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Garry Ringrose hoping Marvel cameo can put him Test picture

Garry Ringrose hoping Marvel cameo can put him Test picture

RTÉ News​3 days ago
While Garry Ringrose got 63 minutes under his belt in the British and Irish Lions' 24-19 win against the First Nations and Pasifika XV, it was perhaps more than he, and Andy Farrell had bargained for.
Ringrose missed the first Test win against the Wallabies on Saturday due to concussion, but having come through the return to play protocols, he took his place in the matchday squad in Melbourne today, for what would have been an ideal tune-up ahead of Saturday's second Test at the MCG.
Attempting to read between the lines, the fact he was named on the bench rather than the starting XV looked like a nod towards a short cameo at Marvel Stadium, and possibly a route back into the Test side.
Alas, an early injury for Darcy Graham on his Lions debut saw the Ireland international (below) togged out and ready to go, playing more than an hour, and impressing despite the Lions' clunky overall display.
"Any chance to represent the Lions, I've got to pinch myself," he said, following the five-point win.
"It's something I would have dreamed of and everyone in their dreams of doing so to get a chance to be out on the pitch was brilliant."
The 30-year-old had arguably been the standout player in the warm-up fixtures before picking up a concussion late in the win against the Brumbies a fortnight ago.
Scotland's Huw Jones started ahead of Ringrose last weekend in Brisbane, and while the Ireland international is hoping he's done enough to earn a second Test call, he's prepared to row in behind whatever selection is made.
"It's the team first. Wherever I fit in to help the team win, I'll be all in on that.
"Yeah, happy out with the win today and then it's kind of a cool challenge in that it's a Test game in a few days and it's all hands on deck from tomorrow morning really.
"Everyone is there for the team and I've been lucky enough to work with Faz [Andy Farrell] and a couple of coaches for so long that I've just complete trust in their decision making and back whatever it is and wherever my role fits in, then as I say, go all in on that.
"It's the nature of the beast. If you weren't dealing with that little battle there's some other little battle that one's dealing with and everyone has their own story that they're trying to do themselves proud for their teammates, and family, so we're all in the same boat in that regard."
If Ringrose does start on Saturday, then it could potentially be a change of both centres.
The Irish pair of Ringrose and Aki have been preferred as a unit, as has the Jones and Sione Tuipulotu partnership.
And having come up against the Scottish pair often, both with Leinster and Ireland, Ringrose has gained a new appreciation for how they work in tandem.
"To work with Sione and Huw, and Bundee as well is brilliant.
"At the start of the campaign, we'd challenge ourselves to be really open and honest with each other and try to get the best out of all of us. Whoever's out there on the day is representing the whole centre group. So whatever combination it is, there's a standard expected to deliver on so that nothing changes for this week.
"Without being too clever, what has impressed me most [about Jones and Tuipulotu] is their skill at the line. What is expected of centres is to be able to carry when it's tight, play through the line when it's on, then pull the trigger if the space is out wide. Those two are exceptional at that.
"It's been brilliant training against them, training with them, picking their brains on decision-making based on what they see.
"From playing against Scotland and watching them play for Glasgow, it's unreal to actually work with them and have those conversations. They've been brilliant from that perspective, so I've definitely learned off them and still learning off them in every meeting.
"They've unbelievably intelligent, skilful, physical, and really both of them are all-court in what they do."
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Matt Williams: Lions' classless act had the hallmark of imperialists touring their convict colony
Matt Williams: Lions' classless act had the hallmark of imperialists touring their convict colony

Irish Times

time21 minutes ago

  • Irish Times

Matt Williams: Lions' classless act had the hallmark of imperialists touring their convict colony

On Saturday, inside the imposing Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Wallabies must win to keep the series alive or forever have their names etched into the history books as losers. The Australians are not without hope. During the second half of the first Test , and last Tuesday against the First Nations and Pasifika , the Lions appeared to be a group at the end of a very long tour and an even longer season. They are tiring. The six changes to their team for this match confirm that. At the start of the tour, the Lions management were unhappy that there weren't enough Wallabies players being made available to lift the standards in the provincial teams. Yet this week, the same Lions management objected to the selection of the former Bordeaux player Pete Samu for the First Nations and Pasifika. READ MORE Andy Farrell's Lions fire the first shot in Australia Listen | 46:27 Samu has returned to Australia to play with the Waratahs next season. As the former Australian international did not play in the Super Rugby competition this season, he fell outside the guidelines of the pre-tour agreements. Another way of looking at it would be that the Lions don't want Samu match fit for the third Test. In Australia, this has been seen as the Lions acting with all the vestiges of imperialists touring their convict colony. It was a classless act. The many Samu masks being worn in the crowd on Tuesday night tells you what the locals thought of the Lions' decision. Pete Samu of AUNZ Invitational is tackled by Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan of the British & Irish Lions. Photograph:Once again this week, there has not been a single interview with a Lions player on the nightly news of the host broadcaster for the series. This is despite the Lions having a touring party of over 90 people. These cultural gaffes are merely adding to the long list of failures from the Lions. 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The greatest example of the losing mindset was early in the match when Ben Curry illegally and dangerously tackled the Wallaby debutant outhalf Tom Lynagh while he was in the air. Tom Curry's controversial tackle on Tom Lynagh in the first Test should have drawn a response from Lynagh's Wallabies teammates. Photograph: Patrick Hamilton/AFP via Getty Images The Wallaby forwards did nothing to Curry, who walked away smiling. He had been given a free ticket to put in a big illegal shot on a nervous young outhalf. While Curry should have been yellow carded, Lynagh's teammates should have made it clear they weren't happy. Owen Farrell has been selected on the bench this week because he is made of far tougher stuff. On Tuesday night, when the First Nations and Pasifika players smashed Darcy Graham over the sideline, Farrell ran in and confronted the offending opposition players. His body language screamed 'not on my watch'. 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The Lions' Owen Farrell clashes with Charlie Gamble of the First Nations & Pasifika during Tuesday's match in Melbourne. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho To gain such information in the old days, spies were sent to the opposition training sessions, some disguised as elderly dog walkers with concealed cameras in their handbags. Or there could be video cameras hidden on tripods in vacant corporate boxes at training fields. In modern times, drones have been known to zoom overhead. A few nights before Scotland played Australia in the quarter-final of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, every piece of paper hanging on the walls of the Scottish team room mysteriously disappeared. They were full of tactical information and game-plan notes. Scotland lost to a Wallabies team who seemed to know a lot of Scottish calls. Believe me, it's a jungle out there. The three foundational principles of rugby are fitness, skill and motivation. On Tuesday, we witnessed the First Nations and Pasifika bring forward their deep motivation in representing their people to almost overcome a Lions team with vastly superior skill and fitness levels. That is Woodward's point. The Wallabies acted like the cuddly marsupial on their emblem and did not unleash their inner dog to fight the Lions with every atom of their being for the full 80 minutes. By the time the Australians started to play, the game was already lost. To use an old-fashioned word, the Wallabies must use aggression to 'bustle' the Lions. That means to throw the Lions off kilter, to upset the tempo and rhythm of their game plan. Australia's Nick Frost and Tadhg Beirne of the Lions compete for a lineout. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho The Wallabies must summon up the same ultra-aggressive spirit as the First Nations and Pasifika while also fixing their wobbly lineout. If they can, they have a chance. With Will Skelton, Rob Valetini and Dave Porecki – the best lineout thrower in the squad – are all starting, making it a far better Wallaby selection than last week. In selecting a 6-2 bench, head coach Joe Schmidt is telling us the Wallabies smell blood in the water and are going to attack the Lions scrum. That is something I did not predict at the beginning of the tour. As we say in Australia, this is Sydney or the bush. This second test is all or nothing for the Wallabies. With a giant injection of 80 minutes worth of old-fashioned aggression, the Australians are capable of an upset. However, if they do not secure their own lineout possession, trouble awaits.

'We are not playing a pub team' - Lions captain Maro Itoje dismisses Australia frailty talk
'We are not playing a pub team' - Lions captain Maro Itoje dismisses Australia frailty talk

Irish Examiner

timean hour ago

  • Irish Examiner

'We are not playing a pub team' - Lions captain Maro Itoje dismisses Australia frailty talk

Lions captain Maro Itoje has dismissed notions of Australian rugby frailty and a Test series whitewash ahead of Saturday's second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground by claiming 'we're not playing a pub team'. The British & Irish Lions have a chance to wrap up the series in front of an estimated 90,000-plus crowd at the iconic home of Australian cricket and Aussie Rules football having blown the Wallabies away in the opening half of the first Test in Brisbane last Saturday on the way to a 27-19 victory. A repeat at the MCG would deliver a first series win for the famous touring team since 2013 and seventh in nine tours Down Under stretching back to the original 'British Isles' visit to Australia in 1889. That history resonates for tour skipper Itoje, who has quite the Lions backstory himself having first pulled on the red jersey in 2017 in New Zealand, quickly becoming a fan favourite in his battles against the All Blacks. This Saturday's match will be the England captain's seventh consecutive Lions Test appearance having started five and come off the bench in the final, deadlocked encounter of the drawn 2017 series. He does not entertain the idea that Lions players need help focusing on the task ahead. 'When you wear this jersey and represent the Lions you know it comes with huge honour and a sense of responsibility and we know we are not playing a pub team,' Itoje said. 'The Wallabies are a proper team, I played them last year in the autumn and we lost to them when we were supposed to win. They are a team that can punish you if you don't approach the game properly.' The Saracens second row acknowledged that a Lions Test brings something different from within into play compared to other big days for club and country. 'I guess these are the sorts of games, these are almost the reason why you want to play rugby. You want to play rugby and be a part of these huge occasions, huge games with maybe a little bit of jeopardy on the line, but more so the opportunity to do something special, the opportunity to be a part of something special, the opportunity to do something that lives long in the long in the memory, and create special memories with your friends and colleagues and family. 'So I try and focus on the opportunity. Then I also just try and focus on the process of what I need to do to get myself in the right space. 'Naturally, given the magnitude of the game and the weeks, there's a higher level of focus. As a professional athlete, there's always focus to what you do, but there's… not all games are equal. 'Not all games mean the same thing. And this game, last week, these games aren't equal to normal games of rugby. They're special. So naturally, there's a higher level of focus. It requires a higher level of intensity and a higher level of diligence to what you want to do.'

Australia v British and Irish Lions second Test: All you need to know
Australia v British and Irish Lions second Test: All you need to know

RTÉ News​

timean hour ago

  • RTÉ News​

Australia v British and Irish Lions second Test: All you need to know

Australia host the Lions in the second Test on Saturday with the series on the line. It's simply win or bust for the Wallabies after last weekend's underwhelming 27-19 defeat in Brisbane. The famed MCG is the scene and a crowd of around 90,000 is expected. A win for Andy Farrell's men will clinch a first Lions series win since 2013. Find out all you need to know here. ONLINE There will be a live blog on and the RTÉ News app, as well as match report, reaction and player ratings. TV Australia v British and Irish Lions will be shown on Sky Sports with kick-off at 11am Irish time. WEATHER There was a severe weather warning for Melbourne on Friday afternoon to evening, and rain is predicted for Saturday 8pm (local) kick-off. Temperature around 11C. Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. While last weekend's scoreline looked close on paper, the Lions held the Wallabies at arm's length throughout the game, and it was only when the contest was over that the Aussies did some damage. Neither side will read too much into that but Andy Farrell will demand an 80-minute performance this time around. There's more heft in the Aussie pack with the addition of Rob Valetini, Will Skelton and David Porecki and the hope for Joe Schmidt is that they provide more front-foot ball for the backs to work off. They were distinctly second-best last week across all areas, on and off the ball, and achieving something like parity up front will be crucial to their cause. It's set for a wet evening in Melbourne so expect a lot of kicking and aerial battles. The Lions have made three changes to the team with Bundee Aki coming in for Sione Tuipulotu, Andrew Porter replacing Ellis Genge and Ollie Chessum in for the injured Joe McCarthy. Garry Ringrose was originally selected but withdrew after self-reporting concussion symptoms. Still, there are a record nine Ireland internationals in the starting team, with Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe and Hugo Keenan all retaining their places. Maro Itoje captains from the second row and Finn Russell will run the operation from out-half. Rónan Kelleher and James Ryan are on the bench, alongside Owen Farrell and Blair Kinghorn who didn't make the squad last weekend. For the home side, in come forwards Valetini, Skelton and Porecki with Schmidt also making three changes. This is the 25th meeting of the teams, with the Lions winning 18 and losing six. The tourists, ten-point favourites for this game, have won seven series and lost two. British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum; Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan. Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, James Ryan, Jac Morgan, Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell, Blair Kinghorn. Australia: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa; Nick Frost, Will Skelton; Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson. Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson. OFFICIALS Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) Assistant Referee 2: Ben O'Keeffe (NZ) TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra) WHAT THEY SAID Joe Schmidt (Australia head coach): "We don't have the intention this week of being submissive. It'd be special for this group [to win]. I think it would accelerate a little bit of their growth as well, because in terms of gaining confidence, it's hard to top competing with the best." Andy Farrell (Lions head coach): "We certainly feel we left a few things out there [last weekend], most aspects of our game will need to better but it is proving to ourselves it can be better as well. Doing things properly, that is what we have talked about all week."

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