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News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Rob Valetini set to return from calf injury to play for Wallabies in do-or-die battle with British and Irish Lions
Wallabies star Rob Valetini has declared himself 'good to go' for Australia's do-or-die clash with the British and Irish Lions on Saturday night at the MCG and has backed the decision not to play him in his team's first Test loss in Brisbane. The presence of the intimidating flanker was sorely missed by the Wallabies in the Lions' 27-19 weekend win at Suncorp Stadium. Missing the game hurt, Valetini thought he was a 'shoo-in' to overcome a calf injury and be fit for the match. 'But it was a smart idea just to have a week off and get through some more training and a bit of more loading through the calf,' Valetini said in Melbourne. 'I did a session Saturday morning. I did a pretty tough session there, so (the calf) feels good to go. 'I had to put all my focus through my recovery and getting through all my exercise and trying to get the body right for the next two Tests.' However the third Test on Saturday week in Sydney will mean nothing if the Lions clinch the three-game series with a win at the MCG. 'I was eager to get on the field (in Brisbane) but couldn't, and that's the challenge for us this week, knowing what's coming and trying to prepare for that,' said Melbourne-born Valetini, who hopes to deliver a strong performance in front of family and friends. Not that he's feeling any extra pressure to do so despite the series being on the line for the Wallabies. 'I feel like it's just another game of rugby and something I've been playing ever since I was young,' Valetini said. 'I just try to go out there and just do my job, whether that's carrying (the ball) or doing the tackling. I'm just trying to do my bit for the team, and hopefully I can help the other boys as well.' Veteran Wallabies prop James Slipper welcomed the likely return of Valetini, a two-time John Eales Medal winner. 'His size definitely helps – he's a really good player,' Slipper said of the 26-year-old ACT Brumbies back-rower. 'He gives a lot of boys around him a lot of confidence just the way he goes about his business.' Slipper suggested the Wallabies pack would also be boosted by the expected return of towering lock Will Skelton, who also missed the first Test with a calf problem. 'He (Valetini) won't be the only one that we'll be looking forward to seeing back out there this week. We've got a pretty full fit squad to pick from this weekend,' Slipper said. Slipper has now played in two series against the Lions after also being part of the Wallabies squad that lost 2-1 in 2013 when Australia won the second Test of the series – also in Melbourne – to ensure a decider a week later. 'The belief is there in the group. It's about diving into that and making sure we prepare really well,' he said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Staggs relishes fire in Walsh as Broncos duo click
Brisbane will go in search of six games in a row with centre Kotoni Staggs relishing his red-hot and volatile rapport with fullback Reece Walsh. The duo have been two of the Broncos best for the past month despite having a heated exchange during the 26-14 win over Gold Coast before the bye. Staggs dropped a Walsh pass before halftime and copped a spray, before returning serve. After the break Walsh threw a lovely pass, Staggs burst away and Walsh backed up to score. It was classic backline play and what the pair will want to replicate against Parramatta at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night. Staggs brushed aside his words with Walsh and said the No.1 had the right mentality. "Walshy is someone I love playing with. He is a competitor and he doesn't like losing," Staggs grinned. "So when things don't go his way he does blow up a bit. We've just got to calm him down at times." The passion the pair play with is highly regarded by teammates and the long-range try they scored against the Titans summed up their quest for excellence and maturity after the verbal exchange. "You've got to be in the right position at the right time, which I was. I put a bit of footwork on and he was pushing up through the middle as a good fullback does and got the try for us," Staggs said. The Broncos are in fifth position after they had slipped to 11th with five losses on the trot. Staggs said the negative outside noise was not a reflection of the inner sanctum. "I just think we have gotten closer," Staggs said. "We are all buying into what is going on at training and we have shifted some things around as well. "We do have the team to win the premiership. We just have to believe in one another and keep turning up for one another. "We have strike players on the field and we have just got to get the ball in their hands." Staggs, who has re-signed until the end of 2028, is in career-best form. "I am a leader at this club and want to put my best foot forward every game. If I am doing my role and playing my best footy the boys jump on the back of me," he said.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Dominant Lions must now deliver a display that can stand the test of time
Had the British & Irish Lions been offered their current position a month ago, they would have jumped at it. One-nil up in the series with two to play and the chance to seal the deal in one of the world's greatest sporting arenas? For anyone raised on the mythical deeds of past Lions tours this should be as good as it gets. So why was the mood so pancake-flat at the final whistle after the 27-19 first Test win in Brisbane? Primarily because the best sport requires at least a hint of jeopardy. From an early stage at the Suncorp Stadium, sadly, there was absolutely no doubt which side was going to win. For the first time in living memory, a Lions Test victory had become a foregone conclusion. The boot has occasionally been on the other foot, notably in 2005 when it swiftly became clear the All Blacks were a class above Sir Clive Woodward's squad. There is no massive shame when that happens, and to witness Dan Carter twinkling in the second Test was a privilege. But Saturday was different: playing against distinctly moderate opposition, the Lions were so far in front after 42 minutes that everything else became irrelevant. This is not remotely to diminish the excellence of Tom Curry, Finn Russell, Tadhg Beirne and Huw Jones, among others. The Lions can beat only whatever is put in front of them. If England's cricketers come over later this year and take a big early lead in the Ashes series they are not going to waste time worrying about the shaky state of Australia's top order. But, goodness, it has made the second Test this Saturday a bellwether fixture. Here's hoping the Wallabies, for the sake of all concerned, will emerge a lot quicker from the blocks this time. They should have Rob Valetini and Will Skelton back, and Angus Bell, among others, could be promoted from the bench. What the hosts cannot afford to be is as deeply mediocre as they were made to look in the first half in Brisbane. Because another one-sided contest would do more than just bruise Australian pride. If the gap cannot be narrowed it risks undermining everything this series is meant to be about. The Lions' unique appeal is based squarely on the four‑yearly crackle of pre-game anticipation. It also has to make onlookers feel they are watching something genuinely special. In that regard, the game on Saturday fell short of the levels required. In certain quarters, of course, this is a minor problem. The father of one high-profile Lions player, over a beer on the eve of the game, told me how sick he was of hearing about the need for a closely contested series to lure more neutral eyeballs. His view is that winning every Test convincingly and grinding the Wallabies into the dirt is all that matters. Lions series are about winning: they do not arrange open-top bus parades for plucky losers. On a basic sporting level he is, of course, correct. But when sold-out stadiums fall quiet and even rugby diehards at home start channel-hopping to find more gripping viewing, something is not quite right. If the Lions return home having barely been run close in a single competitive game in Australia it will be a desperately sad state of affairs. So, for everyone's sake, one of two things now has to happen. Either Australia must boomerang their way back into the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a matter of urgency, or the Lions need to give a statement performance that will stand the test of time. Listening to Australia's head coach, Joe Schmidt, suggesting after the game that the experience of this Lions series would benefit his younger players in the forthcoming Rugby Championship is to suspect the second option is the more likely. Either way, Andy Farrell will surely be stressing the need to dial things up at the MCG. He will have been frustrated by the lack of bench impact in Brisbane and may be tempted to inject some fresh energy. Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier, Owen Farrell, Blair Kinghorn and Jamie George could all enter the conversation, while Joe McCarthy's injury may prompt a modest forward reshuffle. Might Beirne and Ollie Chessum both start? One of them will probably have to feature in the second row. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Whoever plays, this feels like the 2025 Lions' defining moment. Farrell rightly hailed the big-match temperaments of Curry, Beirne, Russell and Jamison Gibson‑Park but will now be seeking an all‑court, 80-minute performance similar to the final Test in Sydney in 2013 when the Lions stood up magnificently with the series on the line. He will want James Lowe and Tommy Freeman to show they can finish as sharply as Australia's Max Jorgensen, for Jones and Sione Tuipulotu to dovetail sweetly once again, and for the Lions to generally be more ruthless in their opponents' 22. He will want more ball claimed in the air and even more pressure heaped on the Wallabies' playmakers. Above all else, perhaps, he will want his chosen ones to show that, even if they were facing the All Blacks or the Springboks, they possess the requisite class and composure. That the thousands of fans who have made the long pilgrimage here have invested shrewdly. And that, emotionally, the Lions are still capable of stirring feelings other teams cannot. If, alternatively, they allow Australia back into the series – or, heaven forbid, lose the last two Tests – they will regret it for the rest of their days.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why this Lions series needs Australia to win the first Test
One can hardly recall a more muted build-up to a British and Irish Lions series, even the usual pre-Test tedium of a phoney war of words failing to erupt into anything resembling a conflict. About the closest we've come to a controversy in these pre-Test weeks has been when Joe Schmidt made a slightly clumsy comment about the origin of the Lions' selected centres for the defeat to Argentina – a remark immediately rowed back and apologised for by the Australia head coach. It is not to say that the Lions and Wallabies will be anything other than the fiercest of foes when they take to the turf of Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, but the flames of rivalry have hardly been flickering in the days before this first Test. Both Lions boss Andy Farrell and counterpart Schmidt were given the opportunity to stoke the fires two days out from matchday and each declined, presenting a straight bat. Indeed, Schmidt almost seemed to take on a deferential tone when discussing the tourists. 'I'd like to think we can put a game together that at least can keep the British and Irish Lions pretty honest on the day,' the Wallabies boss almost muttered. They call Suncorp Stadium 'The Cauldron', but the pot is yet to bubble, let alone boil. The British and Irish Lions take on Australia in the first Test in Brisbane (Getty Images) Even the more outlandish declarations have been founded in something like fact. Henry Pollock, the British and Irish Lions' youngest cub, is used to causing a stir and looked initially to have done so last weekend when he declared the tourists' ambition to be remembered as the best Lions team ever by beating the Wallabies 3-0. Now the 20-year-old Pollock, whose first proper Lions memories are somewhat depressingly drawn from the 2017 trip to New Zealand, is perhaps not best placed to assess the current crop's place in history, and the achievements of unbeaten 1974 tourists in South Africa will surely not be surpassed, but a first Wallabies whitewash since 1904 may be on the cards. This is, it is worth pointing out, a Lions series with a difference. It is not to overly insult Australia to say that they are comfortably the weakest opposition for the tourists of the professional era. Since South Africa's returning to the tour itinerary in 1997, the Lions have faced the reigning world champions on five of their seven trips; the sole exceptions are in 2005, where they faced a nascent All Blacks side that would go on to become the most dominant in history, and 2013, when they encountered a Wallabies team that would become World Cup finalists in two years. A team of rich talent risks being overlooked, but Australia are ranked sixth in the world, finished bottom in last year's Rugby Championship and made an embarrassing exit from their last major tournament – to describe them as anything other than underdogs would be incorrect. The Lions are unbeaten since arriving in Australia (AFP via Getty Images) That puts the Lions in a different psychological state than is usual on these trips. The idea of these tours is of a band of Britain and Ireland's best coming together at short notice to battle a Southern Hemisphere beast in their backyard, most often as outsiders. Instead, there will be great expectation from the travelling Sea of Red and those left on far-flung shores that the Lions live up to their declaration of intent on winning 3-0. Pollock's public proclamation is one echoed in private by figures close to the camp, even if the level-headed Farrell is ensuring that the primary focus remains on each day as it comes. But there is a quiet, and entirely understandable, belief among the tourists that they can do something special. There has been a sense that this is a Lions squad of plenty of very good players, if not many, as yet, regarded as truly great ones, but these quadrennial affairs are oftentimes where reputations are forged. For figures like Dan Sheehan and Finn Russell, Lions superstardom may lift them into a more illustrious strata each is already threatening to break into, a leap already made by Maro Itoje on his two previous trips. It is a shame that Australia are not at full strength. The loss of Noah Lolesio, starting to finally look settled as a Test No 10, is a bitter blow both personally and for the collective. Tom Lynagh, starting for the first time in a Wallabies shirt, must cope with the pressure of proving that he is more than just a fabulous story 36 years on from his father's star turn in the first Test of the 1989 series. 'He's got a quiet confidence about him,' Schmidt said, expressing a hope that it would radiate through his team. Tom Lynagh faces huge pressure on his first international start (Getty Images) Injuries to Rob Valetini and Will Skelton are significant blows for the opening encounter, with an assumption that the hosts' game would be predicated on power further proved mislaid by the absence of Angus Bell from the starting side. A fast and loose game may suit a team brimming with athleticism that will compete hard on the floor. Tactically, a duel between Schmidt and Farrell should fascinate. It was Schmidt who extended an opportunity to the Englishman to rebuild his reputation after a tough end to his stint as an assistant with his native nation, the New Zealander recognising the value that an outstanding coaching talent could provide Ireland. The pair formed an effective combination, with the apprentice emerging as a natural successor to the master, and Farrell has built impressively on the foundations laid by Schmidt. A hallmark of each man's side is tactical ingenuity, and both have insisted that they have been holding plenty back. As Farrell explained: 'You just know they are going to be thoroughly prepared and you know he'll give them an inner confidence that they'll be up for a series win as well.' Australia head coach Joe Schmidt (left) and Lions boss Andy Farrell are former colleagues (PA Archive) A first Test win may be a must for Australia for several reasons. Rugby union can struggle here to create cultural cut-through – in a Brisbane barbershop on Wednesday, the sound of the shaver was drowned out by talk of the NRL, AFL and Mitchell Starc's brilliant burst against the West Indies rather than the looming start of this series. Australia loves a winner, mind – and an unexpected Wallabies success this Saturday would perhaps be exactly what this trip needs. The Lions v Australia starts at 10am, with kick off at 11am, on Saturday 19 July on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
British and Irish Lions withstand late Australia pressure to take lead in Test series
The British and Irish Lions lead the series against Australia thanks to a First Test win in Brisbane. Ultimately it was a game of two halves as Andy Farrell's side were the dominant force in the first-half, leading 17-5 at the break thanks in part to a brilliant performance from Finn Russell. From the moment Dan Sheehan increased the lead right at the start of the second half, the First Test looked a forgone conclusion. However, a mixture of the Lions' levels dropping and Australia growing in confidence resulted in a much closer game. Billed as strong favourites to win the first Test at Suncorp Stadium, they surpassed expectations by taking the Wallabies apart in a first half that exposed the gulf in class between the rivals. Flankers Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne were at the heart of their dominance up front with props Ellis Genge and Sheehan delivering strong supporting roles, while Russell cast a spell over the home defence. Russell had serious firepower to unleash in the form of centres Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, the classy number 13 touching down with the omnipresent Curry and Sheehan also crossing. For all the fireworks from the Lions, who had built an unassailable 24-5 lead just seconds after the interval, their play became far more ragged in the final half-hour with Australia's bench having greater impact. It was perhaps a reflection of the effort they had put in during a phase of the match when it looked like men against boys, but the Wallabies' fighting spirit was also evident. Australia finished the stronger side in a development that bodes well for the Tests to come in Melbourne and Sydney and it is hoped bulldozing forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini will return from their calf injuries imminently to take part. With the power of Skelton and Valetini missing, the Wallabies were given little hope and their worst fears came to pass inside the opening 10 minutes as the Lions raced clear with Russell dictating play beautifully. A penalty that rewarded the intent shown by Curry and Beirne at the first breakdown was followed by two sublime passes as part of a move that ended with Tuipulotu strolling over. Curry and Beirne were terrorising the Wallabies in contact and at the breakdown, justifying their selection in the ferociously-competitive flanker positions, while Tuipulotu and Jones were beginning to find their stride. Jones had a try disallowed for not releasing and having just shown steel in defence, the Lions were burgled when Max Jorgensen stripped Hugo Keenan after the full-back had caught the ball before escaping to touch down. Leading 10-5, the tourists needed more points to reflect their dominance after James Lowe and Joe McCarthy went close and their pack duly delivered with Curry producing the last in a series of pick and goes. The second half was just 78 seconds old when the Lions moved out of sight with Curry and Jones instrumental in a try for Sheehan. Australia showed signs of revival with their forwards at the heart of their best passage of play so far that saw Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Harry Potter almost pierce the red wall. The Lions bench was not having the expected impact and instead it was the Wallabies' reinforcements who were making their mark, with a dominant spell ending when Carlo Tizzano barrelled over. The try was richly deserved and in a nod to Australia's growing challenge, Marcus Smith drilled over a penalty to create a 15-point lead before Tate McDermott claimed a late consolation try. Additional reporting by PA.
