Live updates: First Nations Pasifika XV vs British and Irish Lions at Docklands stadium
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ABC News
7 minutes ago
- ABC News
Wallabies show fight in 29-26 loss to British and Irish Lions in second Test
For players, coaches and supporters, honourable defeats are hard to take. In a three-Test series — such as the one being played out between the Wallabies, and the British and Irish Lions — only wins, draws and losses are recorded. Knowing the Wallabies came close in their 29-26 loss to the Lions in the second Test at the MCG, having led until the final minute, coach Joe Schmidt won't be satisfied with the result. He will certainly have difficulty in processing how his troops coughed up an 18-point lead late in the first half. But Schmidt can't fault the effort of the Wallabies, who showed they had learned from the mistakes they made in the 27-19 loss to the Lions in the first Test in Brisbane. All week, they were being told they needed more physicality and aggression on both sides of the ball to match the Lions, and the renewed intent from the Wallabies was clear to see early. Will Skelton and Rob Valetini — both absent from the first Test because of calf injuries — were busy with ball-carries in attack, a key reason Schmidt was desperate to see them return. And Tom Lynagh nailed his brief from the kicking tee, capitalising on the Lions' ill-discipline with two penalty goals to establish a 6-0 lead after 11 minutes of play. But any momentum the Wallabies gained from their positive start was soon halted. After a Jack Conan try was disallowed due to a loose carry, the Lions crossed the stripe in the 15th minute when Dan Sheehan took a tap from a close-range penalty and bullied his way over the goal line. It was the sort of try parents would see every weekend, when watching their children play in the underage groups, and a telling reminder of how powerful the Lions forwards are with their hit-ups. The Wallabies' resolve was challenged at this moment and their supporters sitting in the stands — amid the 'Sea of Red' — could have been forgiven if they thought the Lions were about to take a stranglehold on the proceedings. The home side's predicament wasn't helped either when winger Harry Potter was forced from the field due to injury. Schmidt's decision to select a 6-2 (six forwards, two backs) bench was now under the spotlight, as he had only picked a scrum-half (Tate McDermott) and utility playmaker (Ben Donaldson) on his back reserves. Bizarrely at the time, he opted to play McDermott on the wing, instead of sending Donaldson into the fray and reshuffling his backline. Pundits had no time to debate the merits of Schmidt's decision, as the Wallabies switched gears and scored three unanswered tries in the space of eight minutes. Loose-head James Slipper was the first to score, with the Wallabies employing the 'pick and go' tactic that served them well when they launched their second-half fightback in Brisbane. The Lions' cause took another blow immediately after Slipper dotted down in the left corner, with winger Tommy Freeman shown a yellow card for cynical play in defence. Fourteen players on 15 for 10 minutes is a scenario every team wants to avoid, and the Wallabies made the Lions pay. Scrum-half Jake Gordon took advantage of the Lions' lazy ruck defence to dart over for a try, before a brilliant attacking set-play saw fullback Tom Wright touch down. After 30 minutes, the scoreboard read 23-5 in the Wallabies' favour … where was this ruthlessness a week ago? And did the Lions have any tricks up their sleeve to work their way back into the contest? Fortunately for the Lions and their hordes of supporters, all they needed was possession. They showed how dangerous they are with ball in hand to score back-to-back tries through Tom Curry and Huw Jones to cut the Wallabies' lead to 23-17 by half-time. It wasn't Schmidt showing a lack of appreciation for the Wallabies' first-half display when he made three changes to his forward pack at the break. Off went Valetini, Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa, and on came Langi Gleeson, Tom Robertson and Angus Bell. Injecting three reserves was the luxury Schmidt enjoyed by naming a forward-heavy bench and by the 49th minute Skelton was given an early mark. Interestingly, Lions coach Andy Farrell was keeping his powder dry, having decided to hold off sending reinforcements onto the field. Had Schmidt gone to his bench too soon? For the moment, it seemed inspired as the Wallabies began dominating territory as they had midway through the first half. An attacking raid had the Lions defence on the back foot, before the tourists gave away a penalty to allow Lynagh to stretch the Wallabies' lead to 26-17. By the 55th minute, Farrell had begun to make changes to his on-field XV and the fresh legs had the desired effect. Following a Bundee Aki midfield break, the Lions marched their way deep inside the Wallabies' 22 and barged over for a try on the left flank, scored by Tadhg Beirne. Finn Russell slotted the extras from just inside the touchline, reducing the Wallabies' lead to two points with 20 minutes on the clock. Stoically, the Wallabies maintained their narrow scoreboard advantage until the 80th minute of the match. With the Lions on the attack inside opposition 22, the Wallabies defence grimly held on until the dam wall busted in the form of Hugo Keenan scoring on the left flank. A layer of tension was subsequently added when the match officials and TMO wanted to review the lead-up play to Keenan's try. But the try stood and courtesy of the late score, the Lions had clinched an unassailable 2-0 series lead. Honourable defeats should hurt, but the Wallabies can't be accused of not trying.
News.com.au
33 minutes ago
- News.com.au
AFL world stunned by truly bizarre scenes as Port star Miles Bergman kicks it the wrong way
Port Adelaide star Miles Bergman has made an all-time howler, inexplicably kicking the ball the wrong way off the opening bounce. In a truly bizarre start to Saturday night's showdown between Port Adelaide and Adelaide, the 23-year-old latched onto the loose ball in the opening seconds and hoofed it downfield. The only problem is that he kicked it in the completely wrong direction. To make matters worse, it landed straight into the grateful lap of Adelaide forward Darcy Fogarty. setting him up for an easy shot at goal. 'He's kicked it the wrong way. This is hard to believe,' Dwayne Russell said in Fox Sports commentary. 'I've never seen a professional do that. That is incredible. 'Imagine Neil Armstrong saying, 'Sorry, boys, I think I've gone the wrong way'.' But incredibly, from right in front, the ever-consistent Fogarty then missed the easy chance. 'This just might set the scene for something quite extraordinary. So we've had a 60-metre wrong kick, and then Darcy Fogarty, who never misses, just slides one to the right,' AFL legend Garry Lyon added. Around the ground, the crowd was equally stunned. 'I tell you what, guys, the crowd down here were absolutely stunned as well, not just you guys,' Shaun Burgoyne said. 'But they didn't know what we were actually watching, just then.' While fans were also quick to give it to Bergman online. 'That is unforgivable. What a Wally,' one fan wrote. 'Opening clearance of the Showdown and Miles Bergman delivers a perfect pass … to Darcy Fogarty in Adelaide's forward line. Horror first moment, got completely confused,' another said. While a third wrote: 'You'd think he might pay attention to which way we are going! Sums up our season'.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Scary': Nathan Cleary move puts NRL on notice as Panthers purr to seven straight
Nathan Cleary is back and in a big way. Everything Cleary touched turned to gold on Saturday as Penrith leapfrogged the Broncos into fifth spot on the NRL ladder with a dominant 36-2 win at home over the Tigers. The Panthers have now won seven in a row and are in the hunt for the all-important top four place, an incredible feat considering they were languishing in last spot only two months ago. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. But it was seeing their No. 7 back with the kicking tee in hand and without strapping that had Panthers fans believing a fifth straight premiership is a real possibility. Cleary was at his masterful best in Saturday's win, setting up three tries while he returned to the goalkicking duties and didn't miss any of his six attempts. The halfback hasn't kicked goals for Penrith since the round 14 win over the Tigers due to a groin injury, but being back with the tee suggests that niggling injury is now in a rear-view mirror. The 27-year-old moved freely as he tore the Tigers to shreds, creating line breaks at will with his acceleration and ball-playing mastery. 'There are a few teams in the NRL getting nervous watching that,' Andrew Voss said in Fox commentary as Cleary rang rings around the hapless Tigers. While the reigning premiers now set their sights on a top-four finish, rivals should be worried because next week, for the first time in 2025, they will be at full strength. And their form turnaround has many wondering, they can't do it again, can they? 'Penrith are travelling better than anyone in the competition other than maybe the Raiders,' Greg Alexander said in Fox commentary. Voss added: 'Rivals should be worried, very worried'. Tigers back to the drawing board The Tigers aren't the first team to have been strangled out of the contest by Penrith, but Benji Marshall will be disappointed with his side's inability to conjure anything in attack. Taylan May was held up early, and Starford Toa scooped up a loose ball, but he had no support on a night they failed to register a single line break. Their only points came from a penalty goal to open the scoring, with halfback Latu Fainu only running once before he was taken off as Sunia Turuva carted it up 25 times from the back. They don't have the squad to match it with Penrith's grinding tactics, which is why fans will be hoping they return to the free-flowing footy that works so well for them. Last week's win over the Titans gave them some breathing space in a bid to avoid the wooden spoon, but Gold Coast's win across the ditch means the Tigers are just two points clear of bottom spot.
