Wallabies' task to surf Sea of Red to relevancy
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Canberra Times
13 hours ago
- Canberra Times
Wallabies' task to surf Sea of Red to relevancy
But unlikely captain Harry Wilson, who until last year spent seasons in the Test wilderness after surging to a debut as a 20-year-old rookie, wants to take the chance to join John Eales as a Lion tamer.
7NEWS
a day ago
- 7NEWS
Brave Wallabies fall short in first Test against British and Irish Lions in Brisbane
The Wallabies have scrambled late in a 27-19 first Test loss after the British and Irish Lions threatened a Brisbane mauling. Twelve years on from their last Test on Australian soil, it took the visitors just 22 seconds to hit the lead. Joe Schmidt's side then conceded after 10 minutes and scrambled desperately to limit the damage in a thunderous Lions first half. The lead swelled to 24-5 after 42 minutes before the hosts controlled the contest, late tries to replacements Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott restoring order ahead of a must-win Melbourne Test next Saturday. Earlier, the hosts had looked indecisive and impatient as Brisbane again proved a happy hunting ground for a Lions team unbeaten in the city. Prop Tadhg Beirne was player of the match while flyhalf Finn Russell, flanker Tom Curry and prop Ellis Genge were the other tormentors in front of a 52,229-strong Suncorp Stadium crowd, mostly drenched in Lions red. Max Jorgensen scored the Wallabies' only first-half points, pinching a Jake Gordon box kick and racing 22 metres to score against the run of play. The Lions were up 3-0 when Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was penalised for not releasing with his first touch from the second phase of play and they took the points. An Australian crossed in the ninth minute, but unfortunately for the Wallabies it was Scottish captain Sione Tuipulota, who left Melbourne via Japan six years ago and on Saturday became the first Australian-born Lion to play a Test since 1910. The centre was involved again soon after, shifting the ball left before James Lowe palmed off Jorgensen and setting up Huw Jones. Jones' try was disallowed though, replays showing Jorgensen had a hold of Jones' leg when he attempted to play on and score. Curry barged over before halftime in a blow for the desperate Wallabies, who had scrambled so well to limit the damage. There was no respite though, the Lions finding open spaces almost from kick-off before Dan Sheehan touched down in the right corner for a 24-5 lead. Any faint hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Suaalii was denied what had been initially adjudged a try when he'd rolled over the line without releasing the ball. They really knew it wasn't their night when captain Harry Wilson's neat in-behind grubber kick took a nasty turn just as winger Harry Potter was poised to score an opportunistic try. Lynagh was busy in 60 minutes in his first Test start, taking on the line early then mopping up indecision and getting hammered in the air by Curry while catching a bomb. Curry escaped a card for that offence, just as Tadhg Furlong did despite making high contact on Suaalii in the ruck. A Wallabies penalty soon after drew Bronx cheers from the capacity crowd, only for the hosts to immediately cough the ball up anyway. A sharper final 30 minutes will give Schmidt plenty to ponder ahead of Melbourne, where crucial pair Rob Valetini and Will Skelton will likely be fully recovered from calf niggles.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Lions quest for clean sweep of brave Wallabies on track
The British and Irish Lions' quest for a 3-0 Test series domination of the Wallabies for the first time in 121 years remains in play. It is not just the result of the opening Test at Suncorp Stadium, a 27-19 win by the Lions, but the fact there is still a lot of improvement left in the visitors after it appeared they would run away with Saturday night's match. They led 24-5 in the 42nd minute before the Wallabies found their mojo and dominated the rest of the game. Coach Andy Farrell said before the match that his squad was in a "good place" and referred to the fact he was able to leave out star back-rowers Jac Morgan and Henry Pollock, who did make his final 23 for the Brisbane Test. Farrell won the World Club Challenge with Wigan Warriors in 1994 in rugby league against Brisbane in the Queensland capital, but said winning this Test would be "bigger". It would be another level to win 3-0, like the famous 1904 Lions side, but his team is more than capable. The southern end of Suncorp Stadium was a sea of red and in full voice. It may as well have been Wembley, with the loudest support for the away side. They had plenty to cheer about. The Lions were just too powerful in the opening half. Prop Ellis Genge and flanker Tom Curry were steamrollers early, and the Wallabies had no answer. The Lions would have been in a dominant position earlier, but they had not reckoned on the heroics of Wallabies winger Max Jorgensen. Jorgensen hung on with dear life after a great chase to deny Lions centre Huw Jones a try, then scored at the other end after a wonder leap to snare a bomb, followed by a 25m burst. Those highlights were few and far between for the Wallabies as the Lions dominated, with No.10 Finn Russell controlling play with his boot and sublime passing game. There was a moment to savour for 28-year-old Melbourne-born inside centre Sione Tuipolotu, who scored the opening try of the series for the Lions. The former Rebels star qualified for Scotland through a grandmother from Greenock, and had a return to his country of birth to remember. Tuipolotu had a blinder and put forward a strong claim to stay there for the rest of the series. If not for handling errors, the wasteful visitors would have piled on more points. Pollock lit the fuse before the Test by saying the Lions would be satisfied with nothing less than a clean sweep, and that goal is certainly within their grasp, but the Wallabies showed it would be no easy feat.
