Latest news with #AUNZInvitational
The Sun
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Australia vs British & Irish Lions LIVE SCORE: Andy Farrell's side face first Wallabies test in Brisbane
THE British and Irish Lions begin their three test series against the Wallabies in Brisbane. Andy Farrell's side are unbeaten since they touched down in Australia, most recently beating AUNZ Invitational 48-0. Australia will be looking to put in a similar performance to the one Argentina put in, when they BEAT the Lions in Dublin to start the tour. England's Maro Itoje will captain the side, with NO Welsh players included in Andy Farrell's 23-man squad.
Irish Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Eight Ireland stars make Andy Farrell's first Lions Test team v Australia
Mack Hansen has lost his battle to be fit for the British and Irish Lions' first Test against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday. Andy Farrell has named eight of his Ireland team in the starting line-up, with three more on the bench, but there is no room in the matchday 23 for openside flanker Josh van der Flier. Hansen suffered a foot injury in the victory over the AUNZ Invitational team in Adelaide last Saturday and was a major doubt. The unavailability of Garry Ringrose due to concussion has cost Bundee Aki, with Farrell deciding to go with the Scottish centre pairing of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones while keeping Connacht's Aki in reserve on a bench with a 5:3 split. There are still three Ireland players in the backline, with Hugo Keenan playing himself into form after injury to start at full-back with an injury issue costing Blair Kinghorn. Keenan's Leinster colleague James Lowe is named on the wing, with Northampton's Tommy Freeman completing the back three in the absence of Hansen. As expected, Jamison Gibson-Park forms the half-back partnership with Scotland's No.10 Finn Russell. There are five Ireland players in the pack. Hooker Dan Sheehan and tighthead Tadhg Furlong - starting a Test game on his third Lions tour - are joined by loosehead Ellis Genge, with Leinster pair Andrew Porter and Rónan Kelleher on the bench. Joe McCarthy's strong displays on the tour have earned him a start in the second row alongside skipper Maro Itoje, but there is room also for Munster captain Tadhg Beirne in the back row, with the Kildare man to wear the No.6 jersey. England's Tom Curry is at openside but, with Ollie Chessum and Ben Earl providing back row cover, van der Flier misses out. Jack Conan wears the No.8 jersey - making it seven Leinster players in the starting line-up. 'We are entering the business end of the tour and it is time to put in our best performance to date," said Farrell. 'We know how motivated the Wallabies will be and we know they are a well organised and dangerous side. 'It is a great occasion and a proud moment for Maro Itoje, who will captain the Test side, but also for those players who get the opportunity to represent the group on Saturday night. 'We have seen a flood of Lions supporters on the streets of Brisbane this week and we are looking forward to seeing a Sea of Red in the stands of the Suncorp Stadium cheering on the team.' Australia, meanwhile, have been dealt further injury blows with Joe Schmidt forced to leave out La Rochelle powerhouse Will Skelton, Rob Valentini and Taniela Tupou, while Castres back-row Nick Champion de Crespigny makes his debut for the Wallabies and Tom Lynagh starts at out-half. Australia: Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'I, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter, Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, Matt Faessler, Allan Ala'alatoa, Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson. Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway. British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan, Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe, Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan. Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Bundee Aki. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Irish set to dominate in Andy Farrell's Lions Test squad
Lions fever hasn't yet landed in Brisbane, even if the supporters are arriving in Queensland by the bucketload. You don't have to go far in Brisbane to see a Lions jersey or t-shirt or rucksack, and there were so many knocking around Dubai airport on Tuesday, it was as if they were handing them out at the door. It will be interesting to see how much of the 52,500 Suncorp Stadium is red on Saturday, or rather, how much of it is gold. As enthusiastic as the touring groups are, their hosts haven't been bitten by the same bug. All that would change if the Wallabies pull off a shock in Brisbane this Sunday, particularly with Tom Lynagh at out-half. The son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, 22-year-old Tom looks set to be handed the keys to the Wallabies backline this week in the absence of Noah Lolesio, with Joe Scmidt throwing a curveball and giving him his first Wallabies start on just his fourth Test appearance. Schmidt will confirm his squad on Thursday (4.30am Irish time), while Andy Farrell will follow at 6am (Irish time), with his side expected to have a green glow, even if it's not as green as it had been expected to be a few days ago. Garry Ringrose has been ruled out due to concussion, and Mack Hansen is likely to miss the first Test due to a foot injury, with both players having been expected to feature in the matchday 23 if fit. Prior to his concussion, Ringrose had been narrowly leading a competitive race for the 13 jersey against Huw Jones. Jones' performance in Saturday's 48-0 win against the AUNZ Invitational was good enough that it could well have tipped the scales in his favour even if Ringrose was available, and that debate may be revisited later in the tour. Ringrose's absence may have a knock-on effect on Bundee Aki. The Irish centre pairing had started and looked sharp against the Brumbies a week ago in Canberra, although Farrell now looks likely to pair Jones with his Scotland team-mate Sione Tuipulotu for the opening Test in Brisbane. The rest of the backline looks easy to predict. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell have been the standout half-back combination so far, and it looks as though Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith will get the nod to support them from the bench. Farrell's decision to call his son Owen up to the squad appeared to be a death-sentence for Marcus and Fin Smith's Test chances, and although Owen was excellent in his second half appearance in Adelaide on Saturday, it's reported that Marcus Smith has done enough to keep his place in the matchday 23. With Blair Kinghorn yet to recover from his knee injury, Hugo Keenan (above) is the easy choice at full-back, while James Lowe has looked like first choice on the left wing all tour. On the right wing, Tommy Freeman has consistently impressed, and while he was facing competition from Hansen for the jersey, the latter's foot injury should seal Freeman's place in the 14 shirt. The big call Farrell will have to make is in his back row, where he has big decisions to make on both flanks, where Tom Curry, Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier can all make compelling cases for the starting openside flanker slot. As the incumbent, Curry appears to be leading the race to start, and while either Morgan or Van der Flier wouldn't be out of place in a starting team, the harsh reality is that both could miss out on the matchday 23 entirely, with speculation that Ben Earl's performance last weekend has done enough to see him beat the pair, and Henry Pollock, to a place on the bench. That order may well be revisited across the series. Jack Conan should get the nod at number 8, while blindside flanker should be a straight shootout between Tadhg Beirne (below) and Ollie Chessum. Beirne had been expected to start alongside Maro Itoje in the second row prior to the tour, but the form of Joe McCarthy has ensured he'll now most likely partner the tour captain at lock. The trend so far on this tour has been for the Lions to go for a hybrid lock at openside flanker, and while Chessum has been excellent so far, Beirne's ability at the breakdown could offer a lot to a Lions side that looked exposed at the ruck in their win against the Brumbies last week. The silver lining for whoever misses out is that they will more than likely be involved off the bench, with Farrell expected to go for a traditional 5:3 split. In the front row, Farrell will call on his two Irish hookers, with Dan Sheehan a shoo-in to start, and Rónan Kelleher also nailed on for a place in the squad, with Jamie George only joining the squad today following his late call up. Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter will be the Test looseheads, with Pierre Schoeman's place in the pecking order established by his 80-minute shift last Saturday. There is very little between Genge and Porter, although the pattern of previous selections would indicate that Genge is likely to get the starting jersey, with Porter coming on early in the second half. With the form both players are in right now, there is no wrong answer to the question of who starts. Tadhg Furlong's (above) return to form is likely to see him start at tighthead, maintaining his record of starting every Test for the Lions across 2017, 2021 and now 2025. Behind him, Will Stuart and Finlay Bealham will be vying for a spot among the replacements. Bealham's inclusion in the squad would mark an incredible story, given he missed out on the initial squad, coming in as a replacement for the injured Zander Fagerson before the tour. Regardless, Farrell's matchday squad is likely to see the Irish involvement in double figures, with potentially eight Ireland internationals in the starting team.
Perth Now
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
First Nations and Pasifika side learn lessons for Lions
Coach Toutai Kefu says his First Nations and Pasifika team need to be switched on against the British and Irish Lions or risk facing the same ugly fate as the AUNZ Invitational team. Kefu will steer a historic selection, headlined by Indigenous Wallabies veteran Kurtley Beale, at Marvel Stadium next Tuesday night between the first and second Wallabies Tests against the Lions. The Australia-Kiwi team were thrashed in a 48-0 thumping at Adelaide Oval, with Kefu an observer in the coach's box. He said while the signs were good heading into Saturday's match the AUNZ team failed to fire and didn't match the physicality of the tourists. "The players would be more disappointed than anyone but I think from the coaches' point of view, in some aspects of the game, we just didn't turn up," the former Wallabies great said. "Mentally we were just a little bit off the pace and if you don't defend that first kind of crash or collision, they get on a bit of a roll and it's really hard to stop. "However, the prep turns out this week, when the whistle goes and they cross the white line, they need to flick the switch and be ready to play." Following that result and with only a week's preparation, few are giving Kefu's men any chance of upsetting the best of the four-nations. But with nine Wallabies in the squad which represent cultures from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Maori and Indigenous Australia, Kefu said his side would do their best to cause a boilover. The squad could also have some late additions from the Wallabies camp should Test coach Joe Schmidt look to give some players a run. "Everyone's thinking that on paper they've probably got a much better team than us," said Kefu, who was part of the Wallabies' 2001 series triumph over the Lions. "But if we've got the right mindset, we've got good enough cattle there. "There's a couple of things ... if we want to enjoy some success in this game there's some critical things that we need to execute."
Wales Online
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as Wales star comes 'full circle' and Jac Morgan gets new high-profile admirer
Today's rugby news as Wales star comes 'full circle' and Jac Morgan gets new high-profile admirer These are your rugby morning headlines for Sunday, July 13. Jac Morgan of the Lions thanks his fans after the tour match (Image:) Here are your rugby morning headlines for Sunday, July 13. Wales debutant hails 'full circle' moment New Wales debutant Keelan Giles says it was a long time coming, as he came 'full circle' - making his debut against Japan nine years after being denied a first cap against the same opposition. The Ospreys wing had been named on the bench against the Brave Blossoms as an 18-year-old back in 2016, but didn't get on in Cardiff that day. Since then, injuries have kept him from getting his hands on a Wales cap - but after a lengthy wait, he finally achieved it after getting on for the second half of Wales' 31-22 win over Japan in Kobe. That victory was made even sweeter for Giles given it ended an 18-Test losing run for Wales. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. "It's a massive day, a special day for me and my family," he said afterwards. "They made the trip over, which made it extra special. Article continues below "It's unbelievable. It's been a long time coming. "It's almost like a full-circle moment, playing against Japan and being on the bench nine years ago against Japan and not getting on. So it's extra special and a special feeling." Wales captain Dewi Lake spoke after the victory at Noevir Stadium about how this long-awaited victory should be a springboard to better things. "It's huge," said the hooker. "As Jockey spoke about, everyone's worked hard over the last four games but especially over the last five weeks. "So the confidence this will hopefully breed within this group will be huge for us moving forward. Just a massive thank you to the coaches, Jockey, that have built that confidence over the last five weeks and allowed us to express ourselves on the field. "That's been a massive help." Former All Black coach praises Jac Morgan Wales openside Jac Morgan has gained another high-profile admirer as he bids to win a place in Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions Test team - with former All Blacks coach Ian Foster singing the 25-year-old's praises. Morgan played the full 80 minutes on Saturday against the AUNZ Invitational side in Adelaide - perhaps suggesting that he's not in line to start next week against the Wallabies in Brisbane. Competition for the seven jersey is fierce, with Tom Curry and Josh van der Flier both in the mix. But Foster, who was part of the AUNZ Invitational side's coaching team, picked out the Welshman as the Lion he was most impressed by on Saturday. "You can't help but be impressed with Morgan at the moment," he said. "He's going good as a loosie (loose forward). "There'll be a lot of consideration about that loose forward trio, but they're mobile, they're skilful and he is a tough player. "Look, he just works hard. You could see that we were a bit short in some of our connections at the breakdown on early phases a couple of times and he made a bit of a meal of that. He's good in that space, but he had great support too." Farrell muted on Farrell Jr The 48-0 win over the AUNZ Invitational side also saw Owen Farrell make his first appearance for the Lions on this tour after being a late call-up to replace the injured Elliot Daly. The decision by Andy Farrell to call up his son, despite an injury-hit season in France, has not gone down well with everyone. But the former England captain showed his worth off the bench, with a strong cameo that might just have moved him into the matchday squad for the Tests. However, afterwards, Farrell Sr played down his son's performance. "He did OK, he did OK, as did many others," he said. "There were some great individual performances, wasn't there? But I suppose those individual performances gelled together as a collective." Ford proud of the boys By PA Sport Staff England captain George Ford said he was 'proud of the boys' after a last-gasp 22-17 victory over Argentina in San Juan sealed a 2-0 Test series win. Replacement scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet went over in the final minute with the score locked at 17-17 following Guy Pepper's brilliant blind-side break as England followed up last week's 35-12 win in La Plata in style. Ford, who made his 101st Test appearance for England, said: 'We found a way in the end. We had a lot of opportunities in the 22, but couldn't get over the line. 'I'm proud of the boys. I like our fight, our togetherness, showing how much we care. 'There was some great stuff, we should have scored more tries but the attitude of the group is great.' Both sides scored two tries in the first half, with Argentina twice hitting back through centre Lucio Cinti and wing Ignacio Mendy after touchdowns from England pair Seb Atkinson and Freddie Steward. In a fast and furious encounter at the Bicentenary Stadium, Santiago Carreras' first-half penalty had edged Argentina into a 17-14 interval lead, with George Ford's penalty in the second period hauling England level before Van Poortvliet's thrilling late effort. Argentina captain Julian Montoya said his side paid the price for their ill-discipline. He said: 'We were not good enough, we have to be honest with ourselves. I am sorry we couldn't get the win, we gave away too many penalties.' England forward Ben Curry was sent to the sin-bin for his high tackle on Pablo Matera in the 20th minute and Argentina made their advantage count as Cinti went over for their opening try. Argentina were reduced to 14 men in the second half when number eight Matera received a yellow card just before the hour for killing the ball at a maul just yards from his try line. Article continues below Two tiring teams maintained their ferocious battle – almost entirely in Argentina's half – as the game headed into the final 10 minutes. But with the clock ticking down, replacement flanker Pepper stole clear from a maul and after charging down the blind side he turned inside to send the supporting Van Poortvliet over for the decisive score.
