Latest news with #IeuanEvans
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wales players must be ready if Lions call
Wales legend Ieuan Evans has urged his countrymen overlooked for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia to ensure they are ready for call-ups in the event of injuries to the Farrell named only two Welshmen in his 38-strong squad, Wales captain and flanker Jac Morgan and scrum-half Tomos Williams, the fewest from the nation since the fifth Lions tour in the end of World War Two the lowest number of Welshmen to tour had been five, to New Zealand in 1993 with Evans, now Lions chairman, among after announcing the 2025 tour party, Evans said he was "disappointed" for his countrymen, whose 17-match losing run helped ensure far greater representation from Ireland, England and Scotland."This is about Andy Farrell and his team selecting the very best players with the very best dynamic to fit going on a British and Irish Lions tour, with all the challenges of playing Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday and having that fit together," he added: "Even getting into the mix of selection is challenging to begin with, but then to find your way to actually get on the plane; but things do change, things happen, injuries and so on, so you've got to be ready for that."Now that challenge for the group of players in Wales to fight for the next tour, but also making sure you perform now because you never know what's going to happen on that tour [to Australia]. "I've been on enough tours to know things change, injuries happen."Cardiff veteran Taulupe Faletau, a three-time tourist, Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake, Exeter lock and captain Dafydd Jenkins, Dragons back row Aaron Wainwright and Scarlets back-three star Blair Murray were touted as potential Lions for the coming none made the cut, leaving only Wales captain Morgan and Gloucester's ex-Cardiff half-back Williams to win Farrell's vote. Evans says his fellow countrymen have the chance to make their mark and earn Test places."It's a blank sheet of paper and they start from scratch," said the former Llanelli and Bath added: "It's now about forcing your way into Test selection and that's by forging combinations, partnerships and impressing the coaches when you're out there with your performances and your training. "That's the next challenge for this group of players and I'm sure the Welsh players will do exactly that." Morgan and Williams react to Lions selection Morgan was on a flight that had landed in South Africa with Ospreys when he discovered he was to become a said after a "tough couple of years" it was a "massive honour" to earn a Lions added: "I didn't really expect anything, really, especially with the competition in the back row... the competition is massive."Williams was at home and said: "I have got to admit I did shed a tear."The last two days I've been an emotional wreck. Grateful for my parents, my partner Laura and everyone who has helped me."The top of the mountain. You cannot get much higher than this achievement."I'll get a bit of stick for this, no doubt." Former Wales centre Jamie Roberts, an impressive Lions tourist in 2009 and 2013. echoed Evans' thoughts, saying Wales' low representation was "a reflection" of where Wales are and injuries could yet allow opportunities to added: "But for Jac and Tomos, I mean, we're super proud to have those lads on tour."They've both been in fine form the last season, and rightly, deservedly, have been selected for their first tours. "I think our ambition as a Welsh rugby nation is that we fast forward to four years time, and hopefully we increase on that number and we look to the future."
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Shameless Lions cash-in was left in the smoke by the Pope's unveiling
Next to the British and Irish Lions squad announcement, the Vatican's process in selecting the Pope seems short, sharp and punchy. This unveiling was not merely drawn out, it was hung-drawn-and-quartered, as they slowly, brutally and mercilessly drained the viewers of every last drop of enthusiasm for a concept that perhaps should, strictly on this evidence, self-ruinous excess. It is so far from what it set it out to be when 23 left these shores for Australia 126 years ago. Granted, modernisation and monetisation are inevitable, but it is allowable not to like this 'progress', even if you are accused of being a grandfather shouting at the clouds. Yet at least this excruciating experience served to confirm, once and for all, the primary objective of the Lions – to make dosh. Yes, lifelong memories as well, and highlight reels that can last Sky Sports up until New Zealand in 2029 (unless Saudi Arabia come in with a bid)... but principally about grabbing more than the Lions' share. Let us be clear, this was not a Conclave, it was a con-job and you can only feel the utmost pity for those poor 'fans' who actually forked out £60 for the privilege of sitting there for up to three hours to hear a list of 38 names. Well, by the time it came for Ieuan Evans - a man ironically known for his pace on the field - there were only 37 to go through, as we had already been breathlessly informed that Maro Itoje was the captain. 'There's only so many ways to talk about him without mentioning his name,' said Lee McKenzie, the presenter entrusted with trying to drum up some excitement and intrigue. That thankless task took at least 20 minutes, despite Itoje's obvious failure to read the memo. 'I have no words,' he said. Maro, this entire event was about words. Words, words, words. Most of which were 'honour'. Turning up at the 02 Arena without words was like turning up at Lions HQ without a chequebook. The Lions reap tonight. This was nothing more than an oval-ball filibuster, designed transparently and unashamedly to allow every sponsor the spotlight and the only mystery is why the Lions sales staff could not get the Waffle House on board. While it must have been spine-tingling for the wannabes, in both its ecstasy and euphoria, to the average pundit it was so frustratingly tedious. You know a spectacle is unworthy of the billing when a sporting chief executive receives a round of applause, although maybe the audience was simply acknowledging the sheer chutzpah and cheek of Ben Calveley to put this farce together and actually transform what might have been an email into a cash bonanza. Did anyone understand the mural thing? They started off the show with a two-minute interview with the 'murallist' - if that is how they are known - and then revealed that it is being painted in Whitechapel, which is, of course, the epicentre of rugby union interest in Britain and Ireland. The manor once had the Kray Twins, now they have the Curry brothers, except they don't because Ben was about the only flanker in the northern hemisphere to miss out. Each of the Lions names were quickly inked in on the mural, with McKenzie imploring Itoje to be impressed and yes, 'honoured' to see his name in the top right-hand corner. At least Banksy can't touch him up there. The artists really cracking on with the Lions mural at Whitechapel after today's squad announcement. Great attention to detail with the accent over the O in Rónan, too. — Charles Richardson (@CRichardsonTel) May 8, 2025 McKenzie was the perfect choice and not just because in her normal day job in F1 she is used to nothing much happening apart from the lights going on and everyone going around and around in circles. She is professional and somehow kept it all together, regardless of the fact that she kept on having to say 'let's remind ourselves…', which is the ultimate kick-to-touch of any presenter. McKenzie was assisted by Ugo Monye and, of course, head coach Andy Farrell. He is not known for his raconteur qualities and must have wondered what on earth was expected of him as the hype dial was turned up to maximum. It was all so over-the-top, Farrell must have been worried that they had messed up and appointed him to lead a pole vault team. So grandiose, so much faux importance, so much, for the want of a better phrase, 'total b------s'. The tone was as if a party of superheroes had been assembled to boldly go up there and save our galaxy, not to go down there and defeat the eighth ranked team in the world, who were beaten 40-6 by Wales in their last but one win before embarking on a 17-match losing run that remains ongoing. By the way, there was only thing worse than being British and Irish and watching this announcement – being Welsh and watching this announcement. To think, the village of Bancyfelin (population: 300) boasted two players in the 2013 squad. Now, 12 years on, the entire nation (population: three million) has the same number of representatives. That is some downfall and, for some of us, made this absurd extravaganza yet more painful to suffer. White smoke over red smoke, any day.
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
The Lions squad shock omissions, surprise selections and unwanted Wales truth
The Lions squad shock omissions, surprise selections and unwanted Wales truth Wales have their lowest post-war contingent on a Lions tour Ieuan Evans, Chair and Tour Manager of the British & Irish Lions, unveils Henry Pollock as a squad member (Image: PA Wire ) So, there we have it. Andy Farrell has announced his British & Irish Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia and there are only two Welsh players included. Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams are part of the lowest contingent from Wales on a Lions tour since 1936, while England lock Maro Itoje has been named as captain. There is plenty to unpack in the wake of Farrell's squad announcements, with the odd eye-opening selection and one or two shock omissions. Here are the key talking points. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Shock selections In reality there weren't too many shocks but when England backrower Henry Pollock's name was read out by Lions chair Ieuan Evans it was met by an almighty cheer from the crowd at the O2 Arena in London. The 20-year-old has only one senior international cap to his name - as a late replacement as England thrashed Wales in Cardiff a couple of months ago. This time last year Pollock led England U20s to glory in the U20s World Championship in South Africa, so it is fair to say his rise has been meteoric. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Article continues below The backrow was undoubtedly the most competitive position but Pollock's sensational performance in Northampton Saints' Investec Champions Cup semi-final victory over Leinster in Dublin has swung selection in his favour. Elsewhere, it seems strange to single out England wing Elliot Day as a shock selection given he has already been on two Lions tours, but there weren't many pundits who included the Saracens star in their squads in the lead-up to the big announcement. Ireland's James Ryan - whose exclusion four years ago caused outrage across the Irish sea - and Scotland lock Scott Cummings also beat off some stiff competition. Shock omissions and unlucky players We can only assume Ireland No 8 Caelan Doris - who for months was strongly tipped to lead the Lions - has not been included due to a shoulder injury which requires surgery. From a Welsh perspective, Dewi Lake was touted for months as a potential tourist but has narrowly missed out on selection. Lake is an outstanding player but he has been in and out of action this season due to injuries which has probably counted against him. With Doris out injured, Taulupe Faletau would surely have entered the conversation but Farrell has opted for his Ireland backrower Jack Conan, while Ben Earl's ability to cover the backrow will also prove to be invaluable. Many people would have been shocked at the exclusion of Scotland wing Darcy Graham who has been in electric form this season. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Young Ireland outside-half Sam Prendergast, who up until recently was tipped to tour, seems to have paid the price for a flaky performance in Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton. On the flip side, his opposite number last Saturday, Fin Smith, had a cracking game and has been rewarded with a place on the plane to Australia. Toulouse openside Jack Willis is another player who many experts thought was too good to leave out, while Scotland's Jamie Ritchie is also a little bit unlucky. Experienced England hooker Jamie George and outside-half George Ford will also feel unfortunate to miss out. Is Wales' representation fair? The short answer is yes. Faletau and Lake would have been in the conversation, while Nicky Smith might also have been discussed. But at the end of the day Wales have picked up back-to-back Six Nations wooden spoons, while they have lost a record 17 Test matches in succession. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Article continues below A side struggling that badly is lucky to have two players on this Lions tour but it should serve as a wake-up call to the Welsh Rugby Union and is arguably a reflection of how badly the game in Wales has been managed over the past few years. Lions' 38-man squad in full FORWARDS Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland) #838 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #839 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) #851 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853 Ben Earl (Saracens/England) Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #848 Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #818 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England) Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) #825 (C) Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales)Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England) Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)BACKSBundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837 Elliot Daly (Saracens/England) #822 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England) Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) #835 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales)
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Announcement of one Lions player leaves 2,000-strong crowd in stitches
Announcement of one Lions player leaves 2,000-strong crowd in stitches The British & Irish Lions squad has been named and one player announcement left the crowd more than amused Lions chairman Ieuan Evans made the announcement on stage in London (Image: Sky Sports ) The talking is over and the news is now out after Andy Farrell's British & Irish Lions squad for the tour of Australia was unveiled on Thursday afternoon. A huge crowd packed into the O2 Arena in London to hear Lions chairman Ieuan Evans read out the 38 names who will be travelling Down Under later this summer. The Wales and Lions wing took to the podium to reveal the identities of the touring party, first the forwards, then the backs. And when Evans got to the scrum-halves, one of the picks - or more specifically his headshot on the big screen - prompted the assembled supporters to crack up laughing. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park - tipped by many to be the starting Test nine in Australia - was shown standing to attention, hands behind his back sporting a lovely shiner to his right eye from an injury picked up at the time the prospective Lions pictures were taken. Every squad member of each home Six Nations team was actually pictured in Lions gear during the tournament in case they made today's cut. Article continues below "I hope he looks better for when we are on tour!" Evans quipped after the crowd were left laughing at the Leinsterman's appearance, which drew more chuckles from the gallery. Gibson-Park has been selected as one of three scrum-halves to face the Wallabies, alongside Wales' Tomos Williams and England's Alex Mitchell. Williams was just one of two Welshmen to make the cut, with Jac Morgan named by Farrell for a place on the plane. There was no place for Taulupe Faletau, Dewi Lake, Dafydd Jenkins, Nicky Smith or Blair Murray. Farrell said: "Since we met as a coaching unit for the very first time six weeks ago we have been discussing more than 75 players of interest. "But the key job is getting that squad balance right as we prepare for a long and demanding tour that finishes with a three-Test series against the Wallabies. "I am very excited about working with this group and believe they have the capacity to achieve something special and add to the Lions legacy." Lions' 38-man squad in full PROPS: Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England), Andrew Porter (Ireland), Pierre Schoeman (Scotland), Will Stuart (England) HOOKERS: Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Ireland) SECOND ROW: Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Ollie Chessum (England), Scott Cummings (Scotland), Maro Itoje (England), Joe McCarthy (Ireland), James Ryan (Ireland) BACK ROW: Jack Conan (Ireland), Tom Curry (England), Ben Earl (England), Jac Morgan (Wales), Henry Pollock (England), Josh van der Flier (Ireland) SCRUM-HALVES: Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), Alex Mitchell (England), Tomos Williams (Wales) Article continues below FLY-HALVES: Finn Russell (Scotland), Fin Smith (England), Marcus Smith (England) CENTRES: Bundee Aki (Ireland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Garry Ringrose (Ireland) BACK THREE: Elliot Daly (England), Tommy Freeman (England), Mack Hansen (Ireland), Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland), James Lowe (Ireland), Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
British and Irish Lions squad announcement LIVE: Andy Farrell picks squad for tour of Australia
THE British and Irish Lions will head down under this summer, taking on Australia in a three game series. Andy Farrell took Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations championships in 2023 and 2024 before the Men in Green came third in his absence, with many Irish names expected to be picked for the tour. Scotland and England are also expected to be well represented, with Wales expected to be less represent after a poor few years, winning consecutive Six Nations Wooden Spoons. Lions chair Ieuan Evans, a three-time Lion, will announce the selections made by Andy Farrell, Johnny Sexton and Co. a minute ago By Laurence Ryan Time for the Lions! Andy Farrell and Co will head down under this summer, taking on Australia in a three game series. Farrell had coached Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2023 and 2024, but his side fell short in his absence this year. Coached by Simon Easterby in the 2025 Six Nations, Ireland came third, but are still expected to be well represented in the squad selection. Easterby will join Farrell in the coaching staff, alongside former Irish fly-half Johnny Sexton. England were the highest finishers of the four sides represented through the British and Irish Lions in the 2025 Six Nations, so expect a plethora of English talent in there as well. Scotland are also expected to have a number of individuals in the side, but for the Welsh, a poor few years mean their representation may be few and far between. Flanker Jac Morgan may have been in contention for captain after an injury all but ruled Caelan Doris out of contention, but reports suggest Maro Itoje will head down under as skipper.
