
Kefu calls on Wallabies forwards to go berserk against Lions
Joe Schmidt's Wallabies head to Brisbane's Lang Park on Saturday missing key players through injury and face a formidable Lions outfit that has won all five tour matches in the country.
However, former Australia number eight Kefu, who played in the 2-1 series win over the Lions in 2001, says the Wallabies have all the ammunition they need to upset Andy Farrell's team.
"The biggest motivating factor for these players are they are huge underdogs," Kefu told Reuters.
"The Lions haven't been beaten on our soil yet. They've pretty much manhandled most of our teams.
"What bigger motivation as a player, to play one of the most iconic teams in the world who are on a huge roll and everyone's expecting you to lose? What bigger motivation can you have?
"As a player, you would just go crazy and absolutely go mental, wouldn't you?"
The Wallabies are missing their chief enforcer in loose forward Rob Valetini, ruled out with a calf injury.
Uncapped flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny has big shoes to fill in place of Valetini in the back row.
Never one to take a backwards step in his 60-test playing career, Kefu encouraged De Crespigny to live up to the billing of his teammate Fraser McReight, who praised the new boy as a "psycho" in the contest.
"That's what we need," said Kefu.
"We need eight psychos up front, absolute lunatics. That's the way we need to approach the game -- without being too crazy and giving away penalties.
"We need to go a little bit mental."
Kefu will face the Lions from the coach's box on Tuesday when he guides the First Nations-Pasifika XV in a tour match at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium.
Kefu's preparations suffered a late blow with former Wallabies loose forward Pete Samu, who has Samoan heritage, ruled out of the match due to an eligibility problem.
Kefu said the Lions' management had objected to Samu's selection despite representations made by Rugby Australia (RA).
A Lions spokesperson said only eligible players, as agreed by both sides as part of the tour agreement, could play in the game.
An RA spokesperson said the governing body had hoped Samu would play.
The selection wrangle comes a few weeks after Lions chief executive Ben Calveley demanded Australia field their most competitive teams to help the tourists prepare for the Wallabies series, and for "fans, partners and broadcasters".
A disappointed Kefu said he was surprised the Lions would insist on Samu's omission.
"Bloody hell, I thought they would have wanted the strongest competition," added the 51-year-old. "He really wanted to play as well. He would have started for us."
(This story has been refiled to fix the spelling of berserk in the headline)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
Ruthless Australia deny Russell a winning farewell
July 22 (Reuters) - West Indies stalwart Andre Russell was denied a winning farewell after Josh Inglis and Cameron Green smashed unbeaten half-centuries to secure Australia's eight-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 International on Tuesday. Put into bat, West Indies managed 172-8 as opener Brandon King topscored with a breezy 51 and Russell smashed 36 off 15 balls in his final knock in international cricket. Australia's Inglis (78) and Green (56) then pulverised the West Indies attack in an unbroken 131-run partnership to complete the chase in 15.2 overs, putting the tourists 2-0 ahead in the five-match series. West Indies did not help their own cause by spilling six catches. "I'm very grateful to end my career here playing in front of my own crowd, family and friends," Russell said. "The result didn't go my way, but at the end of the day, I'm happy, I'm grateful. "I wish the boys all the very best, and I wish them luck moving forward," added the 37-year-old two-time World Cup winner. Australia sprang a surprise by asking Glenn Maxwell (12) to open the innings with skipper Mitchell Marsh (21) but the ploy did not pay off, both departing caught behind inside six overs. However, Inglis smashed five sixes in an unbeaten 33-ball blitz, while Green's second successive fifty of the series included four of them. "I think I felt like I managed the tempo pretty well at times," player of the match Inglis said. "After probably being a bit lucky early being dropped, I felt like I managed those middle periods really well with Greeny. "We sort of identified spin was going to be really tough to play on that wicket, so we sort of took our medicine there and went after the quicks." Australia, who won the preceding test series 3-0, can clinch the series with a third successive victory in Basseterre on Saturday.


The Guardian
11 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Josh Inglis and Cameron Green blast Australia to eight-wicket T20 win over West Indies
Josh Inglis and Cameron Green have smashed half-centuries to power Australia to an eight-wicket win over West Indies in their second T20 clash in Jamaica. The hosts posted 172-8 before Inglis (78 not out from 33 balls) and Cameron Green (56no from 32) led Australia to 173-2, and victory with 28 balls to spare. The pair put on a unbroken 131-run partnership off just 64 balls as Australia took a two-nil lead in the five-match series. Inglis was brutal with the bat, blasting a half century from just 22 deliveries – hitting five sixes and seven fours. An equally aggressive Green cracked four sixes and three fours after starring in a three-wicket win in game one with 51 from 26 balls. Australia sent Glenn Maxwell out to open in the innings after dropping Jake Fraser-McGurk but he made just 12 from 10 balls. Captain Mitch Marsh's 21 from 17 included two sixes but when he fell, the match was in the balance at 42-2 in the sixth over. Inglis and Green then launched an audacious attack on the West Indian bowlers, making light work of the run chase. With Inglis in full flight, Green posted his half-century from 28 deliveries. Australia's spinners were vital in restricting the West Indies batsmen. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa claimed 3-29 from four overs and offspinner Glenn Maxwell 2-15 from two as they put the brakes on the hosts after a brisk start. Opener Brandon King (51 from 36 balls) embarked on an early blitz, reaching a half century from 33 balls. West Indies were 59-0 after seven overs but Zampa struck with the last ball of his first over, the eighth of the innings, when King skied to cover. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion On the next ball – the first of Maxwell's spell – Shai Hope (9 from 13) departed when Marsh took a fine catch running with the flight of the ball at mid-off. West Indies were 73-2 at the midpoint but lost Shimron Hetmyer (14 from 10) in the next over when caught on the square leg boundary to give Maxwell another wicket. Zampa struck twice in the 14th over, dismissing Roston Chase (16 from 16) and Sherfane Rutherford (0 from 2), leaving the hosts wobbling at 5-98. Home-town hero Andre Russell, in his last international match, then produced some farewell fireworks by cracking 36 from 15 balls featuring four sixes and two fours. Australia made two changes from the team that won the series-opener by three wickets. Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann was summoned for his T20I debut, replacing paceman Sean Abbott, while Fraser-McGurk was dropped with middle-order blaster Tim David returning from a hamstring injury.


Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Inside the romance between footy star, 23, and another big name in Aussie sport - who's 10 years older than him
Fremantle Dockers star Luke Jackson's relationship with netball star turned TV commentator Kelsey Browne is still going strong, with the couple sharing a loved-up photo to social media after his team's biggest win of the year. The AFL star, 23, hard-launched his relationship with the former West Coast Fever star, 33, in September last year while on a romantic holiday in Mauritius. The romantic revelation came about as Browne took on a new role as a club ambassador for the Fever. Jackson starred for the Dockers over the weekend, kicking a late long-range goal in the fourth quarter to help his side beat Collingwood by a point at the MCG. Browne was on hand for the victory celebrations, with the couple both posting a photo of themselves embracing in the sheds after the match as she looked smitten with her man. 'Great photo of a great couple,' replied one footy fan. 'Winning on and off the field,' said another. 'We love to see it,' posted a third. Rumours about the couple hooking up first surfaced in July last year when Browne posted a TikTok video showing her engaging in her 'fave nightly ritual' as she stood in a backyard pool while wearing a heavy jacket. That took on new meaning when footy fans realised that pool was in a post Jackson made on Instagram last May, showing him cooking on a barbecue. Then, in August last year, they were seen together in a photo the Fever posted from the team's annual awards night. Browne and Jackson also posted sots of the same bath on the deck of a cabin in Busselton, a popular holiday spot about 200km south of Perth. Earlier this year, rumours circulated that Jackson might be looking to move to a Victorian club, despite being contracted with Fremantle until 2029. Channel Seven reporter Mitch Cleary reported that the couple were interested in heading to Victoria, where Browne is originally from and her family is still based. However, Dockers coach Justin Longmuir poured cold water on the speculation. 'Not a concern. Nothing I've seen of Luke throughout the pre-season has shown me he wants to leave the club,' Longmuir said. 'Someone from the club has spoken to him already and he's reiterated that he doesn't want to go anywhere and he's never been happier. 'We'll leave it at that, I reckon.' Browne, who currently works as a commentator for the NBL, was one of the country's top attacking players during her career, winning two premierships with the Lightning and going on to represent the nation internationally. A Geelong native, she comes from a sporting family, with her dad Mark playing for the Cats in the 1970s and her sister Madison going on to be one of the nation's most successful netball players.