Latest news with #Campese
The Age
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
David Campese said Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt had ‘no idea'. What does he think now?
Wallabies great David Campese says he is 'eating humble pie' after declaring coach Joe Schmidt had 'no idea' on the eve of Australia's historic victory over South Africa. Campese also revealed he planned to quit social media after he and his family were subjected to a torrent of abuse following the Wallabies' 38-22 triumph at Ellis Park, which snapped a 62-year losing streak at the venue. In the lead-up to Australia's Rugby Championship opener in Johannesburg, the outspoken former winger took a shot at Schmidt over his Wallabies selections, which included installing James O'Connor at No.10 after Tom Lynagh, who started in all three Lions Tests, was ruled out with concussion. 'I can see why Joe Schmidt has never won a RWC [Rugby World Cup]. He has no idea about rugby. Clueless. This shows us why,' Campese wrote on X to his 23,000 followers. 'Very happy for James, who should have been on the bench for the Lions. Ben [Donaldson] at 10. Under [incoming Wallabies coach Les] Kiss, it is not going to look any better.' Campese said he was not criticising the selection of O'Connor for the Springboks Test because he believed the 35-year-old should have been involved in the Lions series off the bench. With O'Connor playing his first Test in three years, Australia trailed 22-0 before pulling off a famous win at altitude. Former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons wrote on Sunday: 'Rugby Australia ought to put David Campese on retainer and get him to do what he now does best: bag the Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and say our blokes can't win – only for them to EXPLODE in most magnificent fashion.'
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
David Campese said Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt had ‘no idea'. What does he think now?
Wallabies great David Campese says he is 'eating humble pie' after declaring coach Joe Schmidt had 'no idea' on the eve of Australia's historic victory over South Africa. Campese also revealed he planned to quit social media after he and his family were subjected to a torrent of abuse following the Wallabies' 38-22 triumph at Ellis Park, which snapped a 62-year losing streak at the venue. In the lead-up to Australia's Rugby Championship opener in Johannesburg, the outspoken former winger took a shot at Schmidt over his Wallabies selections, which included installing James O'Connor at No.10 after Tom Lynagh, who started in all three Lions Tests, was ruled out with concussion. 'I can see why Joe Schmidt has never won a RWC [Rugby World Cup]. He has no idea about rugby. Clueless. This shows us why,' Campese wrote on X to his 23,000 followers. 'Very happy for James, who should have been on the bench for the Lions. Ben [Donaldson] at 10. Under [incoming Wallabies coach Les] Kiss, it is not going to look any better.' Campese said he was not criticising the selection of O'Connor for the Springboks Test because he believed the 35-year-old should have been involved in the Lions series off the bench. With O'Connor playing his first Test in three years, Australia trailed 22-0 before pulling off a famous win at altitude. Former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons wrote on Sunday: 'Rugby Australia ought to put David Campese on retainer and get him to do what he now does best: bag the Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and say our blokes can't win – only for them to EXPLODE in most magnificent fashion.'
Irish Examiner
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
David Campese labels Owen Farrell's Lions call-up ‘a weak pick by daddy'
WALLABY legend David Campese is stirring it up again down under, labelling the decisions by the British and Irish Lions to call up Owen Farrell as 'a weak pick by daddy'. Less than 24 hours after head coach Andy Farrell urged supporters to cut out the 'nonsense' negativity around his son's call-up, Campese claimed that Owen Farrell's selection is 'weak', that it could disrupt the Lions camp, and that the 'ageing' fly-half 'left Paris with his tail between his legs'. 'For the life of me, I cannot fathom why Andy Farrell would call up an ageing fly-half-cum-centre to replace a classy back-three player,' Campese wrote in a column for Planet Rugby. 'Yes, Owen Farrell has been a world-class 10 in his time. Yes, he's been an outstanding British and Irish Lion. Yes, he's been a champion of Europe, a World Cup finalist and a Premiership legend. But the ever-present word there is 'has'. 'Owen's form since quitting England and Saracens for Racing 92 has been – well, I'm not sure there's been any form whatsoever. He's struggled with the pace of French rugby and the standard of the Top 14, he's not been able to get any sort of purchase into a style of game that's run by a production line of world-class nines and he's left Paris with his tail between his legs and a reputation that's suffered as a result. 'I also have to question judgment here. I have always been respectful of the Farrell name. This is a weak pick by daddy – and weak isn't what I'd expect from them. 'It also puts huge pressure on Owen, who can't have a bagful of confidence after the Racing 92 experience, and that sort of thing can also disrupt camp... what message is this sending out to the likes of Marcus and Fin Smith?' Campese added in his Planet Rugby column: "You may as well have used the same wild card principle to pull Jack Willis into the side – at least he's a world class player playing at the apex of his abilities and could really offer value by adding a 6'3' option at six, something the Lions are really short of given that there's only Jack Conan in their primary back-rowers that's a proper lineout option - something Jack's been improving greatly at doing at Toulouse. Read More [
Wales Online
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Australia rugby legend carpets British & Irish Lions and gives them a new nickname
Australia rugby legend carpets British & Irish Lions and gives them a new nickname The outspoken rugby great has hit out at Andy Farrell's side with a withering attack British and Irish Lions' Tadhg Beirne and Ellis Genge (Image: PA Wire ) Outspoken Wallabies legend David Campese has launched a scathing attack on the British and Irish Lions, mocking the make-up of their squad and questioning head coach Andy Farrell's selections ahead of Saturday's clash with Western Force in Perth. Speaking to talkSPOR, the outspoken former Australia winger criticised the number of players in the Lions squad with Southern Hemisphere heritage, dubbing the side the 'British and Irish and Pacific Island Lions'. 'It's hard when you've got four nations in one team,' Campese said. 'The Irish Lions – sorry, the British and Irish and Pacific Island Lions, I'm going to call them – because you've got so many Australian Islanders in there. It's going to be a very interesting game.' Campese didn't stop there. He singled out Lions captain Maro Itoje, claiming the England lock 'fails to lead by example' and could prove a liability during the tour. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. The 1991 World Cup winner also cast doubt over Farrell's squad selections following their recent loss to Argentina and took aim at the state of the game in his homeland. Article continues below 'In Australian rugby, we haven't got any culture, no one cares, no one knows who we are,' he said. 'If you haven't got culture and history, you haven't got anything. Unfortunately, that's where we are in Australia.' Campese also criticised current Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt, questioning his connection to the Australian game. 'We've got Joe Schmidt as our coach, who still doesn't know about our culture and history. Now he's got Les Kiss involved, who's a rugby league guy who went out and played and coached in Ireland,' he said. 'We've got to try and play a style of rugby that people want to watch. At the moment, it's a very, very up and down defensive game.' It's not the first time Campese has had the Lions in his crosshairs over the last few days. After Farrell's side's opening defeat by Argentina in Dublin last week, the 62-year-old tore individual Lions apart in a withering assessment. In a no-holds-barred column, Campese questioned the physicality, tactical nous and positional selections of Farrell's side, saying bluntly in his PlanetRugby column: 'If they perform like they did in Dublin during the Test series, they'll be toast Down Under. "I'd go so far as to say they'll lose 3–0 unless they can fix a few things and fix them quickly.' He also issued a stark warning that unless the Lions rediscover that fire, they will be blown away in Australia: 'Wearing the Lions shirt carries with it a weight of expectation. Those challenges were not met on Friday night.' Article continues below The Lions begin their 2025 tour of Australia on Saturday against Western Force, with the first Test against the Wallabies taking place on July 19 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Wales Online
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as Australian legend rips apart Lions individuals and broadcaster forced into apology
Today's rugby news as Australian legend rips apart Lions individuals and broadcaster forced into apology The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world David Campese was not impressed by the Lions against Argentina (Image:) Here are your rugby headlines for Sunday, June 22. Campese rips Lions players apart Australian rugby legend David Campese has launched a scathing attack on the British and Irish Lions following their disappointing 24–28 defeat by Argentina in Dublin, warning that unless serious improvements are made, they'll be 'toast' when they face the Wallabies next summer. In a no-holds-barred column, Campese questioned the physicality, tactical nous, and positional selections of Andy Farrell's side, saying bluntly in his PlanetRugby column: 'If they perform like they did in Dublin during the Test series, they'll be toast Down Under... I'd go so far as to say they'll lose 3–0 unless they can fix a few things and fix them quickly.' Campese reserved some of his harshest criticism for Welsh flanker Jac Morgan, whom he felt did not influence the game enough on Friday evening. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. 'I had to check to be sure Jac Morgan was even playing,' he wrote. 'Yes, he grabbed one good turnover, but when your openside spends 55 minutes on the pitch, makes four carries for six metres, and manages six tackles (one every nine minutes!)… he generally went missing in action in a woeful personal performance.' By contrast, Campese praised Tomos Williams, another Welshman, for his spark off the bench: 'Elliot Daly looked a cut miles above the rest of the Lions backs when he came on, as did Tomos Williams.' But he warned that isolated moments of brilliance weren't enough to mask the overall lack of intensity. Article continues below The former Wallaby wing, who earned 101 caps and is still one of the game's most outspoken pundits, was particularly scathing about the Lions' aerial and breakdown shortcomings—two areas he said Australia will ruthlessly exploit. Highlighting the dominance of Argentina's Rodrigo Isgro in the air, Campese wrote: 'Isgro alone turned over four of the Lions' kicks and completed every one of his own… I simply can't understand how Duhan van der Merwe, a man of 6'5', fails under the high ball in the way he does.' He also took aim at the Lions' inability to generate breakdown pressure: 'They struggled to get destabilising power into the rucks… the brilliant Argentinian half-backs had an armchair ride.' Campese questioned several of Farrell's selections, especially the decision to play Marcus Smith at full-back, describing it as a costly luxury. 'He doesn't understand the positional requirements and he's simply too small and light to compete one-to-one… as a starting full-back? Come on!' He was also baffled by the continued omission of Jack Willis, pointing out the Toulouse flanker's 'Test intensity' and citing his six-turnover performance in the Top 14 on the same night. Recalling the brutal physicality of past Lions outfits, Campese lamented the absence of edge and bite. 'They made you feel unwelcome… Was that there last night? Was it hell!' He concluded with a stark warning that unless the Lions rediscover that fire, they will be blown away in Australia: 'Wearing the Lions shirt carries with it a weight of expectation. Those challenges were not met on Friday night.' Broadcaster's apology RugbyPass TV were forced into an apology on Saturday after its live stream of England v France went down. Viewers were quick to point out that coverage from Allianz Arena Twickenham wasn't working, with the RFU scrambling quickly to step in and stream the game on their YouTube channel. A Rugby Football Union spokesperson told Telegraph Sport: 'As soon as we recognised there was an issue with RugbyPass we switched to YouTube. We put notifications on our social channels promptly to alert fans to the change. We will have a full replay of the match on YouTube later this evening 'We apologise to fans for the inconvenience caused in accessing RugbyPass.' World Rugby-owned Rugby Pass apologised, adding: 'We are aware of the ongoing issues with the RugbyPass app. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.' England lost the game 26-24. Feyi-Waboso 'gutted' By Ed Elliot, PA Steve Borthwick admitted Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is 'gutted' after his participation in England's summer tour was left in doubt by a red card during Saturday's dramatic 26-24 warm-up defeat to a France XV. The Exeter wing – playing for the first time since dislocating a shoulder in December – was dismissed for a high tackle on Les Bleus fly-half Antoine Hastoy in the first half of the non-capped clash at Allianz Stadium. Feyi-Waboso must await the outcome of a disciplinary process to discover the length of his probable suspension. Head coach Borthwick is scheduled to name his final squad for next month's three-match tour of Argentina and the United States on Monday before England depart the following day. 'You know Manny Feyi-Waboso well enough, this is a good guy who just tries his heart out and has left the field today and it didn't go the way he wanted it to, so he's gutted in the changing room,' said Borthwick. 'Everyone will get around him and we'll find out about what the situation is in the next 24 hours.' In desperation to retrieve the ball while chasing his own kick, Feyi-Waboso flung an arm into the head of France number 10 Hastoy in the 34th minute. Referee Hollie Davidson initially showed a yellow card before the sanction was swiftly upgraded to a red on review as there was deemed to be a high degree of danger with no mitigation. Borthwick, whose side face Los Pumas on July 5 and 12 in La Plata and San Juan respectively before taking on the USA a week later in Washington DC, refused to be drawn on hypothetical scenarios in relation to Feyi-Waboso's likely ban. He expects to discover the outcome before England fly to South America. 'As you know, that's now going to go to a disciplinary procedure so I'm not going to comment upon it,' Borthwick replied when asked about the tackle. 'The officials made their decision on the day and we'll see what the disciplinary comes back with. 'Once I have the facts, I'll deal with that.' England – playing without their 13 British and Irish Lions – led by 12 points going into the final 10 minutes in sweltering conditions at Twickenham before late tries from Paul Mallez and Romain Taofifenua, converted by Hastoy, snatched victory for France. Scores from Tom Willis, Alex Coles, international newcomer Joe Carpenter and replacement Alex Dombrandt had turned the contest in the hosts' favour following early efforts from French pair Gaetan Barlot and Hugo Auradou. France also received a red card, with replacement Cameron Woki dismissed for an illegal clearout on England co-captain Jamie George just before Dombrandt scored the home side's fourth try. Finn Russell addresses Johnny Sexton feud By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent Finn Russell has revealed that he buried the hatchet with Johnny Sexton with the help of Andy Farrell as the old foes join forces on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. Sexton has previously been critical of Russell, labelling him "flashy" and a "media darling", while adding he would choose Owen Farrell over him against the Wallabies because the former England captain is a "Test match animal". And in his autobiography, the Ireland great confessed that it "kills me to this day" that he was overlooked in favour of Russell for the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa. Now the former fly-half rivals are working together to plot the downfall of Australia, with Sexton acting as the Lions kicking skills coach and Russell in pole position to take the playmaking duties in the Test series. When they first linked up after the players involved in the Gallagher Premiership and United Rugby Championship finals arrived into camp earlier this week, any acrimony quickly faded. "It's just been bit of a craic. It was never a thing. When we came in, we had a laugh straight away and Andy kind of put it to bed so that was good," Scotland international Russell said. "Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don't believe. We're all here with the same goal, which is to win the series. "I've only been here a few days but it's been good working with Johnny. I'm happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he's seeing. "With the numbers we've had, he's had to jump in sometimes so it's been quite funny being on the same training side as him. "It's good to have a guy with his experience here. I can chat to him and bounce things off him as and when I need. "All the coaches seem open to conversations and chats. It's a good environment to be in." Australia will be Russell's third expedition with the Lions, with all three set to be very different experiences. In 2017 in New Zealand he was part of the controversial 'Geography Six', a group of Scotland and Wales players who were called into Warren Gatland's squad not on merit but because of their close proximity while on summer tours. Four years later he travelled to South Africa where all matches were played behind closed doors due to the pandemic, denying the Lions their famed 'sea of red' support. The Bath ringmaster started the third Test against the Springboks. "New Zealand was still amazing because it was my first time being called up to the Lions," Russell said. "We weren't there for the whole tour, but to have gone to New Zealand and played was really cool for me. Article continues below "And then in 2021 it was special going the whole time, even though it was Covid. We couldn't have family and friends or fans at the game, but it was still amazing in a different way. "In terms of the boys, we probably got to know each other a little bit better because it was just us in the hotel and whatnot. I'm looking forward to what this one's going to be like."
