Latest news with #JosephAukusoSuaalii
ABC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii positional switch proposed by ex-Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock
Former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock says coach Joe Schmidt should consider moving Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii from outside centre to the wing, while calling for a "pick and stick" selection approach. Suaalii has played in the centres for the Wallabies since making his Test debut against England last November. He produced arguably his best performance in the number 13 jersey in the Wallabies' 22-12 win over the British and Irish Lions in the third and final Test of their series in Sydney last Saturday night. Mortlock, who played in the centres and on the wing for the Wallabies, said Suaalii could benefit from a positional switch. "He's not going to like this," Mortlock said. "But when I first came through, I ended up having two full seasons on the wing. I didn't like it at all. I hated it. "I was playing provincial rugby for the Brumbies at 13 but those two seasons on the wing gave me a great opportunity to understand what wingers need from a 13, from a voice and connection and combination-wise. "Then, probably more importantly, 13 is your spiritual leader in defence, so there's a lot of communication that is required and linking that you do in multi-phase and off set piece. "So there's a lot of decisions that you have to make and, when you're on the wing, you learn very quickly what you need from that 13 and that helped my development as a 13 massively." Mortlock said the Wallabies would still be able to utilise Suaalii's skill set should he be moved to the wing. "You don't lose much if you put him on the wing and, in particular, what you do get is his aerial skills," he said. "He's unbelievable with the high ball and cross kicks. "So, I'm not saying Joseph isn't an outside centre but, if he ended up on the wing for a while, it'd also be great because he's got all the attributes to be an amazing world-class 13 [outside centre] for the Wallabies long-term, if he doesn't already have them." Mortlock said it was no coincidence the Wallabies dominated when coaches, such as Rod Macqueen, used the same tried-and-trusted stars week after week. A veteran of 80 Tests between 2000 and 2009, Mortlock has grown frustrated with the chopping and changing of Wallabies line-ups, insisting combinations and trust in a back line at international level takes months and sometimes years to build. "Players can run the same lines but nothing can replace chemistry and connection," he said. Currently sixth, the Wallabies have slumped to as low as ninth in the world rankings over the past decade. Mortlock said regular team changes were partly to blame. "If Joe Schmidt thinks this is his best side then, barring injury, I'd like to see him pick and stick," Mortlock said. "Teams need at least five to 10 Tests together, minimum, to start to gel. Nothing beats time in the saddle and playing games together. "Training can help slightly but playing together, going through some hard times together and learning as a group is invaluable and builds up trust and all the things you need at the DNA of a world-class team. "So this whole notion of rotating players and subbing off players because they need a rest, I just don't get it. "I would always take a battle-hardened team that may be a little bruised and sore over a fresh team with less combinations." AAP
The Australian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Wallabies vs British and Irish Lions: Third Test live stream, preview, how to watch
This Lions tour was said to be the first step of Rugby Australia turning a $36.8 million deficit into a profit. That may still be the case, with tens of thousands of touring fans pouring through the turnstiles for all three Tests. But where will a series whitewash leave the game as a whole in Australia? FOLLOW THE BUILD-UP AND THIRD TEST IN OUR BLOG BELOW Aussies love a winner, but the Wallabies haven't been doing much of that recently. The U8s running around suburban grounds in Sydney and Brisbane don't care about RA's bank balance. They want to see their heroes winning games and lifting trophies. That's the only way to ensure the next generation grows up throwing a Gilbert around rather than a Steeden or a Sherrin. JOSEPH-AUKUSO SUAALII'S BEST POSITION Suaalii has played well enough on attack – his break to set up Tom Wright's try in Melbourne last weekend was a perfect example. But he has repeatedly been caught out defensively. At times, so has his midfield partner Len Ikitau, who has been moved to inside centre rather than his preferred spot at outside to accommodate Suaalii. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is brought to a halt during the second Test. Despite growing calls for Suaalii to be switched to the wing so the Wallabies can select a proven centre pairing of Hunter Paisami and Len Ikitau, head coach Joe Schmidt is sticking with his same midfield combo for game three but he can expect some criticism if it doesn't work out. THE BENCH Harry Potter's injury was a hiccup – and the Lions have much more depth that Australia – but Andy Farrell's supporters will argue that he also out-coached Joe Schmidt at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last weekend. Owen Farrell came on in the final quarter and provided an instant impact, off the ball as much as on it. Meanwhile, Ben Donaldson – who has several years more experience at Test level than Tom Lynagh - was left stranded on the bench as Australia desperately tried to hang on but couldn't, raising questions about Schmidt's tactics. Question marks were asked after Ben Donaldson watched on from the bench in Melbourne. Strangely, Schmidt picked a 6-2 forwards-backs split for Melbourne in the belief that it would rain, but when there wasn't a drop in the sky, it gave the Lions the advantage because they went with a traditional 5-3 split. But this week, with heavy showers forecast for Accor Stadium, the Lions have added an extra forward as a precaution for the weather while the Wallabies have returned to the 5-3 split they abandoned last week. THE WHISTLEBLOWERS Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli and his assistants will be under intense scrutiny this week after the controversial ending to the second Test when the match officials opted against penalising the Lions' backrower Jac Morgan for his clean-out on Carlo Tizzano. Schmidt launched a blistering attack over the ruling, saying it went against the game's pledge to player safety, which drew a sharp rebuke from World Rugby, which is trying to protect referees from the vile abuse they sometimes cop on social media. Nika Amashukeli shows Owen Farrell a yellow card. Regardless, with matches regularly stopped while Television Match Officials pore over replays of contentious incidents, the whistleblowers will be under more pressure than usual this weekend. TACKLE, TACKLE, TACKLE All the complaining in the world won't change the result from the first two matches but there is one area that might make a difference if they fix things up. When the Wallabies were the best team in the world, the cornerstone of their success was their outstanding defence. When they last won the World Cup, in 1999, they famously conceded just one try in six matches in the entire tournament. But in the two Tests against the Lions so far, they have given up eight tries, three in Brisbane then five in Melbourne, while also repeatedly falling off tackles. In Brisbane, the Wallabies missed 29 tackles in an eight point loss then missed 23 tackles in their three point loss in Melbourne. If they can plug those holes, they won't need to worry about blaming officials because they might just win.
ABC News
02-08-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Five quick hits: Wallabies vs British and Irish Lions, third Test from Stadium Australia
The Wallabies have achieved just their seventh Test win over the British and Irish Lions, in a match that finished well beyond its listed time. Lightning stopped a gripping Test match that was physically demanding, and had the biggest and smallest players unafraid to muscle up. Here are the five quick hits from Stadium Australia. Any fears the Wallabies were going to come out of the sheds flat for the third Test, scarred by the heartbreak of last week, were extinguished in the opening minutes. Desperate for a fast start, Australia chanced its arm, showing little regard for the wet and miserable conditions. The up-tempo style of play was working for the Wallabies, who earned a five-metre scrum after driving Lions winger Tommy Freeman into his own in-goal. The Wallabies scrum, put under pressure in Melbourne, held firm at the first time of asking in Sydney. The Wallabies were patient on the Lions' goal line, hammering the defence with runs from the big forwards. When the moment was right, Nic White spun the ball out to the left. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii held the ball as long as he dared, drawing in two defenders, before passing to an unmarked Dylan Pietsch on the wing. With cover defence scampering across, Pietsch held his nerve and scored well, diving for the line and showing terrific ball control despite the conditions. Wallabies scrum half Nic White was allowed to have a farewell Test against rugby's most special team. But the number nine had no interest in exiting Test rugby quietly. White was in the thick of the action from the early moments, being the focal point of two melees. The first came in the 22nd minute when White chose to pick a fight with Lions hooker Dan Sheehan. That skirmish set off a chain reaction, with three spot fires emerging. White was the focus of Lion-fury in the 43rd minute, when Tadhg Beirne took exception to a shove from White. That led to more melees on the pitch, as medics came to the aid of Lions lock James Ryan, left motionless on the ground after copping an accidental knee from Will Skelton. James Ryan's injury early in the second half paused the match for several minutes. But while there was concern for the Irishman on the ground, another problem was forming in the skies. The players and officials walked off with the medical cart, as lightning around Homebush forced play to be suspended. Fans in the first 19 rows of the lower tier were encouraged to seek shelter in the concourse, while the players and coaching staff were thrown into the unknown. Fans around Stadium Australia remained upbeat during the near-45-minute delay, while some took it too far and ran onto the field. Four times, security was forced to enter a paying surface deemed unsafe because of lightning, just to escort patrons who wanted 15 seconds of notoriety from anyone who was watching. How the teams handled the break was different once the match had a restart time. The Wallabies were on the pitch 10 minutes before the resumption, going through warm-ups. The Lions, however, did not emerge from the sheds until five minutes before play resumed. That five-minute difference likely had little impact on the outcome, but served as an interesting point about how each side handled the same problem. The opening minutes of the second half saw Test rugby at its best. Coming off a 45-minute delay for lightning, the Wallabies and Lions waged a battle in the middle of the field. With the Wallabies lead just eight points, whoever could score first in the second half was going to have a tremendous chance of winning. Fortunately for Australia, the Lions blinked first. Trying to pass quickly down the left flank, the Lions were unable to handle the wet ball that went to ground. The ball popped into the arms of Max Jorgensen, who latched onto the footy like it was his most cherished possession. Once he had the ball in his arms, Jorgensen made the Lions pay. He broke one tackle and then was sprinting down the sideline, never to be caught. His try gave the Wallabies a 15-point lead and had Australian fans believing in a win. It was the second time in this series that Jorgensen's brilliance caught the Lions off guard. The winger scored Australia's opening try in the first Test, snatching a ball out of the air and sprinting away for the score. That try gave Australians hope in the first Test, and his try in Sydney put the Wallabies on the cusp of victory. Queensland Reds player Tate McDermott came off the bench in all three Tests, but was one of the Wallabies' best in the series. His introduction into the first Test sparked the Wallabies' fightback. He held his own for 60 minutes in Melbourne as a makeshift winger, after Harry Potter succumbed to a hamstring injury. With the match on the line in Sydney, it was McDermott again who made his presence felt. Jac Morgan's try in the 62nd minute reduced the Wallabies' lead back to eight points, hoping to spark another comeback like they did seven days earlier. But the Wallabies were not going to let another potential win slip through their grasp. Camped on the Lions' goal line for five minutes, the Wallabies battled and toiled against a dogged defence. Repeated infringements led to the Lions being reduced to 14- men when reserve hooker Ronan Kelleher was sent to the sin bin in the 69th minute. Two attempted driving mauls had been stopped. More than 10 drives from around the breakdown had been repelled. But amid the big forwards hammering away, it was one of the smallest men on the pitch to break through. McDertmott saw tired defenders next to the breakdown, so darted from the back and ducked under their arms. The scrum half then reached out and slammed the ball on the ground, sending the large contingent of Wallabies fans into hysteria. The Wallabies had a 15-point lead again and they were not going to give it up. History had been achieved for a side so often written off.
Daily Telegraph
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Wallabies vs British and Irish Lions: Third Test live stream, preview, how to watch
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rugby. Followed categories will be added to My News. This Lions tour was said to be the first step of Rugby Australia turning a $36.8 million deficit into a profit. That may still be the case, with tens of thousands of touring fans pouring through the turnstiles for all three Tests. But where will a series whitewash leave the game as a whole in Australia? FOLLOW THE BUILD-UP AND THIRD TEST IN OUR BLOG BELOW Aussies love a winner, but the Wallabies haven't been doing much of that recently. The U8s running around suburban grounds in Sydney and Brisbane don't care about RA's bank balance. They want to see their heroes winning games and lifting trophies. That's the only way to ensure the next generation grows up throwing a Gilbert around rather than a Steeden or a Sherrin. JOSEPH-AUKUSO SUAALII'S BEST POSITION Suaalii has played well enough on attack – his break to set up Tom Wright's try in Melbourne last weekend was a perfect example. But he has repeatedly been caught out defensively. At times, so has his midfield partner Len Ikitau, who has been moved to inside centre rather than his preferred spot at outside to accommodate Suaalii. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is brought to a halt during the second Test. Despite growing calls for Suaalii to be switched to the wing so the Wallabies can select a proven centre pairing of Hunter Paisami and Len Ikitau, head coach Joe Schmidt is sticking with his same midfield combo for game three but he can expect some criticism if it doesn't work out. THE BENCH Harry Potter's injury was a hiccup – and the Lions have much more depth that Australia – but Andy Farrell's supporters will argue that he also out-coached Joe Schmidt at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last weekend. Owen Farrell came on in the final quarter and provided an instant impact, off the ball as much as on it. Meanwhile, Ben Donaldson – who has several years more experience at Test level than Tom Lynagh - was left stranded on the bench as Australia desperately tried to hang on but couldn't, raising questions about Schmidt's tactics. Question marks were asked after Ben Donaldson watched on from the bench in Melbourne. Strangely, Schmidt picked a 6-2 forwards-backs split for Melbourne in the belief that it would rain, but when there wasn't a drop in the sky, it gave the Lions the advantage because they went with a traditional 5-3 split. But this week, with heavy showers forecast for Accor Stadium, the Lions have added an extra forward as a precaution for the weather while the Wallabies have returned to the 5-3 split they abandoned last week. THE WHISTLEBLOWERS Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli and his assistants will be under intense scrutiny this week after the controversial ending to the second Test when the match officials opted against penalising the Lions' backrower Jac Morgan for his clean-out on Carlo Tizzano. Schmidt launched a blistering attack over the ruling, saying it went against the game's pledge to player safety, which drew a sharp rebuke from World Rugby, which is trying to protect referees from the vile abuse they sometimes cop on social media. Nika Amashukeli shows Owen Farrell a yellow card. Regardless, with matches regularly stopped while Television Match Officials pore over replays of contentious incidents, the whistleblowers will be under more pressure than usual this weekend. TACKLE, TACKLE, TACKLE All the complaining in the world won't change the result from the first two matches but there is one area that might make a difference if they fix things up. When the Wallabies were the best team in the world, the cornerstone of their success was their outstanding defence. When they last won the World Cup, in 1999, they famously conceded just one try in six matches in the entire tournament. But in the two Tests against the Lions so far, they have given up eight tries, three in Brisbane then five in Melbourne, while also repeatedly falling off tackles. In Brisbane, the Wallabies missed 29 tackles in an eight point loss then missed 23 tackles in their three point loss in Melbourne. If they can plug those holes, they won't need to worry about blaming officials because they might just win. Originally published as Wallabies vs British and Irish Lions: Third Test preview, how to watch
ABC News
26-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Should the Wallabies have been given a penalty or did the Lions score a fair try?
The Wallabies were less than one minute away from a famous victory against the British and Irish Lions, but a Hugo Keenan try broke Australian hearts and secured a Test series win for the tourists. But the Wallabies were adamant the try should not have been awarded, and the hearts of every player, coach, and the 90,307 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground briefly stopped as the television match official (TMO) checked a replay for foul play. As Lions fans rejoiced when the referee declared the try was fair, the Wallabies were left gutted and believing victory had been unjustly stolen from them. This is how the second Test between the Wallabies and Lions ended, and this is why it was so controversial. Needing a win to keep the Test series alive, the Wallabies led at the MCG from the fifth minute, all the way to the 80th minute. At one point in the first half, the Wallabies held a lead of 18 points, before the Lions began their comeback. Leading by two points with less than 60 seconds on the clock, the Lions were attacking the Wallabies' goal line. That's when the ball went wide to fullback Hugo Keenan, who charged over the line for the match-winning try, despite the best efforts of Wallaby centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. But the Wallabies protested to the referee that there was foul play in the build-up, which the officials checked. With the fate of the Test on the line, the officials needed to decide if a Wallabies player had been the victim of foul play. The controversial moment came in the ruck prior to Keenan's try. Lions player James Ryan ran with the ball and was tackled 5 metres from the Wallabies' goal line. Australian player Carlo Tizzano is the first player at the scene and tries to get his hands on the ball. He is low to the ground, and gets his hands on the ball. If Tizzano can steal the ball, or if Ryan illegally holds onto it on the ground, the Wallabies will win the game. Lions player Jac Morgan sprints in to clear Tizzano out of the ruck and retain possession. Morgan lowers his body, hits Tizzano with his shoulder while wrapping his arms, and clears the Australian away from the ball. Tizzano reels out of the ruck, clutching the back of his head. The Lions retained the ball, and it was then passed out wide to Keenan, who scored. Wallabies captain Harry Wilson pleaded with the referee to have a look at the replay for foul play. The Wallabies argued that Moran's shoulder, in the act of cleaning out, made contact with the back of Tizzano's head. Wilson, and the Wallabies, argued there was foul play and they should be awarded a penalty, and the Lions' try should be disallowed. These are the two crucial rules: So, did the replays show Jac Morgan falling foul of either rule? The replays showed Morgan driving backwards, wrapping his arms and not rolling, pulling or twisting. Law 9.20 (d): Not Guilty. But, his initial contact was around the upper back, and lower neck. If the officials deemed Morgan had hit Tizzano around the shoulder blades, then that would be below the line of the shoulder. After around 90 seconds of looking at replays, Italian referee Andrea Piardi decided there was no foul play. Here is what he said into his microphone, which bellowed around the MCG, and through the televisions, computers and tablets around the world. "Both of the players arrived at the same time. "The player [Jac Morgan] is wrapping [his arms]. We don't see any foul play." Piardi is correct that Morgan was wrapping his arms. However, to say both players arrived at the same time would not be correct. Tizzano had his hands on the ball before Morgan made the breakdown. If Piardi was arguing they both lowered themselves into the contest at the same time, that would be wrong. Crucially, Piardi made no mention of where he thought Morgan had made contact on Tizzano. If he believes the contact was on the upper back, then the clean-out is legal. But if the officials believe the point of contact is on the neck, then players joining simultaneously would not excuse Morgan. Opinions on the referee's decision were split across enemy lines. Former England captain Martin Johnson thought the refs made the correct decision: Australia's most capped captain Michael Hooper believes the Wallabies should have been given the penalty: Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui was furious while commentating for Channel Nine: Lions player Owen Farrell, who was on the field, believed his team scored a fair try: Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was crestfallen and thought his men were hard done by:
