Latest news with #TanielaTupou
France 24
7 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Beale says First Nations and Pasifika XV deserve more fixtures
The combative side comprised of Australians with First Nations or Pasifika heritage were largely written off before the clash in Melbourne on Tuesday after limited preparation. But their passion and bone-rattling physicality surprised the tourists, who essentially fielded a B team, but still packed with top-class players. The hosts scrubbed out an early 14-0 deficit to keep the contest on a knife edge, eventually losing 24-19 in a game that could have gone either way. "I think so," said 95-Test veteran Beale when asked if the concept should be more than a one-off. "You can see how much heart the boys played with. There's so much talent here. "I think it's a great platform for all the young Pasifika and First Nations kids out there watching. Hopefully they can look at this jersey and some will aspire to it in future. "I want this to be a fixture that sticks in the annual calendar," he added. The host's tactics of aggressive, in-your-face physicality unsettled the Lions in a blueprint for how Joe Schmidt's Wallabies could approach the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. Beale said he hoped the lessons had been learned. "You need to take it to them, head on," he told reporters. "It created opportunities for us. I think playing rugby, you need physicality to lay the platform for your backs to play off." Much of the brute force was provided by towering lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and prop Taniela Tupou, who did their hopes of an Australia recall no harm. Coach Toutai Kefu said the pair deserved another crack at the Test arena. "I definitely would look at investing in him (Salakaia-Loto) and bringing him into the squad," he said. "Taniela is a work in progress -- his set piece was world class. When he's on song there's probably not many better." © 2025 AFP
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Build-up as British and Irish Lions face First Nations & Pasifika XV
Update: Date: 10:10 BST Title: Team news - First Nations and Pasifika XV Content: First Nations & Pasifika XV v Lions (11:00 BST) With a combined 153 Australia caps, Kurtley Beale and Taniela Tupou are the big names in the First Nations and Pasifika XV. Flanker Charlie Gamble starts in the back row after impressing against the Lions for New South Wales Waratahs. He won four turnovers in that game and the Lions simply could not deal with his ground work. First Nations and Pasifika XV: Muirhead; Reilly, Foketi, Feliuai, Daugunu; Beale, Thomas; Ieli, Paenga-Amos, Tupou, Swain, Salakaia-Loto, Uru, Gamble, Tualima. Replacements: Asiata, Pearce, Doge, Vocevoce, Leota, Goddard, Debreczeni, McLeod. Update: Date: 10:06 BST Title: Tupou aims to impress Schmidt Content: First Nations & Pasifika XV v Lions (11:00 BST) Kurtley Beale is one of only 15 indigenous Australians to have represented the Wallabies and is one of six indigenous players in the matchday 23, with the rest of the squad made up of players with Pacific Islands heritage. Tonga-born prop Taniela Tupou, who has 58 caps for Australia, starts and is the one to watch. The 29-year-old has struggled to reach his previous best form and has been released by Australia head coach Joe Schmidt to play the game. He also featured against the Lions for the New South Wales Waratahs. Could he force his way back into Test contention? Tupou has been open about his recent confidence struggles on the pitch. Not many props in world rugby live with the best version of Tupou, who has the nickname 'Tongan Thor', which sums up his size and power. Alex Mitchell knows that..... Update: Date: 10:03 BST Title: 'The red sea will be coming down all excited' - Beale Content: First Nations & Pasifika XV v Lions (11:00 BST) Veteran Wallaby Kurtley Beale captains the First Nations and Pasifika XV after overcoming a hamstring injury that ruled him out of facing the Lions for Western Force in the opening tour game. The 36-year-old played in all three Tests 12 years ago against the Lions and slipped when attempting to convert a match-winning penalty to win the first Test. "There are some classy players and some real talent. To lead them on to the park against the Lions is an absolute privilege and huge honour," Beale said. "We are hoping to get a really good healthy crowd. The red sea (of Lions fans) will be coming down all excited after the first Test win in Brisbane. It will be a wonderful occasion." Update: Date: 10:00 BST Title: The final game for many Content: First Nations & Pasifika XV v Lions (11:00 BST) It is the final midweek game of the Lions' tour of Australia. Andy Farrell has opted to rest his Test starters but there is still plenty to play for. Who can force their way into the matchday 23 on Saturday? How players will be playing their final game in a Lions shirt? This game against the First Nations and Pasifika XV is likely to bring plenty of talking points.
ABC News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Live updates: First Nations Pasifika XV vs British and Irish Lions at Docklands stadium
The British and Irish Lions start their Melbourne Test week by taking on a First Nations Pasifika XV featuring Kurtley Beale and Taniela Tupou. Follow all the action from Docklands stadium in our live blog.
Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Times
First Nations & Pasifika XV v British & Irish Lions live: score, commentary, updates
The once dynamic and destructive 24st tight-head prop has lost his spark, but would love last chance to win series against Lions before heading to Racing 92 on a bumper new deal. Having played the Lions already for the Waratahs two weeks ago, today's game will probably be the Tongan Thor's final opportunity to impress Joe Schmidt and fulfil that goal. Read Alex Lowe's full interview from July 7 here. The 33-year-old will captain the Lions on his fourth tour today, knowing that a strong performance at inside centre could earn him a Test spot. After taking some time away from the international stage to protect his mental health, Farrell now has a fresh, lighter perspective on the game, and has talked about himself having fun on this tour. Read the full piece from Alex Lowe here. There are plenty of Australia hopefuls in the First Nations & Pasifika team who will be keen to impress the head coach Joe Schmidt before the final two Test matches, such as Darcy Swain, Taniela Tupou and Filipo Daugunu. Captaining the side is Kurtley Beale, now 36, who played in all three Lions Tests 12 years ago, will be hoping for better luck than he had in the first Test of that year, when he slipped while taking a potentially match-winning penalty late in the game. A reminder of team news for this morning's match… Owen Farrell captains the side on his fourth Lions tour after being called up as injury cover for his former England team-mate Elliot Daly, while Fin Smith and Henry Pollock also start. There's an all Scottish back three of Duhan van der Merwe, the recently arrived Darcy Graham and the Test hopeful Blair Kinghorn at full back, whose tour has been disrupted by injuries. Having missed out on selection for the first Test, the Wales flanker Jac Morgan is back in the side. Good morning and welcome to the Times' live coverage of the British & Irish Lions' final tour match in Australia. Andy Farrell's side face a First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne before two final Test matches against the Wallabies at the MCG and Accor Stadium in Sydney. Keep up to date with expert analysis and insight from our writers at the ground in Melbourne.
Sydney Morning Herald
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
The snub fuelling First Nations and Pasifika team in battle with Lions
'We all had similar stories. We didn't come from the most wealthy backgrounds, and our parents did as much as they could to put each of us in a position where we could excel in our life ... so in that sense, we definitely connected a lot.' The odds are stacked against the First Nations and Pasifika side due to their limited preparation together and given the ruthless manner in which the Lions took apart the more vaunted AUNZ side. Meanwhile, star prop Taniela Tupou said he is 'at peace' if the Marvel Stadium clash is his last game in Australia. Tupou, who was released from the Wallabies camp to play for the First Nations and Pasifika team, has signed a two-year deal to play for Racing 92 in France at the end of his current contract. There is strong speculation Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt won't call on overseas-bound players for the Rugby Championship, and there would then be no certainty around Tupou's involvement in the Rugby World Cup in 2027. 'Look, I'm here having fun, enjoying it, whatever happens, happens,' Tupou said of his Test future. 'So if I'm back, I'm back and if not, I'm living life, I'm enjoying it. Just play my footy tomorrow and then see what happens after that ... hopefully I will play again, if not, then I'm at peace with it.' The Lions, who named a strong team with Owen Farrell as captain, have spoken about going undefeated on their tour of Australia. But they've also called in five players just to play in this fixture, to protect Test stars. Asked if the First Nations and Pasifika players felt like they being underestimated, hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa said: 'We know that, we know that very well, we know that they're not really focused on us, and that's okay. 'I guess we don't really want to talk about it too much, we just want to show them what we're made of and what we can do - what we've got essentially,' he said. Paenga-Amosa said the side would need more than a free-flowing Barbarians-style approach to beat the Lions. Gamble and his teammates watched the AUNZ team's 48-point defeat in Adelaide and are motivated to put in a superior performance to create a legacy for the First Nations and Pasifika squad that could follow them on the Lions next tour of Australia.
