Bernard Jackman: Lions' brave comeback will lead to epic celebrations – but history beckons in final test
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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Gordon D'Arcy: Australia got it all wrong by relying on two players to carry the whole team
There are moments in life and sport when you want to wring every last drop out of an occasion, aware that it is a feeling that might not be replicated again and therefore should be cherished for all its worth. One such snapshot in time was at Twickenham following a fiercely contested win over England . The ice baths had long ceased to pinch the breath, the water more temperate and for a while no one moved. We just wanted to stay in that space, untouched by the outside world. We would always have Paris , too, winning the Six Nations there. A few of the lads were stuck in doping control, which bought the rest of us an unexpected hiatus – time to sit, reflect and savour what we had done, before the real world came crashing back into our lives. You could see that same desire to freeze a moment in time written all over the Lions players' faces in Melbourne as Hugo Keenan glided over the try line to seal a series win. Finn Russell's conversion attempt was an irrelevance. READ MORE The final whistle was the cue to release a torrent of emotion as the players came together to celebrate, bound up in the struggle and the shared sacrifice. You don't get many of those moments in a career. Thrilling second Test saves Lions tour from ignominy Listen | 24:20 The arguments will continue to rage about the quality of the matches on this tour. That's a fair debate but history doesn't care much for the context; it records outcomes. These men have joined an elite club. They are British and Irish Lions with a series win in the southern hemisphere. That carries weight. Australia , for their part, finally delivered a performance that represented some of their qualities as individuals and as a team. It wasn't enough to win the match, but it did salvage some pride, and arguably the series as a whole. 'Ruck-gate' has dominated the headlines in the aftermath. Opinions are a dime a dozen on both sides of the argument, whether a pundit, fan or former player. The truth is the game was not decided by a single moment. Australia's Will Skelton of Australia (right) attempts to get past Ollie Chessum of the Lions during the second test. Photograph: David Davies/PA Wire What cost Australia the win was their inability to create meaningful chances in the second half. They came away with just three points after the break, a solitary Tom Lynagh penalty that wasn't enough to see them over the line. A familiar name for all Leinster fans, Will Skelton led from the front for the Wallabies, demonstrating how much he was missed in that first Test. With Rob Valetini as a sidekick, they battered the Lions' defensive line and created chances for teammates. Skelton drew in multiple defenders and forced the Lions to contest every ruck. The pair created chaos in the tight channels. A rugby truism is that the team that wins the gainline wins games. For all our attempts to complicate things, that basic truth never changes. You either break the line by force or finesse. And for 30 minutes, Australia did both. They used tip-on passes, back-to-back carries, and targeted the Lions' biggest players and drew them into collision. They got quick ball and, in doing so, slowed the Lions' ability to set defensively. That's the virtuous circle of rugby – win the collision, win the ruck, win the next phase. In the wide channels, Australia looked slick. Scrumhalf Jake Gordon, who had a fine game, kept changing the point of attack and mostly did it off front-foot ball. That's when the Wallabies were at their most dangerous. The try that stood out came from a breathtaking counterattack. It was the first real glimpse we got of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii with space and ball in hand. And what a sight it was. He's still new to rugby union, but there's no mistaking his talent. He's not a Sonny Bill Williams clone. Sure, he has the size, but it's his balance, footwork and feel for the game that stood out. When he tore the Lions open to set up Tom Wright's try, it felt like a turning point. I thought, 'this is it'. The Lions were rattled. Australia were ahead on the scoreboard and playing with ambition. That was the moment to push on and kill the game. But it never came. Instead, they let the Lions back in, conceding two tries in quick succession before half-time. And then, like steam escaping a valve, the momentum was gone. The Lions' Jamison Gibson-Park makes a break for it against Australia. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho Valetini didn't reappear for the second half. Skelton was effectively done after 30 minutes despite staying on for 47, having emptied the tank. When you build a game plan around two forwards, even world-class ones, you're living dangerously. The 6-2 bench split suggests the plan was to batter the Lions up front. But when the game shifted to the edges, Australia didn't adapt. That's the part that stood out most for me. The lack of in-game management. From about the 32nd minute onwards, Australia stopped trying to win the match and started trying not to lose it. You could feel it in the way they played. Their energy dipped, their ambition narrowed. And slowly, the Lions reeled them in. The Lions themselves were far from flawless. They weren't dominant and this was no vintage performance. But in the big moments, their key players showed up. Russell was relatively quiet by his standards, but when he influenced the game, it mattered. Jamison Gibson-Park grew into the contest too. The build-up to Tom Curry's try, for example, came straight from the improvisational part of JGP's brain. That's not on a play sheet. That's instinct, trust and clarity under pressure. It was also the moment the Lions took control and Australia never quite recovered. The win keeps the quest for a series shutout alive and the potential to create another storied chapter in Lions history. But it also leaves plenty of questions about where Australian rugby is really at. You can't rely on two players to carry your entire team, not against this level of opposition. And when the game flips, when your power game fades, you need leaders who can see the shift, sense the opportunity and pivot accordingly. In the end, it was the Lions who had those players who made the difference. They did so in flashes and it was nothing sustained, nor was it polished. But it was enough. And sometimes in rugby, as in life, enough really is enough. Australia had their moment, and they let it slip. The Lions took theirs and closed the door.
The 42
11 hours ago
- The 42
Andy Farrell's Squid Game and Jamie 'Showbiz' Osborne
AS THE LIONS returned to the training pitch today for the first time since their series-clinching second Test win in Melbourne, they were greeted by interesting sights and sounds. Andy Farrell sent assistant coach John Fogarty and a few other Lions staff ahead to set things up at the impressive Shore School, which overlooks the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Keen to create energy from the moment they set foot back on the pitch ahead of their shot at making it a 3-0 series whitewash against the Wallabies, Farrell had organised his own version of Squid Game. For anyone who hasn't seen the South Korean show on Netflix, it's a dystopian thriller in which hundreds of players who are desperate for money play a series of kids' games that have literally been turned into life-or-death scenarios. The last person standing wins. 'The whole field was covered in equipment,' explained Lions assistant coach Andrew Goodman today. 'The staff were dressed up in all that kit, the speakers were all set up, a bit of fun, stuff like that to get a bit of energy back in the group. 'We had a 'green light, red light,' the whole field was covered in different things they could hide behind, and they had people in the top tier keeping an eye on people. It was good craic.' Ireland and Leinster prop Thomas Clarkson was the unfortunate one to be killed off first, although Goodman didn't reveal the quick-witted winner. It's an example of how Farrell – who the Lions players call 'Big Faz,' while Owen Farrell is 'Little Faz' – is constantly looking to create good energy in his teams. 'He's always about having fun as a group,' said Goodman. 'The mini-team stuff, the little challenges he'll have at the start of meetings, there's always a bit of craic, a bit of a laugh involved. 'It keeps the boys engaged and fresh and it's not just going into a meeting where it's rugby all the time. There are little bits like that that make it enjoyable as well.' Advertisement Lions assistant coach Andrew Goodman. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Farrell is also a demanding and serious rugby coach. He has occasionally stung his Ireland players into responding to underperformances with savage reviews that question their work rate and application. And Lions captain Maro Itoje has been surprised at just how detailed Farrell's coaching is. 'Not that I thought he wasn't going to be, but he is very particular on detail and thoughtful on how the week flows which is very good from a player's point of view,' said Itoje. 'I've enjoyed the experience.' And then there is Farrell's well-known ability to deliver the right words at the right time. Ireland's players know exactly how good Farrell can be at choosing the ideal message to inspire them, something the rest of the Lions have enjoyed in recent weeks. 'He's a brilliant orator, he holds the room and is a great motivator of men,' said Itoje. 'He's quite thoughtful.' Goodman says that the key to Farrell is his relentlessness. He's not on a couple of days a week, but every single day. It has been clear throughout this tour just how much the players have been enjoying themselves. Even though they haven't been able to do a huge amount outside of rugby, Farrell has built an atmosphere in which the players have become close. In one of his early meetings, he prompted a few players to tell the group why they admired a team-mate from another country, someone they didn't fully know yet. It put people under pressure in that moment, but set a tone for how he wanted people to connect. 'I have built relationships with people I really didn't know well,' said Itoje. 'Someone like 'Showbiz', Jamie Osborne… his nickname is 'Showbiz.' I never thought I would have a relationship with him. 'I wouldn't mind the nickname Showbiz if you're going to start it, but I'm happy with Pearl, to be honest. I know now whenever I play against him in the future, I can call him Showbiz and he will have that little smirk on his face.' Andy Farrell with his family in Melbourne. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Itoje mentioned Jac Morgan, as well as the 'absolutely hilarious' and 'very endearing person' Finlay Bealham as other examples. Farrell has had lots of players on the ground in Australia, as many as 45 at one stage, but seems to have kept everyone happy and working for the betterment of the team. He has also had a big coaching staff, with six assistants working alongside him. Farrell himself is renowned as an excellent attack coach, Goodman's speciality is in that area, Richard Wigglesworth works on England's attack, and Johnny Sexton is an attack master too. But they have all worked seamlessly together, according to Goodman. 'We all muck in,' said Goodman. 'We ask questions of each other and have areas we're in charge of. 'Wiggy's doing a lot of the kicking game and counter side of things, myself on the set-piece attack into phase. 'Jonny has an eye that asks a lot of questions and is spending a lot of time with the nines and 10s. 'And Faz is over everything: effort, work, detail, driving us as coaches. He's got a great eye for attack and defence, he'll always be driving the messages.' And like the players, Goodman says this tour has been hugely beneficial for the assistant coaches. He and others know Farrell very well from the Ireland set-up, but the value of being on such a big tour in Australia is huge. 'I've really enjoyed working with different people like Wiggy and John [Dalziel, the forwards coach]. It's been great to get different views on how things work, be open to different ways and different languages, and little activities to use, etc. 'When we first got in as a group, Faz drove that really hard. He said we have to information-share, we have to be open books. That's how we get the best out of each other.' One other strength of Farrell's is that he is always all about winning. So while they might have enjoyed their Squid Game, this final Test is serious business for the Lions.
Extra.ie
11 hours ago
- Extra.ie
World Rugby chief finds Joe Schmidt's comments 'disappointing'
Joe Schmidt is set to avoid punishment from World Rugby following his comments after the British & Irish Lions win over Australia in Melbourne last Saturday. Schmidt was vexed after referee Andrea Piardi chose to stay with his on field decision to award Hugo Keenan's winning try after reviewing Jac Morgan's clear out on Carlo Tizzano. It was a decision that has clearly split the rugby world into two, with a lot of the discourse clearly being, 'Lions fans think it's fine' and 'Wallabies fans think it's not.' Joe Schmidt. Pic:Former Ireland Head Coach Joe Schmidt was staunchly on the Australia side of the argument and said after the match that Piradi's decision 'doesn't really live up to the big player safety push that they [World Rugby] are talking about.' Schmidt was obviously very upset with the decision in the aftermath of losing the test series to the Lions, but to bring World Rugby and their player safety agenda into it seemed a bit of an overreaction. What was even more peculiar was his comments were backed by Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh as the union are seemingly squaring up to World Rugby. Joe Schmidt. Pic:It was then announced that Schmidt would face no action, unlike Rassie Erasmus and Mack Hansen who have previously received punishments from World Rugby and the URC in Hansen's case. Speaking at an event revealing ticketing details for the 2027 World Cup, World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin hit back at Schmidt's comments. 'I think it is disappointing when the reaction is one of, 'this means player welfare isn't taken seriously'', Gilpin said at the event in Sydney. Alan Gilpin. Pic: Mark Metcalfe – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images 'We have worked really hard on that narrative. Everyone knows we are putting player welfare, in its broadest sense, at the top of the agenda. 'You can see that from what we are doing with the instrumented mouthguards, all the research, the science, the investigations. 'The way the laws of the game have evolved in the last few years is all about, 'How do we have this great physical contest, but make it as safe as possible?'.' Joe Schmidt during the Australia rugby squad captain's run. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Schmidt and the Wallabies have a chance to avoid a whitewash this Saturday as they face the British & Irish Lions in the third and final test in Sydney with kick-off at 11am.
