Farrell 'expects different Australia next week'
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt confirmed key forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini will be available for the second Test after missing the Brisbane opener with calf injuries.Skelton and Valetini will bring extra physicality, vital experience and a significant ball-carrying threat.Australia looked dead and buried after falling 24-5 behind early in the second half, but they responded well to close the gap."We fought our way back into the game," said Schmidt. "If we could get within one score, you never know what could have happened."I'm not saying the Lions didn't deserve to win it because they did on the balance on what they did in the first half."I'm very proud of the way the players fought their way back. This time last year we would probably have melted, so I love the way this team is developing."
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North Wales Chronicle
17 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Andy Farrell pleased with the Lions after win but warns Australia will respond
The Lions head to Melbourne for the second Test knowing they have the beating of the Wallabies after dominating the Suncorp Stadium opener for 50 minutes with Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Curry and Dan Sheehan touching down. But Australia were far more competitive in the final half-hour to give them hope of levelling the series and Farrell evoked memories of 2013 to guard against any complacency from his players. Twelve years ago Warren Gatland's team took a 1-0 lead in the series by winning in Brisbane only to lose the second Test in Melbourne. They then clinched the Sydney decider. 'We do take encouragement from the display, but at the same time we know what is coming,' head coach Farrell said. 'We know what happened in the second half here and we roll into the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013. 'When an Australia team becomes desperate, it is difficult to handle, so we expect a different game next weekend. 'Not only was this Australia's second game and they'll be much better because of that, but also because of what it means to them and how proud they are. It'll mean the world to them. 'We need to make sure we are ready for them to be at their best. It will take a better performance than what we've shown here to make sure we get a win next week.' At the heart of the Lions' forward dominance stood flankers Curry and Tadhg Beirne, who were forces of nature at the breakdown and in contact. Neither player had excelled during the previous tour fixtures and were picked for the first Test because of their big-game temperaments, resulting in criticism of their selection. Curry's presence kept out Jac Morgan, the only Welshman in the squad. 'I read all that, it was interesting wasn't it? They were immense, absolutely immense,' Farrell said. 'Tom Curry put in some really nice shots defensively and Tadhg Beirne got the turnover very early doors and set the tone. It didn't stop there, it carried on the same for the whole game.' Farrell revealed that second row Joe McCarthy and fly-half Finn Russell left the field in the second half because of plantar fasciitis and cramp respectively. Australia boss Joe Schmidt confirmed that hard-running forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini will be available for the second Test after siting out the Brisbane opener with calf injuries. Schmidt added: 'We fought our way back into the game. If we could get within one score, you never know what could have happened. 'I'm not saying the Lions didn't deserve to win it because they did on the balance on what they did in the first half. 'I'm very proud of the way the players fought their way back. This time last year we would probably have melted, so I love the way this team is developing.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Jessica Hull breaks Australian mile record at London Diamond League meet
Jessica Hull has gone record hunting again, smashing her own Australian and Oceanian mile marks but still having to settle for second best at a star-studded Diamond League meeting in London. While Hull and high jumper Eleanor Patterson grabbed runners-up spots at the London Stadium to lead the Australian challenge in front of a 60,000 full house on Saturday, it also proved a landmark day for Newcastle's Rose Davies who obliterated her own national and Oceanian 5000m marks while finishing third. But on another promising afternoon for Australia's athletes, as they started building their preparations for the Tokyo World Championships, there was a setback for young miling sensation Cam Myers, whose promising bid in the meeting-concluding 1500m ended with an on-track bump. Olympic metric mile silver medallist Hull's eyes must have lit up when Gudaf Tsegay seemed to be setting a suicidal pace in the mile, but as the Wollongong ace moved up to her shoulder, Ethiopia's former double world champ found an extra gear to win comfortably in a new national record 4min 11.88sec. Hull's substantial consolation was to lower her own Oceanian mark to 4:13.68. 'I had a lot of distractions, but was just trying to zone into the leader in the second half, but it was a solid run,' said Hull. 'Coming in, we were thinking I could run a national record, and I did. I would have liked to have been a little closer to 4:10, but I felt very strong for 4:13. 'A lot of records fell today, so it was a pretty special to be a part of that race.' Earlier on Saturday, Davies clocked 14:31.45 for third behind the Ethiopian duo of Medina Eisa (14:30.57) and Fantaye Belayneh (14:30.90), her run eclipsing her previous national mark of 14:40.83, set in China in April, by more than nine seconds. Georgia Griffith finished fifth in a huge new personal best 14:32.82 to also smash the former record. 'I was ready for a big race and felt like I responded to the challenge today,' said Davies. 'My expectations were a PB (personal best) and I have achieved that so I am really pleased.' Former world champ Patterson was surprised her 1.93 metre clearance was enough to earn her the silver as even Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh had an off-day, allowing British home hope Morgan Lake to win with a 1.96m leap. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion 'I am very honoured to be known as 'Miss Consistent' as it reflects my aim to be consistently jumping well,' said Patterson. 'Today doesn't quite match up to it -- but if 1.93 is a bad day and second I can't be too mad about it' Myers, the 19-year-old Canberran phenomenon who's had a stunning year in the senior ranks already while finishing runner-up in Oslo's Dream Mile, looked ready for the next step as he moved sweetly into contention on the final lap of the metric mile. But about to make his move in fourth, he and Briton George Mills clipped heels, taking each other out of contention, and Myers ended up limping home way down in 13th place in 4:24.03, wondering what might have been as another teenage superstar, Kenya's Phanuel Koech, won in the fastest time ever seen in the UK, 3:28.82. International highlight of the day may have been Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred smashing her own national St Lucian record while running the fastest 200m in the world this year (21.71sec). Australian hope Torrie Lewis couldn't live with that, finishing last in 23.05.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
NRL coach Shane Flanagan lashes out at officials over 'outrageous' call that may have cost Dragons finals
An enraged Shane Flanagan believes some 'wrong' refereeing decisions in St George Illawarra's loss to Canterbury may have cost the Dragons a spot in the NRL finals. Flanagan was as angry as any coach in a post-match press conference this season on Saturday night, taking particular aim at two calls from the final minutes of the 20-18 defeat in Homebush. 'I was really proud of the effort they put in and the way they played, but the game was taken away from us from I believe wrong decisions,' the Dragons coach said. Flanagan was incensed that the Bulldogs used their captain's challenge to earn a penalty with five minutes left after the bunker ruled Luciano Leilua had interfered in the ruck as Jacob Kiraz played the ball. The coach accused Kiraz of ball-planting, an illegal move when a player puts the ball on the ground and attempts to play it without regaining their footing. 'The Luciano Leilua decision was outrageous,' Flanagan said. 'He's got to get to his feet before he plants the ball. 'You can't be falling sideways. You can't ball-plant ... but tonight we ball-planted and we lost the game because of it.' As the Bulldogs attacked the line on the back of their penalty, Flanagan thought Viliame Kikau batted the ball into Tyrell Sloan as he attempted a quick pass on the left edge. But the possible knock-on was missed and the Bulldogs continued to attack the line, with Lachlan Galvin throwing the match-winning pass for Jethro Rinakama to score moments later. 'Kikau passes the ball, hit Sloan and goes forward, so in the collision that's a knock-on. Ever since 100 years, that's a knock-on and that was at the 78-minute mark,' he said. The Saints are set to finish the weekend three wins behind eighth spot, their NRL finals hopes now relying on mathematical possibilities. To finish the season with a winning record, they must claim victory in all of their last seven games - and they face Penrith, Canberra, Cronulla and the Warriors in that stretch. 'They're trying so hard,' Flanagan said. 'They're a good side the Bulldogs, they compete hard, but it was some decisions tonight that cost us two competition points and could cost us an opportunity to play semi-finals.' Flanagan confirmed he would seek clarity from the NRL about the decisions. 'I'll go through those channels, but in the end we don't get these two competition points,' he said.
