Latest news with #PacificIslands
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
If Owen Farrell features in first Test, Lions game plan has probably gone wrong
Once Joe Schmidt decided to withhold his likely Test-squad players from the warm-up games against the British and Irish Lions, the first half of this Australian tour was compromised. Apart from the first game, against Argentina, the remaining encounters against state sides have been underwhelming. The gulf between the teams has been exacerbated by the relative strength of the substitutes available to either side. At the point where a contest might have taken on the smallest possibility of jeopardy, the Lions bench – all Test players – have finished off the game because their opponents were down to their second, third and sometimes fourth choices as reserves. I do not blame Schmidt; his responsibility is solely to his national squad. Whoever contractually failed to secure the involvement of the Australian Test players in warm-up games is to blame. If this was not possible, the whole lead-up to the Test series could have been re-examined. It is precipitous to make this point, because the next two Lions' tours will be to New Zealand and South Africa, but in retrospect, if the warm-up games are not going to include the top players, it might have been better for this Lions team to have played those games against all the Pacific Islands. No doubt their unions would have been as commensurately pleased as the cash-strapped Australian Rugby Football Union would have been displeased. In terms of spectacle, I know which the fans and neutrals would have preferred. The attempt to resurrect an Anzac XV (an Australia-New Zealand combined team) was theoretically worthy, but I played in the last such game and there is a reason that there has not been one in between – it does not work. Whatever is intended or promised, the interests of the All Blacks and Wallabies Test squads were always going to take precedence and an eight-try win where the opponent fails to score is not the ideal preparation for Test rugby. Andy Farrell and his coaching team will have taken more from the warm-up games than the Lions supporters because they will have been testing players and combinations for reasons known only within the coaching team. Outsiders are left to speculate and read everything into things that probably mean nothing. I fully understand the cases of both managers, but speaking for supporters, and probably for any neutrals, looking at the spectacle so far – the quality of play has been uneven, with flashes of individual brilliance from some players. In terms of a genuine contest, the first game aside, there has not been one. Some people like doing this, but it would be preferable to be working with more reliable evidence of ability and form, particularly when we are asked to make exact predictions on selections and results. I suppose this opaqueness does have one virtue – there is a genuine doubt as to how the sides will perform under the Test-match pressure of this series. Common wisdom is that the first Test is vital for the visiting side and this is backed up by a lot of Lions history. The third Test of a series is notoriously difficult to win for many reasons, not all of which have to do with rugby. As we await the announcement of the first-Test squad, the inevitable press speculation focusses on Owen Farrell but his and others' inclusion depends very heavily on the decisions that Farrell Snr makes over the forwards-to-backs split on the bench. If he goes with a 5:3 split there might be room on the bench because of his ability to cover fly-half and centre. That said, Tommy Freeman can move from wing to centre and then the fly-half choice is a more direct one. The case for Farrell's inclusion in the Test squad was made long before this season. He has been a series winner and his experience is undoubted, as is his competitiveness and ability. However, nothing in his form this season, or in the brief appearance in the game against the AUNZ Invitational side, has strengthened or diminished his case. If Farrell Snr wants to include him it is a very personal choice and one that he is entitled to make, but it cannot be justified on the grounds of conspicuous form. I suspect that we might see Owen Farrell if things go wrong in the first Test and some form of readjustment has to be made. On that basis such a change could be justified, but it would signal that something had gone wrong with the original plan. All this is supposition – it might be that Andy Farrell had this scenario in mind all along and this is just another mind game, in which case it is a 4D move that I, and virtually everybody else, missed. How to solve a problem like Pollock? For me, the more problematic selection is whether Farrell wants direct cover for Blair Kinghorn at full-back. Kinghorn is a versatile player, comfortable at wing and No 10, and you could cover him directly with a 5:3 bench split. If it is a 6:2 split, you are looking at Marcus Smith as cover from the bench that give you most flexibility. The decision on the replacements split will also dictate the options open to the Lions in the back row. It will be central to the hopes of Henry Pollock for a place in the Test squad. Pollock who has become a central figure for the media, especially social media, on this tour is far more likely to appear under a 6:2 division. Someone like Ollie Chessum is more likely to find favour under a 5:3 split because of his experience in the second and back rows and also because he offers extra options in the line-out.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Mele Hufanga on switching codes and countries
Mele Hufanga didn't have it easy growing up, but playing bull rush with the boys after church sparked a love of footy that's led her to captain Tonga and represent the Kiwi Ferns. Hufanga is a powerhouse in the NRLW and talks to us about jumping from Union to League, shares some Tongan wisdom she lives by and what advice she'd give to a little girl like Mele in the Pacific Islands. Tinirau chats through a rare favourites round in the NRL, Sam salutes Fiji with their win over Scotland and Shellie Long drops by to wrap up the contenders emerging in the NRLW. NB: Mele Hufanga interview at 29 mins.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Rory Darge eager to test himself against Fiji's ‘benchmark for physicality'
Scotland captain Rory Darge is relishing the prospect of flexing his muscles against the famed Fijian pack in the first Test of their Pacific islands tour in Suva on Saturday. The Glasgow flanker will lead the side outright for the first time as coach Gregor Townsend makes 14 changes to the line-up that began the tour with a gruelling win over the Maori All Blacks last week. The match is of critical importance to Scotland's hopes of nudging into the world's top six, which would guarantee them a much more favourable draw in the pool stages for the 2027 World Cup. Darge said: 'They (Fiji) are the benchmark for physicality, and we're on their patch in a place where not many if any of us have ever played rugby, so that's why it's exciting. 'You want to go up against the best and ultimately that's why everyone plays this game. It's a great shared experience playing rugby in a place where there are such different challenges.' Fiji pushed Australia close in a 21-18 defeat last Sunday and the Scotland squad are braced for a much tougher test than the comfortable win they secured against the same opponents at Murrayfield last November. And Darge insists that although it has been noted in the build-up, his side must cast aside any thoughts of the importance of the fixture to the longer-term picture. 'It (the world ranking) is something there's been a little bit of talk about, but you can't really look beyond Fiji because it is such a big challenge,' he said. 'It's an exciting one and we're definitely aware of what we need to produce.' Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke will make his debut in Suva having featured in the squad for this year's Six Nations campaign without seeing any action.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Medical students in Fiji are reportedly submitting AI-generated assignments
Dr Amelia Turagabeci said AI technology has changed how future medical professionals are approaching their studies, according to a Fiji Sun report. Photo: Supplied In Fiji, medical students are reportedly using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce assignments, causing concerns among health educators in the country. Fiji's health system is facing an increasing array of problems, including an exodus of qualified personnel , dilapidated infrastructure and shortages of medical supplies [ The Fijian government has declared the health sector as one of its "most urgent priorities", allocating more than FJ$611 million (approximately NZ$451m) in the 2025/2026 Budget last month. In May, the Fiji College of General Practitioners president called on the country's medical professionals to embrace AI "wisely and ethically" . Last year, the Fiji National University's College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS) assistant professor Hemanth Lakshmikantha told a symposium that AI's "advantages are substantial" and that it "represents a transformative leap forward" in the medical field. The CMNHS has been providing education for future health professionals of Fiji and other Pacific Island nations for several decades. But this week, the head of the College told a conference that AI also poses a new challenge: medical students turning to it to complete assignments. Dr Amelia Turagabeci said AI technology has changed how future medical professionals are approaching their studies, according to a Fiji Sun report. "AI has come into effect where students can submit things that are AI developed, not really what they have actually done or developed on their own," she was quoted as saying. "We can actually read that, particularly for those of us that actually try and be in power with whatever is developing." Turagabeci is calling on health educators "to be a step ahead" of the students to identify AI-generated work and adapt their assessment methods.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scotland focused on big picture with Fiji clash key to world ranking
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has one eye on the 'bigger picture' as his side prepare to face Fiji in the first test of their Pacific islands tour in Suva on Saturday. Townsend has stressed the importance of the fixture as well as the upcoming clash with Samoa as Scotland look to lock in a top-six ranking ahead of the draw for the 2027 World Cup in Australia in December. Advertisement Currently ranked seventh, his side want to avoid a similar fate to 2023 when they were placed in a group with both Ireland and South Africa and failed to progress to the knockout stages. 'This is a one-off game in terms of our tour, but there is also the bigger picture and that is the World Cup draw in November,' said Townsend. 'This is a very important game going into the Samoa Test, and also the Tests we have in November, to put ourselves in the best possible position to get into that top six.' Townsend has made 14 changes to the side that featured in the win over the Maori All Blacks last week, with Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke handed his first cap and 25-year-old Rory Darge stepping up as the team's stand-alone captain for the first time. Advertisement Townsend paid tribute to the recent improvements made by the New Zealand-born Burke, who was part of the Scotland squad throughout this year's Six Nations but did not get a chance to impress. 'There's a lot of things to like about Fergus's game,' added Townsend. 'I think the most important element is how physical he's been with carrying the ball, but in particular in defence, he's been excellent this year with Northampton. Fergus Burke is preparing to make his Scotland debut on Saturday (Adam Davy/PA) 'His game management and understanding is up there with the best 10s. He's been a joy to work with, right through the Six Nations when he didn't get an opportunity, to now on this tour getting his chance for his first start.' Advertisement Darge, who has previously co-captained Scotland alongside Finn Russell, steps up after a season tinged with double frustration, with his club Glasgow failing to retain the United Rugby Championship title and Darge himself missing the chance to join Russell in the Lions squad heading to Australia. Townsend said: 'Rory is more than just a leader by actions. When we brought him into the leadership group we thought that was his biggest strengths, but he's now got an experience and intelligence around the game. 'He's developing really well and getting opportunities to lead and captain is the best way to grow. We've seen that growth in him through this season and on this tour.' Scotland hammered Fiji 57-17 in their last meeting at Murrayfield in November but Townsend expects a much tougher encounter, with memories of his side's painful defeat in Suva in 2017 – his first loss as Scotland coach – still lingering. Gregor Townsend's Scotland were beaten by Fiji in 2017 (Zac Goodwin/PA) 'We didn't win the physical battle (in 2017), and that was really disappointing,' recalled Townsend. 'It's rare to see that happen in a Scotland team and if you have that performance you know you can never let it happen again. Advertisement 'I think their biggest threat is their physicality. They're probably the biggest and most powerful men in world rugby, more so even than the South Africans. 'They combine the speed with raw power so we know they'll bring that with their ball-carrying and their big hits in defence. That's what we're going to have to match straight away, and also take our strengths to them.'
