Latest news with #HarryWilson
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wallabies player fires back after Aussie greats address captain's contentious act
Wallabies winger Harry Potter says it's 'ridiculous' for Sir Clive Woodward to suggest Australia has a losing mentality because of a contentious incident at the end of the first Test defeat to the British and Irish Lions. Harry Wilson's decision to kick the ball out and bring an end to the 27-19 defeat in Brisbane sparked debate around the rugby world, but a couple of Wallabies greats have defended the actions of the under-fire Aussie skipper. The Wallabies trailed by an assailable eight points and were camped near their own tryline with no time left on the clock, when Wilson put the ball into touch to end the opening Test. Woodward - England's former World Cup-winning coach - tore into the Australian captain afterwards and argued that the Wallabies should have pushed for a consolation try and used the situation as practice for the rest of the series. "What summed up the game for me was with the clock in the red and with the Lions winning 27-19, the Australian captain Harry Wilson kicked the ball out to end the game," Woodward wrote. "Talk about a losing mentality. For me, it is the last play of the game so why not have a mentality to try and score as this could be the situation in seven days' time, only closer?" But Wallabies greats Matt Burke and former captain Michael Hooper both jumped to Wilson's defence and said they were shocked by the backlash. "Don't let them get a driving maul or whatever and try and just rub salt into the wound. 34-19 at the end sounds incredibly bad," Burke said on Stan Sports' Between Two Posts. "Get the ball, kick it out, start again, walk off and say 'you didn't breach our line at the end there.' We won that second half in tough circumstances after coming back... as a captain, that's what I'd have done every day of the week. Turn it up." Hooper added: "I'm surprised by the comments (from Woodward). Clive is a great coach, what more could be done? I think that's a good, mature decision from Harry. We'll turn up next week and try and win the next two. I think Clive should be thinking, 'why didn't the Lions put the foot on the throat for the second half'?" RELATED: Wallabies teammate floats major change as fans make Suaalii complaint Roosters fans get definitive answer as Joey Manu signs next contract Wallabies star calls out glaring truth after British and Irish Lions shafted Wallabies winger hits back in defence of under-fire captain And Wallabies winger Potter also defended his skipper after hitting back at Woodward's explosive swipe. "It's pretty ridiculous to suggest that the 23 people who played on the weekend have a mentality of losing," Potter said at the MCG, ahead of Saturday night's second Test. "We went out there to win the game, and we didn't win the game. But it was our intention very much and you could tell from every player in the team we wanted to win that game." The Wallabies were dominated by the Lions in the first Test and trailed 24-5 after 42 minutes. A pair of late tries for Australia ultimately added some respectability to the scoreboard but Potter says the Wallabies are desperate to put up an improved showing in Melbourne. "It felt like we didn't put our best foot forward, particularly in the first 50 or 60 minutes," he said. "There were a lot of lessons to take out of that one. They're an incredibly strong team and we know that we've got to come out better and start the game stronger. "But I suppose there were some positive signs towards the end of the game. If we can string enough things together then we'll go a lot better than what we did." The Wallabies will be hoping to emulate the feat of the legendary 2001 squad led by John Eales, that recovered from 1-0 down to claim a famous 2-1 series win against the Lions. with AAP
France 24
4 hours ago
- Sport
- France 24
Wallabies wing Potter rubbishes 'ridiculous' losing mentality jibe
England's World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward slammed the home side after captain Harry Wilson kicked the ball dead after the hooter to end the first Test in Brisbane, rather than try to score when 27-19 down. "Talk about a losing mentality," said Woodward. "For me, it is the last play of the game so why not have a mentality to try and score as this could be the situation in seven days' time, only closer?" he wrote in a British newspaper column. "Why would any player, especially the captain, want to end the game?" Potter blasted Woodward's claim as unwarranted. "It's pretty ridiculous to suggest that the 23 people who played on the weekend have a mentality of losing," he said at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which will host the second Test on Saturday. "We went out there to win the game, and we didn't win the game. But it was our intention very much and you could tell from every player in the team we wanted to win that game." Potter said coach Joe Schmidt and the side learned plenty of lessons which they will take into Saturday's showdown in front of an expected crowd of 90,000. "It's been tough looking back at that game, certainly learnt a fair bit," he said. "It felt like we didn't put our best foot forward, particularly the first 50-60 minutes. "Lot of lessons to take out of that one. They're an incredibly strong team, but we know that we've just got to come out better and start the game stronger. "And I suppose there were some positive signs towards the end of the game where we felt like if we string enough things together, then we can go a lot better than we did," he added. The Wallabies need to win on Saturday to keep the three-Test series alive and Potter said there was no lack of determination within the squad. "Emotionally it's very simple this week and we all know the task at hand, so I don't think anyone's got any questions about what's at stake," he said. The third and final Test is in Sydney on August 2.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
James Slipper urges Wallabies to ignore ‘losing mentality' jibe with Lions series on the line
Steely Wallabies veteran James Slipper is urging his battered troops to block out the 'noise' as they look to stop the Lions juggernaut in their do-or-die second Test in Melbourne. The series is on the line at the MCG on Saturday night with Slipper offering a unique perspective in the current Australian line-up as the only player to have taken part in two series. Slipper played in the 2013 Wallabies, who narrowly lost the first match and clawed their way to a game two win before the Lions triumphed in the deciding Test. Conceding disappointment in a 27-19 loss in the opening match in Brisbane, Slipper said there was belief that the Australians could level the series. He said the team needed to put the defeat aside and look to build on their performance. 'You've just got to kind of bank what's happened in the past in that game one ... we've got to not necessarily start again, but we've got to build on what we've started and making sure that under pressure we deliver that in the 80 minutes on the weekend,' Slipper said. 'There's a feeling of belief in the group that we were able to fight back into that game after being a fair stack down at the start of the game. We've taken a lot of confidence and belief from what we can do.' The Australians were heavily criticised by the UK media for their lacklustre showing and by England's former World Cup winning coach Clive Woodward, who said that captain Harry Wilson's decision to kick the ball out to end the game rather than chase another try showed a 'losing mentality'. Slipper described the comments as 'noise'. 'I wouldn't say it was a losing mentality, I just thought we'll probably put a full stop on that game and crack on with game two,' the 36-year-old prop said. 'We're trying to be very internal and making sure our preparation's the best it can be. 'We know there's going to be noise, it's a big event, so for us, we just want to make sure we do our job and perform.' The Wallabies will be boosted by the return from injury of star flanker Rob Valetini and giant lock Will Skelton, with the pair adding much-needed starch to their pack. Born and bred Victorian Valetini was excited to overcome a calf injury in time to play on home turf, where he would regularly watch his AFL team St Kilda play. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion 'I had a good week last week with training and came through alright, so I'll be available for selection,' said Valetini, a two-time John Eales Medallist. 'I thought I would have been a shoo-in for the first Test, but it was a smart idea to have a week off and get through some more training, a bit more loading through the calf. 'I did a session Saturday morning and did a pretty tough session, so it feels good to go. I'm Melbourne born and bred, I've got all my family here so I would love to run out there and play in front of them, that would be awesome.' The Lions back row of Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan helped their team out-muscle the Wallabies early at Suncorp Stadium as they raced to a commanding 24-5 lead before the hosts fought back. 'I was watching from the sidelines and I thought all three were pretty involved,' Valetini said of the Lions trio. 'They are big boys and they did their jobs well.' With a 12-year gap between Lions series, Valetini wanted to make the most of his opportunity. 'I'll be close to 40 by the time the next one comes along, there's definitely a lot of hunger just to get out there.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Australia star Rob Valetini ‘good to go' for second Test in huge boost for Wallabies
Australia rugby flanker Rob Valetini has declared himself 'good to go' for the second British and Irish Lions Test in Melbourne in a significant fitness boost for the Wallabies. Valetini, among Australia's standout individual performers over the last couple of years, missed the opening clash in Brisbane as he worked his way back from a calf issue. The 26-year-old was sorely missed at Suncorp Stadium with the hosts short of forward collision-winners in a 27-19 defeat, with lock Will Skelton another significant injury absentee. The pair appear in line to return at the MCG on Saturday as Valetini plays in his home city with the Wallabies bidding to square the series. 'I had a good week last week with training and came through alright, so I'll be available for selection,' Valetini said. 'I thought I would have been a shoo-in for the first Test, but it was a smart idea to have a week off and get through some more training, a bit more loading through the calf. I did a session Saturday morning and did a pretty tough session, so it feels good to go. 'I'm Melbourne born and bred, I've got all my family here so I would love to run out there and play in front of them. That would be awesome.' Skelton also appears primed to return to Joe Schmidt 's matchday 23 for the must-win encounter. The hulking lock also trained with Valetini on matchday morning in Brisbane and is thought to be nearing full fitness. Valetini is likely to join openside Fraser McReight and captain Harry Wilson in Australia's back row, with the trio looking to match the performances of their Lions counterparts. Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan all impressed in the first Test and may well keep their shirts on Saturday. 'I was watching from the sidelines and I thought all three were pretty involved,' Valetini said of the Lions' back row. 'They are big boys and they did their jobs well. 'I was eager to get on the field but couldn't. I think that is the challenge for us this week, knowing that is coming and preparing for that.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joe Schmidt throws serious doubt on Australia's chances of beating Lions after narrow Fiji escape
Joe Schmidt admitted Australia's shaky 21-18 victory over Fiji will have reinforced the British and Irish Lions' status as favourites to win the Test series. It took a 78th-minute try from back-rower Harry Wilson to save the Wallabies from an embarrassing defeat less than two weeks out from the opener against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium. Fiji were rampant in the second half in Newcastle and Schmidt insisted that 'quiet resolve' rather than outright conviction would be his team's currency during the three Tests against Andy Farrell's tourists. 'We didn't play well enough for people to have the expectation that we're going to come bowling into Brisbane and knock the Lions over. I'm not sure that expectation was there before Fiji,' head coach Schmidt said. 'There's not real confidence, but there's a quiet resolve. And that quiet resolve, hopefully over the three-match series, can build to something that will earn us the support of a very interested group. 'We haven't been together for six months. To have five trainings and to be seamless would be an expectation that I hoped for, rather than immediately believed would happen. Now we have another short runway to improve on where we were against Fiji.' Not only did Australia scrape home in a game that saw a Fijian try by Sireli Maqala controversially ruled out, but they also lost fly-half Noah Lolesio with 20 minutes to go after his head hit the ground during a tackle by Elia Canakaivata. Schmidt is hopeful that Lolesio will only be a short-term absentee after providing a positive update on the 25-year-old playmaker. 'The first question Noah asked me was 'did we win?'. He was still very much focused on the game and he appeared to be in good shape. That's the most important thing,' Schmidt said. 'It was whiplash and his head hit the ground. I'm hopeful that that will be something that resolves itself reasonably quickly. But we won't take any risks that we don't need to.'
