bull'. Andy Farrell had a chance encounter with an old sparring partner when he was walking the streets of Brisbane earlier this week. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Tallis is fondly remembered for his storming displays in State of Origin, the gripping three-game slugfest between New South Wales and Queensland. You'll find plenty of his impressive feats on YouTube, namely an iconic tackle on Brett Hodgon. It's well worth a watch. Queensland, as it happens, recently secured an unlikely 2-1 series win against their bitter foes, despite being widely written off as one of the worst teams in the state's illustrious history. A worrying omen for the highly-fancied Lions perhaps? Gorden Tallis is fondly remembered for his storming displays in State of Origin. Pic:'He used to say that everyone used to talk about Queensland being underdogs,' Farrell told a packed press conference on Thursday, recalling his impromptu meeting with Tallis. 'He said 'we never, ever saw it that way,' and Australia will be exactly the same.' Gorden Tallis locks horns with Andy Farrell and Tony Smith in 2000. Pic: Phil Cole/ALLSPORT Right there is a timely reminder of the sporting mentality of this nation. Rugby union has fallen on hard times in Australia. In truth, the game has been in a steady decline since 2003, Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal in the World Cup final proving something of a flashpoint. Rugby league and AFL have stormed ahead. The 52,000-capacity Suncorp Stadium will be packed to the rafters and the atmosphere will be electric before kick-off. Jonny Wilkinson nails a drop goal during the 2003 Rugby World Cup final. Pic: Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images The Lions have brought a legion of travelling supporters and the cash injection from this series is thought to be in the region of 250 million Australian dollars for the local economy. Yet there is a sense that this series has not grabbed the wider Australian public. The Lions is scarcely mentioned in news bulletins, radio or in newspaper articles across the country. For these Wallabies players, these looming games against the much-vaunted tourists isn't just about pride. There is far more on the line for the hosts than bragging rights. There is far more on the line for the hosts than bragging rights. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher If Australia suffer a 3-0 whitewash, it would be disastrous for the professional game in their country. It would be another nail in rugby union's coffin in Oz. The next few weeks is a golden opportunity to reinvigorate this sport. An upset today or, dare they dream, a series win would be shot of life for the entire organisation, especially with a home World Cup in 2027. It should serve as a powerful motivator for the home side. On paper, the Lions should win this opening Test comfortably. Farrell's team is stacked with proven, Test match animals across a stellar matchday 23. If you want to get a real sense of the quality of this Lions side, look at the players who failed to make the cut: Pierre Schoeman, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Jac Morgan, Fin Smith and Owen Farrell. The injured trio of Blair Kinghorn, Mack Hansen and Garry Ringrose are all set to come back into contention for the second game in Melbourne, too. That's quite the playing roster. On paper, the Lions should win this opening Test comfortably. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan Australia, meanwhile, are without the destructive Will Skelton and powerful flanker Rob Valetini, arguably their best player for the past two years. They have rolled the dice at No10, with the 22-year-old Tom Lynagh starting his first international game. Nick Champion de Crespigny is another debutant on the blindside flank. They look a weight class below the Lions in the tight five. But Test rugby can bring out another side in previously unheralded players. Especially Australians. This is a proud rugby nation. This is a country which has won two World Cups and finished second in two other tournaments. The Lions are overwhelming favourites but history is not on their side. The 2013 series win in Australia remains the only triumph in the professional era. This tours don't come easy. And it's not like the Wallabies don't have quality in their ranks. In Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, they have a genuine superstar. The former rugby league prodigy has taken the 15-man game by storm. Like Israel Folau, another cross-code convert, did in 2013, he is set to have a huge impact in this series. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is a genuine superstar. Pic:The hosts have genuine gas in the wide channels, with Tom Wright and Max Jorgensen offering so much threat. Jeremy Williams and Nick Frost are two seriously underrated locks while Fraser McReight is a top-class openside flanker who will attack the breakdown with ferocity all evening. The Wallabies captain and No8 Harry Wilson is another character who doesn't get enough plaudits. There's plenty of impact on the bench with Ulster-bound prop Angus Bell, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott and Andrew Kellaway all primed to make a big impact. And then there's the Joe Schmidt factor. Known for his obsessive work ethic, forensic analysis and intense methods during his time with Leinster and Ireland, the Kiwi has cut a more relaxed figure in this gig. Schmidt answered an SOS to the Wallabies a few years back after Eddie Jones' disastrous second stint in the job. He has galvanised the entire operation and it's a credit to the New Zealander that that this team looks competitive ahead of this series. Schmidt is a serious operator. He transformed Irish rugby. He brought Leinster to another level and continued in the same vein when the national tame came calling for his services in 2013. Joe Schmidt is known for his obsessive work ethic, forensic analysis and intense methods. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher Some of the revisionism of his trophy-laden tenure in Ireland has jarred. It must have stung Schmidt as well. It feels like a lot of the praise which has been heaped on Farrell, his successor, has come at the expense of Schmidt. He has already helped mastermind an All Blacks win against Ireland in a 2023 World Cup quarter-final. No doubt, he has a masterplan to down the Lions in the coming weeks. If the Wallabies come out firing, knock the Lions off their rhythm and make this a dogfight, then all bets are off. Expect a few trademark Schmidt strike moves and a few moments of genius from Suaalii. Lest we forget, it's not like the Lions have looked invincible either. Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, James Lowe and Hugo Keenan have been picked on pedigree and not recent form. No doubt, the Pumas defeat in Dublin sowed a few seeds of doubt as well. The closer we get to this Test opener in Brisbane, the more it feels like the Lions are walking into an ambush. Farrell got an early warning this week. Another Schmidt masterclass is on the cards.
