Latest news with #BritishandIrishLions
Irish Times
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
The Lions no longer need goodwill in Australia – their brand will carry them through
Sport often provides a prism through which we have some of our happiest and most poignant memories. The booming trade of vintage sportswear globally provides a tangible clue that as we age, we like to hold on to things as we remember fondly. For decades, Barcelona Football Club didn't want its iconic shirts sullied by sponsors, but then harsh economic realities came in and they embraced the corporate world. Their cathedral of 'mes que un club' is now officially named the Spotify Camp Nou. Times move on, regardless of the perceived romanticism of what that organisation once stood for many years ago. Sport sadly deals in brands, not teams Similarly, since arrival in Australia, the British and Irish Lions have moved smoothly into this more colder, clinical and corporate world. The organisation are caught between upholding the mirage that they are on the last great adventure of rugby, when that has been devalued by fresh players being parachuted in just to fulfil last Tuesday's game against the First Nations and Pasifika. Players' appearances at fan events are run with military precision with a stopwatch. The Lions no longer need goodwill in Australia; their brand is strong enough to prevail regardless of what they do as an organisation. Thousands of baby boomers have arrived into airports across Australia, paying thousands of euros for a bucket list trip down under while also seeing an expected series whitewash. The rugby is a bonus alongside the sights and sounds of this country for many. READ MORE Ahead of the first Test in Brisbane, enjoying glorious winter sunshine, Australia embraced them with open arms. The streets and stadium were packed with red jerseys from every corner of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland. During the Wallabies' captain run, the written press were able to watch 10 minutes of training as normal, before being moved to the bowels of Suncorp Stadium to wait for an interview with Jonny Sexton. While waiting, the Lions ran through their final drills above and a booming Welsh accent came through the PA system to sternly warn the written press to stay away. Simultaneously, I found out that the Lions had blocked former Bordeaux player Pete Samu, currently contracted with the Waratahs, from representing the First Nations and Pasifika team in his hometown of Melbourne due to not playing Super Rugby last season. I wrote the story, baffled. Pete Samu poses during a First Nations & Pasifika squad headshots session. Photograph: Graham Denholm/Getty Sexton and Farrell have not unreasonably stated that pre-agreed tour agreements are there for a reason. What makes the blocking of the player galling for Australians is chief executive Ben Calveley arriving in Australia and immediately demanding that Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt release his national players to ensure competitive fixtures. Competitive, but not too competitive. The Lions hold all the aces at the poker table and know it. Not unsurprisingly, the First Nations and Pasifika team were fired up, not only by not being able to field Samu, who is extremely proud of his Samoan heritage, but by the notion that they were being treated as an afterthought at best, or an inconvenience at worst. Samu was offered the opportunity to return to his family, but decided to help his team prepare for their battle against the odds. Coached by Wallabies great Toutai Kefu and his assistants Tana Umaga and Glen Ella, the invitational side provided the Wallabies with some desperately needed inspiration after their comprehensive defeat against the Lions in Brisbane. The bookies suspended betting on a Lions' win before the game, believing the invitational team had no chance of competing after just a week of training together and without their best player Samu. Someone forgot to tell Charlie Gamble, who was so impressive for the Waratahs, again provided menace and physicality at the breakdown alongside dropped Wallabies lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto showing Schmidt the effectiveness of a forward who is ruthlessly aggressive and physical. Salakaia-Loto could still feature in the third Test doing everything possible to get picked with his performances. The Wallabies were at Docklands Stadium cheering on their friends and team-mates on a chilly evening and should have taken something out of the game which ended in a narrow win for a bruised Lions team who were happy to punt the ball out on the final siren. Fight fire with fire. Although that is easier typed than facing Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry. Australian Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt watches his players during a training session. Photograph: William West/AFP via Getty A crowd of over 90,000 is expected at the cavernous MCG to watch a Test that could seal the series for the Lions. Schmidt has kept the same backline, keeping faith in his young outhalf Tom Lynagh and winger Harry Potter who had a poor game in Brisbane. The former Ireland coach has been paying close attention to the typical Melbourne winter weather which is not dissimilar to Belfast, just with less central heating. Think a huge grey sodden woollen jumper hanging over the sky and dripping on people below. The field will be immaculate, but softer underfoot, giving the Wallabies a 6-2 bench, with Angus Bell, Langi Gleeson and Carlos Tizzano ready to charge off it and cause impact. The biggest headline is the return of Rob Valetini, a man who can and does win Test rugby by himself. He is one of the world's best ball carriers and in tandem with Will Skelton, he will provide desperately needed power for the Wallabies in the starting line-up against a ruthlessly physical Lions side. Skelton is outstanding for his club La Rochelle but has never been able to match the same form for the Wallabies. With a Test series on the line, there is no better time to start.
Scotsman
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Australia vs British and Irish Lions second test TV details, UK kick off time and team news
The British and Irish Lions prepare for their second test match of three against Australia. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... After last weekend's all important first test win, the Lions will now look ahead to their second match against the Aussies. Tries from Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Curry and Dan Sheehan, as well as some pin point accurate kicking from Finn Russell, were enough to spur the Lions on to victory, as they won the match 27-19. The Lions then faced First Nations & Pasifika XV earlier this week and emerged victorious by the narrow margin of 24-19. The match was Darcy Graham's first in a Lions jersey, however it was short but sweet. The Scottish winger got off to a dream start, scoring a try just ten minutes into his debut but then disaster struck as he went off, visibly distraught, with an ankle injury, putting an end to the rest of his tour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After the disaster in Dublin in their first match of this series against Argentina, the British and Irish Lions have gone undefeated since, so Andy Farrell's side will be looking to continue this form, going into the second test. Should the Aussie's pull off a victory, a third test decider would follow in Sydney next weekend. Where and when does the second test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions take place? The second test of the series will take place on Saturday, July 26th at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Kick off is scheduled for 11am UK time (8pm local time). Where can I watch Australia v the British and Irish Lions? The match can be watched live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action. Coverage gets underway in Melbourne at 9:30am UK time. What is the latest team news ahead of the second test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions? Andy Farrell has made seven changes to the Lions squad with Bundee Aki, Ollie Chessum and Andrew Porter all being added to the starting XV. Aki will replace Scotland captain, Sione Tuipulotu, who dropped out of the squad entirely due to a tight hamstring. Scotland fans will be pleased to know however, that Aki will start in the midfield alongside Huw Jones, who himself was unlucky not to score against Australia last week after having a try ruled out in the first half. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Farrell has also made changes to the bench as Scotland and Toulouse full back, Blair Kinghorn is added to the second test. Kinghorn joins Jac Morgan, James Ryan and Owen Farrell as new additions to the squad. Scotland's talisman and stand out player for the Lions so far, Finn Russell also keeps his place in the team. The fly-half looks to be back to his best in a Lions shirt, with some scintillating passes and pin-point accurate kicks in the first test. British and Irish Lions: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan. Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 James Ryan, 20 Jac Morgan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Blair Kinghorn
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Owen Farrell named on bench for Lions' second Test against Wallabies
Owen Farrell has been named on the bench for the British and Irish Lions' attempt at completing a series victory over Australia in Melbourne on Saturday. Four days after captaining the Lions in the midweek victory over the First Nations and Pasifika, Farrell will make his first Test appearance since the 2023 World Cup as fly-half and inside centre cover. Head coach Andy Farrell has made three changes to the starting line-up that won the first Test 27-19, including the removal of Sione Tuipulotu, who is jettisoned from the matchday 23 completely with Bundee Aki taking his place in the number 12 jersey. Joe McCarthy has lost his battle with the foot condition plantar fasciitis so Ollie Chessum is drafted into the second row and there is an adjustment at loosehead prop where Andrew Porter is preferred ahead of Ellis Genge.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
British and Irish Lions lock Joe McCarthy in race to be fit for second Test
With Thursday's training session before Andy Farrell names his team being the final opportunity to prove his fitness, the Ireland enforcer looks likely to miss out. McCarthy came off during the first Test with a foot injury (David Davies/PA) Potentially signposting an adjustment to the pack to face Australia in the second Test, James Ryan and Jac Morgan were replaced early in the second half of Tuesday's 24-19 victory over the First Nations and Pasifika XV. If McCarthy is ruled out, Ollie Chessum could be drafted into the second row alongside captain Maro Itoje, creating a vacancy on the bench, while another option is to move Tadhg Beirne from flanker to lock. Should repositioning Beirne be Farrell's preferred choice, Morgan becomes a contender to make the matchday 23. Given the Lions bullied the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium, unenforced changes to the pack are unlikely. First Test: Brisbane, July 19 - Australia 19-27 British and Irish Lions Second Test: Melbourne, July 26 - Australia v British and Irish Lions Third Test: Sydney, August 2 - Australia v British and Irish Lions Farrell could shake up his back-three, however, after wings James Lowe and Tommy Freeman struggled to make an impact in the series opener. Lowe in particular struggled with the poor finishing which has been a feature of his tour apparent again. Of the four possible options to step in, two are injured and one has been repeatedly exposed in defence, with only the fourth offering Farrell room for manoeuvre. Mack Hansen missed the first Test because of a foot problem and has yet to train this week, placing his involvement on Saturday in grave doubt, while Darcy Graham is waiting for scan results after sustaining ankle ligament damage early in his Lions debut against FNP. Duhan van der Merwe, who was fortunate to be selected ahead of Graham in the original touring party, has been targeted by kickers all tour and his defensively frailties would be exploited by the Wallabies. Blair Kinghorn, centre, could have played his way into contention (David Davies/PA) The ace up Farrell's sleeve is Scotland's Blair Kinghorn, who made his comeback from a knee injury at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday and apart from throwing two intercept passes, proved himself ready for Test duty. Nominally a full-back, he is also a high quality option on the wing, the position he has filled most recently for his club Toulouse this season. Owen Farrell showed he is ready for a call-up to the bench in Melbourne if needed with a solid 80 minutes against FNP, Marcus Smith passed a head injury assessment and Garry Ringrose made a successful first appearance since being concussed against ACT Brumbies. In the midst of a schedule of three games in eight days, players have been given Wednesday off, but Farrell and his coaching assistants are to meet to finalise selection. 'I let everyone have their say, I play devil's advocate, we thrash it out and then we all agree,' Farrell said. 'There is all sorts that goes into it – performances, there's no doubt about that – but there is also what's right for this second game? Are a few changes going to freshen it up or do we go with the same guys? 'All that comes into the pot. It's whatever is best for the team and what do we need for a game at the MCG with over 90,000 people. It should be challenging.'
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
England's depth chart after summer tour triumph
England concluded their summer tour with a convincing victory over the United States after a number of players pressed their Test-match claims against Argentina. With some of Steve Borthwick's big hitters in Australia with the British and Irish Lions, Telegraph Sport analyses how much strength in depth he has in each position on the field. Each player has been designated as stock rising, stock falling or stock neutral following this summer's matches. Loosehead A position which has gone from an area of slight concern - recall Joe Marler being dragged out of international retirement - to an area of genuine, world-class strength for England. Ellis Genge is the starting British and Irish Lions loosehead, having finessed his technique alongside his natural strength and aggression, while Fin Baxter was England's (unofficial) player of the series in Argentina, displaying elements of his game in the loose which had seldom been seen previously, to go alongside fearsome scrummaging. Bevan Rodd looked good off the bench in July, too, while it is a true feather in Asher Opoku-Fordjour's cap that he is able to cover both sides. Emmanuel Iyogun was unfortunate that injury thwarted his chances on tour. Hooker After the three July Tests, hooker looks to be the weakest area of England's front row. There are still decent options - two of them are currently on the Lions tour - but beneath Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie there is a real chance for someone to stake a claim. Theo Dan carried powerfully in the second Test in Argentina but his line-out throwing was concerning; Curtis Langdon is effervescent in the loose but there were errors in the victory in San Juan; Gabriel Oghre was a late call-up and looked sprightly off the bench in Washington DC, but he is fifth choice. Could Kepu Tuipulotu be the coming man? With George and Cowan-Dickie not getting any younger, England might need him to push on sooner rather than later. Tighthead England's No 3 shirt is most interesting owing to potential movers and shakers. Will Stuart was one of England's players of the Six Nations and looked to be the favourite to start in the Lions' Test series. However, the Bath tighthead, for whatever reason, has not quite hit the heights from earlier in the year and has seen Tadhg Furlong pilfer the starting Lions jersey. Concurrently, Joe Heyes was monumental in England's two Tests in Argentina, and may now be at the same level as Stuart in the race for the starting tighthead spot in the autumn. If Stuart does not hit the ground running with Bath at the start of the Premiership season, and Heyes does with Leicester, it would not be much of a surprise to see the Tiger start. Opoku-Fordjour brought impetus off the bench in the July series while Trevor Davison was never really given much of a shot; but England's scrum will shortly not lack for the presence of the Northampton Saint. Afolabi Fasogbon's time will come. Lock England's biggest worry in the pack, which might sound alarmist given that two of their trio of first-choice locks - Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum and George Martin - are with the Lions, with one captaining. But beneath them the options are bleak. It is no coincidence, especially given Steve Borthwick's penchant for versatility, that Chandler Cunningham-South - and, to a lesser extent, Ted Hill - have been used as lock cover off the bench in Tests this year. Alex Coles was in the form of his life for Northampton during their European charge but has never been able to replicate that on the Test stage. Charlie Ewels, to his credit, proved some of the doubters wrong, catching the eye in Argentina, but he is not a long-term answer. Arthur Clark might be, and he looked like he could step up to international rugby in England's victory in the US - and it is understood he had impressed in training in Argentina - while poor old Nick Isiekwe was one of only two players, alongside Fasogbon, who did not feature in any of the three July Tests. Flanker If lock is Borthwick's problem child, flanker is the opposite, where England possess an embarrassment of riches. With Tom Curry and Henry Pollock on the Lions tour alongside Ben Earl and Chessum, England were still able to select a back row of Ben Curry, Sam Underhill and Tom Willis in Argentina. Cunningham-South was England's best player against the Eagles last Saturday while Guy Pepper was England's best off the bench against Argentina a week earlier in San Juan. Pepper also looked pretty handy in Washington DC. Where Borthwick goes from here regarding selection is anyone's guess, although after the second Test against Argentina the head coach did suggest that going forward he would try to cram as many of these fabulous flankers into his matchday 23 as he could. Ted Hill only featured once on tour, and it was off the bench against the US; a fine player but the Bath flanker is clearly not fancied currently, among a cohort of excellence. No 8 England do not bat too deep in terms of out-and-out No 8s, but the options they do have are admirable. Earl must have pushed Jack Conan all the way for the Lions' starting berth while Tom Willis was titanic for England in the two Tests against Argentina. Willis would not have been far off Baxter for the unofficial player-of-the-series gong. Alex Dombrandt is not a bad third choice, and his versatility in switching to centre means he may well be a mainstay of England's bench going forward. There is also Pollock, Cunningham-South and the Curry twins who could cover in case of emergency. Scrum-half Alex Mitchell is undoubtedly first choice and one would assume that Jack van Poortvliet will continue to take the bench spot, as he did once he was fit in the Six Nations, despite Ben Spencer starting over the Leicester scrum-half in Argentina. Regarding Spencer, it was pleasing to see him given a shot in England's July Tests; in the second, in particular, he excelled. Harry Randall offers a point of difference - a livewire running threat - but currently sits behind the other three, while Raffi Quirke has sadly slipped down the pecking order after bursting onto the scene to great success in 2021. Given Quirke is only 23, he still has plenty of time. Fly-half Borthwick may well be wishing for a few niggles heading into the autumn to make his selection slightly more straightforward. If all are fit and firing, and if Owen Farrell decides to return to the England fold, then it would appear to be a shoot-out between Fin Smith and George Ford for the starting No 10 jersey as things stand. Ford is the incumbent, but Fin Smith has been with the Lions and also directed England's attack astutely in the Six Nations. Farrell will have to prove himself with Saracens, and that is as long as he wants to return. Marcus Smith has not featured too much for the Lions at fly-half but in his last 25 caps for either England or the touring side only nine have been starting at No 10. Do England have better options as bona fide fly-halves? Perhaps. And, perhaps, Marcus Smith's international future will be as impact replacement covering 10 and 15. Charlie Atkinson came off the bench for England in Washington DC but it was telling that for the two Argentina Tests, Henry Slade and Ben Spencer respectively were fly-half cover. Charlie Atkinson still has a lot of ground to make up. Centre Henry Slade was at the epicentre of England's defensive press in the first Test against Argentina but offered little in attack and, while cruel, his hand injury might well have been a blessing in disguise for Borthwick, forcing the head coach into blooding previously uncapped centres in the second Test and against the US. Slade will be 34 by the time of the next World Cup and, in any case, missed out of selection for the 2023 edition. Luke Northmore was solid if unspectacular in the ensuing matches, but Seb Atkinson proved that he is playing at a level which, at least, showed enough potential to be Test class. Max Ojomoh had some punchy moments at 12 in Washington, too, and times a pass as well as anyone in the English game. Oscar Beard was consigned to one sole appearance on tour, off the bench, despite selection for England's Six Nations squad. Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Lawrence, both injured for the July Tests, will both surely come back into the reckoning, with Farrell and Daly both options at 12 and 13 respectively. Wing Tommy Freeman might not have had his greatest day in the first Lions Test in Brisbane but he remains a magnificent wing and England's first choice. When fit and firing, one would expect Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to join Freeman in England's back three - Borthwick recently described the Exeter Chief as 'world class' - although after the long injury lay-off Feyi-Waboso has looked a touch rusty. Despite that, he remains a lethal strike-runner. In the next bracket, Ollie Sleightholme missed the tour(s) with injury and Tom Roebuck did his Test ambitions little harm in Argentina, where he impressed in both Tests. Will Muir was solid against Los Pumas but his performances were not commanding enough to suggest he is now undroppable, but Cadan Murley brings an extra threat. Off the bench against Argentina and starting in the US, Murley looked as though he had gotten over the early nerves which tarnished his Test debut, against Ireland in the first round of the Six Nations. Full-back Despite the greater expanse which Freddie Steward brought to his game in Argentina, and notwithstanding the strong form at No 15 which Elliot Daly has shown for the Lions, it still feels as though George Furbank is England's first choice in this position. Marcus Smith's versatility will probably see him sneak onto the bench if there are tight calls but Joe Carpenter also showed that there would be little risk in starting him in the backfield. With limited opportunities on tour, Carpenter took his form from Sale to Washington DC, where he looked sharp.
