Nic White puts Australia retirement on hold to answer SOS for South Africa tour
Australia's
Rugby Championship
squad for the tour of
South Africa
following an injury to regular number nine Jake Gordon.
The 35-year-old White had declared the third and final
British and Irish Lions
Test in Sydney would be his last international match but on Thursday he was included in
Joe Schmidt's
35-man squad for South Africa.
Uncapped scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan will join 73-Test White in the squad for next week's clash against the world champions in Johannesburg and the second Test in Cape Town on August 23rd.
Outhalf Tom Lynagh will miss the tour, though, after the injury he picked up while being cleared out of a ruck by Lions Skipper Dan Sheehan in the Wallabies' 22-12 win in Sydney and subsequently failing a head injury assessment. Sheehan subsequently received a four-week ban, which will be reduced to three subject to the Ireland and Leinster player successfully completing a coaching intervention course.
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Tane Edmed replaces Lynagh in the squad, joining Ben Donaldson and James O'Connor among the outhalf options.
Edmed's call-up caps a rollercoaster year for the 24-year-old whose Test debut against Ireland last November lasted three minutes before being forced off field with concussion.
He had a miserable Super Rugby season with the New South Wales Waratahs, falling down the outhalf pecking order under coach Dan McKellar before announcing a switch to the ACT Brumbies next year.
For all that, Edmed said he had not lost faith he would eventually find his way back to the Wallabies.
'I've been in close contact with Joe [Schmidt] and the coaches, and they've always said 'stay ready',' he told reporters on Thursday.
'And despite the Super competition probably not going the way I would have liked, I always felt like I was a chance.'
With Allan Alaalatoa injured, uncapped prop Aidan Ross gets a chance.
Schmidt also recalled uncapped winger Corey Toole while adding the Queensland trio of centre Josh Flook, hooker Josh Nasser and lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto among the new faces.
Prop Taniela Tupou and hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, a late inclusion for the third Lions test, were retained.
Australia squad
Backs:
Ben Donaldson, Tane Edmed, Josh Flook, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Ryan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, James O'Connor, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Corey Toole, Nic White, Tom Wright.
Forwards:
Angus Bell, Nick Champion De Crespigny, Billy Pollard, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Carlo Tizzano, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, James Slipper, Jeremy Williams, Josh Nasser, Langi Gleeson, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Nick Frost, Rob Valetini, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper, Tom Robertson, Will Skelton, Zane Nonggorr, Aidan Ross
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Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
How will the Lions tour impact Ireland's rugby philosophy?
As Andy Farrell and his Irish coaches return to their day jobs with the IRFU , questions inevitably turn to what they might have learned with the Lions . Cynical views of the Irish-dominated tour focus on Farrell using the opportunity to both mine information and develop players in a way that benefits Ireland . Such a narrative is disrespectful, discounting as it does the importance of the Lions as a standalone entity. Still, there is no doubt that, in a number of areas, there is plenty of intellectual property returning to Irish shores. How Farrell and co have gone about their business, and what they learned from Australia's attempts to counteract them, offer an intriguing window into how his rugby philosophy, and with it Ireland's fortunes, might develop from here. Here are some of the main statistical takeaways from the tour. READ MORE S tyle s w i n f i ght s Much has been made in recent months of a shift in Ireland's style of play. The days of intricate phase-play attack, with carry after carry being used to break down a defence, aren't gone. But they are numbered. Ireland used to dominate attacking volume numbers; more carries, more passes than the opposition. That is no longer the case. The blueprint of successful knockout rugby has been adopted. South Africa won two World Cups offering minuscule attacking output, kicking plenty and relying on their defence. While not copying them to the nth degree, Leinster have tried a similar ploy in order to end their knockout hoodoo. It worked (to a point) as the United Rugby Championship crown was secured. Ireland are back at the World Cup. How will they fare? Listen | 23:53 What, then, of the Lions? There's no way Ireland would shift their attacking gameplan without Farrell's input, even if he wasn't around during the Six Nations as Simon Easterby held the fort. Sure enough, the Lions adopted a similar mantra. In all three Tests down under, Farrell's side were happy playing with less of the ball - Australia averaged 131 carries per game, the Lions 99. The tourists also had a lower kick-to-pass ratio, meaning they kicked more often than the Wallabies. When attacking volume diminishes in bigger games, it can be argued that efficiency then becomes rugby's most important stat. In the first two Tests, the Lions and Australia had virtually the same figure for points per 22 entry. In the final Test, which Australia won, they were comfortably more efficient, notching 2.7 points per entry vs 1.5. In big games, the side that attacks less, kicks more but is more efficient with the opportunities they do get tends to win. The third Test, which Australia won while being both more efficient and dominant in terms of attacking volume, is difficult to analyse. This is because the Lions had already won the series, while the lightning delay also played a part in Sydney. None of the above dispels the modern trend pioneered by the Springboks which is now seeping into Irish rugby. Expect Farrell, after using a similar pragmatic game plan with the best players in the home nations, to double down with Ireland. Australia were relived to have Will Skelton back for the second Test, even if in-game statistics point to them doing all right without him. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho B i g b o pper s Simple narratives are sometimes dispelled by the data. Occasionally, they are backed up by the numbers. As the Test series progressed, analysis focused on the impact of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini in Test number two, and later Taniela Tupou in the final game. Once Australia got back their power athletes, they presented a greater threat. In some ways, the numbers don't really back this up. Skelton carried for 12 metres in the 47 minutes of rugby his body allowed in Test one, and then 16 the week after. In Tupou's lone Test, he made 19 metres. 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Mack Hansen did not feature in the Tests but reminded Andy Farrell of just how effective he is during the Lions' tour matches in Australia. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Return o f the Mack Of all the Ireland players first called into the Lions squad by Farrell, Mack Hansen may have been the most relieved. While many weren't surprised that the Connacht wing made the cut due to the respect he has earned from the Ireland and Lions coach, some questioned if he had the requisite game time to build up form. Injuries have been a problem in the last 18 months. A dislocated shoulder meant he missed the 2024 Six Nations. This year, he played in three of Ireland's five championship matches, while his last Connacht appearance of the campaign came in April. If there were questions on Hansen's form and fitness heading into the tour, he resolutely answered them once he reached Australia. A narrative emerged that, had he not suffered another injury while on tour, he could have pushed Tommy Freeman for the Test 14 jersey. The numbers back up this assertion as Hansen ranks highly in a number of attacking categories. Of all the players capped by the Lions on this tour, he ranked fifth for defenders beaten (12), first for line breaks (eight), fifth for metres made (234), joint first for try assists (three) and fourth for line-break assists (four). That he only clocked 277 minutes on tour, ranked 23rd in the Lions squad, shows his impact in an injury-limited window. Caveats may apply given Hansen only appeared against tour opposition and not in the Test matches. Nevertheless, with Tommy O'Brien turning into a selection threat given his form on the right wing for Leinster and Ireland while on tour of Georgia and Portugal, Hansen appears to have timed his return to form nicely.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Matt Williams: Never mind the naysayers, the Lions tour of Australia was a big success
Loud voices from the north have been arguing that this has not been a great Lions team and that Australia is unworthy to host future Lions tours. As the former head coach of rugby at the Australian Institute of Sport, the great Brian 'Boxhead' O'Shea, would tell me: 'Just because people are loud and aggressive does not make them right.' Here are some facts from the last five Lions tours that expose many of the falsehoods being tossed about by those loud and aggressive voices. Examination of the average amount of points the Lions scored on their past five tours tells us that this Australian tour has not been a walkover for the Lions. READ MORE On their 2009 tour of South Africa, the average points scored by the Lions during their tour games (that is, not a Test match) was 37. In the Test matches against the Springboks, the average points scored was 25. In Australia in 2013, the tour games averaged 46 and the Tests 26. 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From day one of this tour, a false narrative has been pushed from the north that ignores facts. It attempted to create the perception that Australian rugby was so far beneath the standards of the combined strength of the north that they are not worthy of a full Lions tour. They never let the truth get in the way of some good old-fashioned Aussie bashing and the Wallabies have proved them all wrong. The Lions won the series and, counter-intuitively, ignited a Wallaby resurgence. Financially, the game has been saved in Oz and the four home unions have cash bulging from their pockets. A Lions tour doesn't get much better than that. Here is one truth that you can bank on. The Lions will be back in Australia in 2037.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Conor Murray: After sharing their playbook with the Lions, now it's time for Ireland to evolve
This Lions tour will not automatically benefit Irish rugby . You have to earn everything, all over again. In theory, a record number of Ireland players and coaches coming off a successful series bodes well for the 2027 World Cup back in Australia. In reality, two years feels like a decade to most athletes. Anything can happen, and it usually does. All the players want now is an uninterrupted break, far away from anyone who knows anything about rugby. They want to spent time with their family and friends, without the daily routine of buses, training and airports. READ MORE They want to stop sharing a hotel room with another grown man. I bet the players will miss Aled Walters' intense yet entertaining sessions. Lads love going to the gym when Aled is holding court. Andy Farrell and Simon Easterby used to pop down to watch the best S&C coach in the business do his thing. It might be August already but next season is not on the agenda. Never mind the 2027 World Cup. We wrongly presumed that winning a Grand Slam in 2018, followed by the series win in Australia and going unbeaten through the calendar year (when we had the All Blacks' number in November) would drive Ireland into the 2019 World Cup. There are no guarantees in elite sport, particularly international rugby. Remember how good the Wallabies were at Twickenham last year, and how poor they were in the first Test in Brisbane before finding their sea legs in the second and third Tests. If we flipped the schedule on its head, people would be calling it one of the great Lions tours. The players who benefited the most, from an Irish perspective, are Jamie Osborne and Tom Clarkson . Neither made the match day squad when Northampton beat Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final last May. Thomas Clarkson and Jamie Osborne after the Lions' win over the First Nations & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Two months later they are Lions. Osbourne is a natural footballer who excels at fullback or centre. There are serious players ahead of him, like Hugo Keenan , Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw , but I suspect Osborne will find a way into the Ireland team sooner rather than later. Same goes for Clarkson. Dan Sheehan was the star on tour. Nothing fazes him. I remember when Rónan Kelleher first came into Ireland camp. He had all the tools a world-class hooker needed. And then Sheehan arrived a year or so later and kicked down the door. Now they are a pair of interchangeable Lions test hookers. Some going. Most of all, I was delighted for Tadhg Beirne to be named player of the series. I know early on tour he was worried about making the Test 23. And not because of external opinions – he was not hitting the standards he expected of himself. He set the tone after 16 seconds in Brisbane with a trademark jackal over Joseph Suaalii. Penalty. 3-0. The Lions never really looked back. Beirne has a habit of getting his hands on opposition ball when they are threatening to cut open our defence. He did it in the URC final in South Africa two years ago. He does it every other week at Thomond Park. Tadhg Beirne in action for the Lions during the second Test against the Wallabies at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho I expect Sheehan and Beirne to be shortlisted for world player of the year. Ireland can be a better for this Lions tour. Of course they can. They can evolve from 2023 into an even better team in 2027, that are capable of… I better not start making predictions in the middle of a World Cup cycle! We also need to accept that Farrell and the other Irish coaches weren't holding back on the Lions tour. From the expertise of Easterby's coaching to Garry Keegan's focus on performance, Jac Morgan will bring a wealth of information back to the Ospreys and the Welsh camp in November. But so will Joe McCarthy after partnering Maro Itoje in the second row. The only way the Lions can work is when every player and coach, from the four countries involved, are open to sharing ideas. The Scots and English return home with precise details about how an Andy Farrell team will attack and defend. Ireland will have to evolve. But that was always going to be the case. Lads are not getting any younger. Having said that, I started this column last month by waxing lyrical about Jamison Gibson-Park . He did not disappoint. To my mind, even at 33, Jamo is the Ireland scrumhalf through the next World Cup. Craig Casey during Ireland's captain's run ahead of the game against Portugal in Lisbon last month. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Sure, Craig Casey and others will challenge him for the nine jersey. Casey captained Ireland this summer, he won't take his foot off the gas. Ben Murphy had an unbelievable season for Connacht. Fintan Gunne, the Leinster young fella, looks fairly decent. Nathan Doak in Ulster too. Paddy Patterson, with more opportunities, can show how much of a threat he is around the ruck. Paddy's quick, and so agile. My suspicion is that a 16- or 17-year-old from a hurling area or one of the Leinster schools will burst through in the next few years. We don't know his name yet, but this Lions tour has inspired him to become a professional. To improve his weaker side. To head into the back field by himself to perfect box kicks until it's too dark to see the ball. From an Aussie perspective, the hope is that Joe Schmidt used the Lions series to ready his players for victory over South Africa at Ellis Park next Saturday, to win back the Bledisloe Cup after 23 years and to be contenders for a World Cup on their own grass when Less Kiss takes over as head coach. If Schmidt has done anything for the game in Australia, he revived a belief that used to be ingrained in every Wallaby.
