Latest news with #RugbyTest
The Australian
28-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Wallabies bring back Valetini, Skelton for must-win Lions Test at MCG
The Wallabies have declared they won't submit to the British & Irish Lions' physicality as they did in the first Test, and are embracing the pressure of having to win Saturday's match in Melbourne to keep the series alive. Desperate coach Joe Schmidt has recalled powerhouses Rob Valetini and Will Skelton into his starting side for the second Test, injecting the two big boppers weighing a combined 252kg in a bid to turn the tables on the Lions. 'We didn't have the intention last week, and we don't have the intention this week, of being submissive, I just think that they played on the edge really well,' Schmidt said. 'They got in amongst us, sometimes just beside us, which made it very hard to play. We're hopeful that we will be able to take that to them this week and keep them on the back foot a little bit more.' Australian fullback Tom Wright said while they're relishing the pressure to go 1-all with victory at the MCG in front of a crowd estimated to exceed 90,000 fans, they're not viewing the must-win game as a backs to the wall situation. 'All the pressure is obviously on us, that was the way you phrased that question then, and we are embracing that,' Wright said. 'Preparation for the week's been rock solid, as it has been for most of the week since I've been back in this environment with Joe, and we're not letting the external hype get the better of us. 'If we start thinking about do-or-die or backs-to-the-wall, to use your term, I think external added pressure that's probably unnecessary. Are we trying to win the game last week? Absolutely. 'Are we trying to win the same game that we're trying to play this week? For sure. Next week, are we going to try and do the same thing? Absolutely. But are we thinking that far in advance? Probably not, no. Tom Wright in action during the First Test against the British & Irish Lions. Picture:'So I know speaking for the playing group and the way that we prepare ourselves, even without the coaching staff pointing us in the right direction, that's the mentality that we're taking is like, do we want to be more aggressive and throw more punches in this game? Absolutely. 'But it's not because our backs-to-the-wall, it's just because that's how we want to play.' The addition of Valetini and Skelton, both returning from calf injuries, has led Schmidt to name a 6-2 split on the bench, with Langi Gleeson being added as backrower cover alongside Carlo Tizzano, while Tate McDermott and Ben Donaldson are the only back-ups to an unchanged starting backline from Brisbane. Hooker Matt Faessler and flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny have been dropped from the squad that lost 27-19 in Brisbane, and Andrew Kellaway drops off the bench, while Jeremy Williams moves to bench to accommodate Skelton's arrival. Rob Valetini will return from injury for the second Lions Test. Picture: Getty Valetini, the two-time John Eales medallist, can be a game-changer for the Wallabies if he plays his best. 'Everyone in the rugby circles knows what Bobby brings in particular,' Wright said. 'And then the other big fella, bigger fella that comes back for us, Will. His resume speaks for itself, a really calm head, won multiple things in the northern hemisphere. Obviously a large, larger than most frame, so we're pumped to have Will and Bobby back for sure.' Schmidt says the dynamic duo will lift the confidence of the team. 'I did think that Nick Champion de Crespigny acquitted himself incredibly well in a furnace last week making his Test debut, but the experience that Bobby brings in, and he probably brings confidence to other players as well, because of his experience and his ability to take the ball forward,' Schmidt said. Will Skelton is another huge inclusion for the Wallabies. Picture: AFP 'One of the key things with Will is he's a very calm influence. He's a big man, he's big hearted as well. Hopefully not on Saturday, but his experience and his history of being involved in successful teams, particularly with La Rochelle in Europe, I think it just gives other players confidence. 'We've got a group of players who haven't won too much in recent times, whether it's in Super Rugby or whether it's internationally. I think building confidence is an incremental thing. You've got to get small wins here and there.' Schmidt has kept Tom Lynagh and Jake Gordon as his starting halves. AUSSIE-BORN LIONS HERO RULED OUT OF SECOND TEST - Julian Linden Australian-born centre Sione Tuipulotu has been cruelly dropped from the British & Irish Lions' team to face the Wallabies in Saturday's second Test showdown at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, killing his dream of a fairytale return to the city where he was born and raised. It is a devastating setback for the powerful midfielder, who gave up on his first goal of playing for the Wallabies after he was unable to break into the team, then moved to the other side of the world to play for Scotland, where his grandmother was born. Tuipulotu has since established himself as genuine international star who scored the opening try for the Lions in last week's first Test victory over Australia in Brisbane after he was picked to start at inside centre. But he's been left off the Lions' 23-man squad altogether for game two. Sione Tuipulotu has been ruled out of the second Test with a hamstring injury. Picture: Getty The Lions' head coach Andy Farrell said Tuipulotu had a slight hamstring strain that made it difficult to pick him so he opted instead for Ireland's New Zealand-born midfielder Bundee Aki. 'When you've got a little bit of a tight hamstring, it influences how you're possibly going to go, so we made the call to go with Bundee,' Farrell said. '100 per cent (Tuipulotu) is absolutely gutted. He also knows that that's rugby, fairytales are not always written. 'Sione is a team man anyway. And it's the same with anyone who's missed out. Every single one of them has been rowing forward by putting the team first.' Farrell, who also coaches the Ireland national team, originally picked an all-Irish midfield of Aki and Garry Ringrose for this weekend, but had to make a last-minute change when Ringrose withdrew after sustaining a head knock in training. Farrell said it was a selfless act by Ringrose to notify the team about how he was feeling when he could have kept quiet and played regardless. 'With these type of things, players are getting very good at telling the truth of how they feel,' Farrell said. 'It's very easy to keep it to yourself and lie and not be honest and open. It was very big of him and the right thing to do, 100 per cent. For the team as well, not just for Garry.' Huw Jones is back in the starting line-up for the Lions. With Ringrose suddenly unavailable, Farrell recalled Scotland's Huw Jones to start at outside centre. Jones and Tuipulotu regularly play together at Glasgow Warriors and Scotland and started alongside each other in the first Test victory. But instead of sticking with the proven combination, Farrell brought in Aki, one of nine Irishmen in his starting lineup for Saturday. Farrell also selected his own son Owen, who plays for England, as one of the reserves, even though he was not picked in the original squad. As well as bringing in Aki, Ollie Chessum will start at lock after Joe McCarthy was ruled out with a foot injury while Andrew Porter was picked at loosehead prop ahead of Ellis Genge. In all, the Lions made seven changes to the side that won the first Test 27-19, three in the starting lineup and four on the bench. Knowing they can clinch the series with a game to spare if they win in Melbourne, Farrell said the Lions were hoping to create history but also bracing for a backlash from the Wallabies. Aware that the Wallabies had recalled Rob Valetini and Will Skelton and named six substitute forwards on the Australian bench, he said it was inevitable that the match would be a torrid, physical encounter. 'It is what it says on the tin. It's obvious what they're going to bring and why they're selected,' Farrell said. 'I suppose they're delighted with that and the 6-2 bench just backs that up a little bit, doesn't it? So it's not unexpected.' The Lions' towering captain Maro Itoje said he was looking forward to the battle up front, especially with the return of the giant Skelton, the biggest player on either side. 'I've played a few good years with Will, played against him a few times as well and he's a fantastic player,' Itoje said. 'He's a talisman for any side he plays in, he adds a sense of dynamism, size, power to the team. 'I'm delighted for him that he's able to play. I know he was hoping that he would get an opportunity. And it's something that we're excited about too.'
News24
19-07-2025
- Sport
- News24
Bok fans in their thousands flock to Mbombela Stadium
Dark clouds gather over Mbombela Stadium, where the Springboks host Georgia in the final Test of the incoming series in Nelspruit on Saturday. Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images 7m ago Fans are seated as the teams are out for the warm-ups. (Athenkosi Tsotsi/News24) 13m ago 16m ago Fifty minutes to kick-off in Mbombela ⏰ #Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold #RSAvGEO — Springboks (@Springboks) July 19, 2025 20m ago These two happy chappies have reason to smile. Test debutants Neethling Fouche, left, and Boan Venter. (Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images) 25m ago The Georgians take in the scene at Mbombela ahead of their Test against the world champion Springboks. Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images 46m ago Pre-match fun 😊 #Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold #RSAvGEO — Springboks (@Springboks) July 19, 2025 48m ago Leaving nothing to chance, these Bok fans have marked their territory early inside Mbombela Stadium. (Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images) 1h ago The Boks have arrived at Mbombela Stadium 🏟️ #Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold #RSAvGEO — Springboks (@Springboks) July 19, 2025 1h ago Fun day out for these folks at Mbombela Stadium on July 19, 2025 in Nelspruit, South Africa. (Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images) 1h ago The Mbombela Stadium pitch is ready for the Springbok and Georgia showdown. (Athenkosi Totsi/News24)
CNA
18-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Skipper Wilson says Wallabies ready to step up against Lions
BRISBANE :Australia captain Harry Wilson said the Wallabies were confident of beating the British & Irish Lions in the first test at Lang Park on Saturday despite being heavy underdogs after losing a couple of key players to injury. The Wallabies have won only four of their last 11 tests and on Saturday will be without regular flyhalf Noah Lolesio and their best test player of the last two years, loose forward Rob Valetini. Wilson expressed confidence in their replacements, debutant flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny and playmaker Tom Lynagh, and said the whole team were ready to stand up and be counted in front of a sellout crowd. "We're very confident," the number eight told reporters at Lang Park on Friday. "We've had a really good week preparation. We've done everything we've wanted to do, and we feel like we're in a really good place. "The only thing we can control is what we've done during the week and what we're going to go out there and do tomorrow night." Coach Joe Schmidt said on Thursday that Wilson would have to carry more ball on Saturday but his captain thought everyone in the pack would need to fill the void left by Valetini against a big Lions pack. "I'd say all of us have to," Wilson said. "The thing with Bobby is he takes the tough carries for us, week in, week out. It's something you don't take for granted, but you just appreciate a bloke who can take on two, three people. "And I think the whole forward pack has got to really step up, because when you're missing a player like him, it's obviously not ideal, but if everyone just picks up that little 10 per cent, I think it's very exciting." Wilson plays his provincial rugby with Lynagh at the Queensland Reds and said the 22-year-old had revealed a new side to himself ahead of his first test start at flyhalf. "He doesn't overuse his words," he said. "This week, he really has found a voice in the group. "He knows when he gets that 10 on his back, it's his team and that's the way he's treated it and he's been talking to us, telling us what he wants. I just want to watch him go to play." Wilson said he had spoken to John Eales, who skippered the winning Wallabies in 2001, and James Horwill, who led the side that lost the 2013 series 2-1, and had a clear idea of what he wanted from Saturday night. "Definitely to enjoy the moment. None of us have really got to enjoy something like this so a sold-out stadium, we really want to take it in," he said.
Reuters
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Skipper Wilson says Wallabies ready to step up against Lions
BRISBANE, July 18 (Reuters) - Australia captain Harry Wilson said the Wallabies were confident of beating the British & Irish Lions in the first test at Lang Park on Saturday despite being heavy underdogs after losing a couple of key players to injury. The Wallabies have won only four of their last 11 tests and on Saturday will be without regular flyhalf Noah Lolesio and their best test player of the last two years, loose forward Rob Valetini. Wilson expressed confidence in their replacements, debutant flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny and playmaker Tom Lynagh, and said the whole team were ready to stand up and be counted in front of a sellout crowd. "We're very confident," the number eight told reporters at Lang Park on Friday. "We've had a really good week preparation. We've done everything we've wanted to do, and we feel like we're in a really good place. "The only thing we can control is what we've done during the week and what we're going to go out there and do tomorrow night." Coach Joe Schmidt said on Thursday that Wilson would have to carry more ball on Saturday but his captain thought everyone in the pack would need to fill the void left by Valetini against a big Lions pack. "I'd say all of us have to," Wilson said. "The thing with Bobby is he takes the tough carries for us, week in, week out. It's something you don't take for granted, but you just appreciate a bloke who can take on two, three people. "And I think the whole forward pack has got to really step up, because when you're missing a player like him, it's obviously not ideal, but if everyone just picks up that little 10%, I think it's very exciting." Wilson plays his provincial rugby with Lynagh at the Queensland Reds and said the 22-year-old had revealed a new side to himself ahead of his first test start at flyhalf. "He doesn't overuse his words," he said. "This week, he really has found a voice in the group. "He knows when he gets that 10 on his back, it's his team and that's the way he's treated it and he's been talking to us, telling us what he wants. I just want to watch him go to play." Wilson said he had spoken to John Eales, who skippered the winning Wallabies in 2001, and James Horwill, who led the side that lost the 2013 series 2-1, and had a clear idea of what he wanted from Saturday night. "Definitely to enjoy the moment. None of us have really got to enjoy something like this so a sold-out stadium, we really want to take it in," he said. "But we've got a job to do and for us it's about focusing on ourselves, just trying to win every moment in front of our face."
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Flying Fijians coach Byrne: 'We will be ready' for Australia
Mick Byrne is focused on the game ahead as he prepares the Flying Fijians for this Sunday's Test match against the Wallabies. Photo: Fiji Rugby Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne faces a bigger challenge off the field than he does on it, as his warriors prepare for Sunday's one-off Test against the Wallabies. That challenge staying focused on the game ahead and not thinking back on the last time the two teams met in 2023, when the Fijians, under former mentor Simon Raiwalui, stunned the Australians - and the world - by defeating the then Eddie Jones-coached Australian side 22-15 in a Rugby World Cup upset. The group stage victory over the Wallabies almost two years ago was the Fijians first in 69 years. Byrne told Fijian media during an online conference from Sydney on Wednesday that everyone has been challenged to focus on Sunday's clash in Newcastle. Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt is now in charge of the Wallabies, with a new support team of assistants coaches. "I think that's up to them," Byrne said, while answering a question on whether he thought the Wallabies would be coming at Fiji with that result in mind. "They'll just be another Wallabies team that are prepared really well. The coaching group [is] very good, and they'll be bringing intensity to this test match. "It's a different coaching group, they're playing a different brand of rugby to what was played back then. I'm not sure they'll have their eye on two years ago. I think they'll have their eye firmly planted on Sunday. "And we've got the same; it's the game in front of us that's the most important one." Levani Botia of Fiji passes the ball whilst under pressure from Tom Hooper and Richard Arnold of Australia during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Australia and Fiji at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. 17 September 2023 Photo: Pauline Ballet - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images On the field, Byrne knows the Wallabies will be clinical and tough, expecting their hosts to come hard at them at every opportunity. He said Schmidt would not leave any stone unturned during his team's preparation. "There's not much detail that the Joe doesn't stay on top of, so they'll be very clinical, they'll understand their game really well," Byrne said. "They've had a lot of lot of opportunity to be together this year. They've had camps, they've been in training program now for two weeks leading into the test match. So they'll be well drilled. "We will be ready for them." Tough Fiji winger Josua Tuisova and the Flying Fijians during a training session in Newcastle as they prepare for this Sunday's Test match against the Wallabies. 1 July 2025 Photo: Fiji Rugby Having had one season with the Wallabies last year Byrne said Schmidt knows what he can change, especially as they are also facing the British Lions in three test matches after playing Fiji. With their first Test against the British and Irish Lions looming in Brisbane on July 19, the Wallabies are juggling two different preparations and timelines but Byrne believed master tactician Schmidt will have his team primed. "I think they'll be well-versed in their game as they've had camps and they've been together for two weeks so they'll know the sort of rugby they want to play," Byrne said of the Wallabies. "They have the same coaching group from last year and they may have tweaked a few things but I expect that they'll be pretty well versed in what they need to do, and they'll be able to come out on Sunday and present themselves at their best." Byrne said their focus right now is on their own game and what they will need to do. "Our focus will be on getting our game right, bringing our energy we're expecting," he said. "Obviously, the Wallabies are a tough team at any any stage." The match will be attended by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka, and Byrne said he would like the Vuvale Bowl to be an annual Test fixture. Fiji are hosting Scotland in Suva following the Wallabies Test. "An annual home and away series would be awesome - get Australia out of their comfort zone and come and play us in in Suva or in Fiji somewhere, that would be awesome," Byrne said. Fraser McReight on attack v the All Blacks in Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship rugby union Test match at Sky Stadium, Wellington in September last year. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Meanwhile, Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight told The Sydney Morning Herald that the last time they played Fiji "was such a dreadful performance" that he had tried to erase it from his memory. But Schmidt revisited the game through video clips that the players watched. "It's a tricky one," McReight was quoted as saying. "We watched some clips, obviously, in the Fiji week being this week, and that game came up, and a lot of the clips were the first time I had rewatched parts of that game." McReight insisted there had been no talk this week of avenging the loss, just about approaching the Fijians with the respect they have earned. "Personally, I'm not worried too much about the revenge, because two years ago is a long time," he said. "It's a completely different squad, and we're just really excited for the challenge that lays ahead. "So yeah, this isn't a warm-up game for sure. This is a game that we need to get ready for. It's a Test match against Fiji, who are a bloody good side." Both teams are expected to name their lineups on Thursday.
