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Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
The Breakdown: Lions bench impact hits Wallabies where it hurts with last-gasp heroics
Analysing the key moments in the Lions' dramatic late victory over Australia in Melbourne As Tom Wright ran clear to finish a stunning Australian try on the half-hour mark, the full-back's team-mate Tate McDermott visibly urged him to dot the ball down closer to the posts. Wright didn't take any chances with the finish, but there is no doubt that he could have made the angle for the conversion easier. As it was, Tom Lynagh pulled the kick just wide of the posts, and while the Wallabies still led 23-5, you immediately felt that those two missed points could prove costly, and so it proved given the final three-point margin.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Schmidt says Wallabies must hit the ground running in Melbourne
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt says his young side must hit the ground running in the second Test to have any chance of keeping the British and Irish Lions series alive. The tourists outgunned Australia 27-19 in their opening clash in Brisbane on Saturday, with the scoreline flattering the hosts. They were slow off the mark, conceding a converted try in the eighth minute, and chased the game for much of the first-half. Another early lapse soon the restart saw them slump 24-5 behind before a gutsy fightback ensured they will take some confidence into Melbourne next weekend. "We've got to keep learning fast and hit the ground running next week. Otherwise it becomes a dead rubber in Sydney," Schmidt said, referring to the third and final Test. "Inevitably you're desperate to keep the series alive and I know that the Lions will want to close it out in Melbourne. So Melbourne is going to be massive for both teams." Schmidt will almost certainly be making changes to his starting XV. Experienced forwards Rob Valetini and Will Skelton are fit again and are in line to replace Nick Champion de Crespigny and either Jeremy Williams or Nick Frost. Australia were also noticeably better in the second-half when scrum-half Tate McDermott came off the bench and Angus Bell was installed at loosehead prop, with a case to be made for their inclusion. "I felt the bench added value when they came on. In that last 20 to 25 minutes, we did get a bit of momentum, and we weren't far away," said Schmidt. But with the Lions battle-hardened after winning all six games of their Australia tour so far, the Wallabies know they must lift their level considerably to have any hope of causing an upset at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. "I do think if we can just improve our accuracy, it will help us to be competitive," said Schmidt. "They've got strength and depth, and they came with a plan that they got the better of us in the first quarter, and we've got to start more strongly next week. "There's very much some of our collision area work has to be better, just because we know they're coming so hard there. "There was a few things in the lineup that I think we can tidy up. In contrast, I thought our scrum was very strong." mp/mtp
Al Arabiya
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Wallabies' second-half surge gives Schmidt confidence they can level the series against the Lions
Joe Schmidt saw enough spirit in a second-half comeback by his young Wallabies lineup to feel confident they can level the series next week despite losing the first test to the British and Irish Lions. 'This time last year we would have melted,' Schmidt said after the 27-19 loss on Saturday, 'but I love the way this team is developing.' The Lions overpowered the Australians in the early exchanges and led 24-5 just after halftime. The Lions, coming off a series of five wins in tour games, had all the momentum for the first 50 minutes, and the ball was bouncing their way. But late tries to replacements Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott cut the final margin to eight points. 'Very proud of the way the players fought their way back,' Schmidt said. 'A comparatively young side … still finding their way. There was enough demonstration that were already desperate, but we've got to be more accurate.' The Wallabies have been a work in progress since Schmidt was hired in the wake of Australia's failure to make the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup in 2023. The Wallabies had six wins in 13 tests in a 2024 season that ended in a 22-19 loss to Ireland in Dublin to earn back some credibility and opened this international season with a narrow 21-18 win over Fiji two weeks ago. Another week together and the return of forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini from injury will help the Wallabies next week in Melbourne, where they need a win to ensure the series is alive going into the third and final test in Sydney. 'The team is desperate to keep the series alive,' Schmidt said. 'Melbourne is going to be massive for both teams.' Blindside flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny made his test debut in Brisbane, and 22-year-old Tom Lynagh, son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, started a test for the first time at No. 10. Lynagh made some good runs, kicked well, and defended bravely, but as Schmidt noted, the young flyhalf was forced to be more reactive than proactive in attack because of the way the Lions were dominating the first half. He was tackled in the air by Tom Curry as he leaped to take a high ball just before the break but continued until midway through the second half to help claw back some momentum for the home team. Replacement scrumhalf McDermott had an immediate impact off the bench, creating a try for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii that was disallowed and then scoring one of the two late tries for Australia. British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell is expecting the Australians to be more cohesive and more dangerous in the second test, and he has cautioned his players to look at history. In 2001, the Lions won the first test in Brisbane and then lost in Melbourne and Sydney as Australia rallied for an historic series victory. In 2013, the Lions narrowly won in Brisbane before losing the second test in Melbourne. They needed a big lift in Sydney to clinch that series. 'We know what's coming,' Farrell said. 'We know what happened in the second half here, and we roll into the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013. When an Australia team becomes desperate, it is difficult to handle, so we expect a different game next weekend,' he added. 'We need to make sure we are ready for them to be at their best (because) it'll take a better performance than what we've shown here to make sure we get a win next week.'
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wallabies' second-half surge gives Schmidt confidence they can level the series against the Lions
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Joe Schmidt saw enough spirit in a second-half comeback by his young Wallabies lineup to feel confident they can level the series next week despite losing the first test to the British and Irish Lions. 'This time last year we would have melted," Schmidt said after the 27-19 loss on Saturday, "but I love the way this team is developing.' The Lions overpowered the Australians in the early exchanges and led 24-5 just after halftime. The Lions, coming off a series of five wins in tour games, had all the momentum for the first 50 minutes and the ball was bouncing their way. But late tries to replacements Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott cut the final margin to eight points. 'Very proud of the way the players fought their way back,' Schmidt said. "A comparatively young side ... still finding their way. 'There was enough demonstration that we're already desperate, but we've got to be more accurate." The Wallabies have been a work in progress since Schmidt was hired in the wake of Australia's failure to make the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup in 2023. The Wallabies had six wins in 13 tests in a 2024 season that ended in a 22-19 loss to Ireland in Dublin to earn back some credibility, and opened this international season with a narrow 21-18 win over Fiji two weeks ago. Another week together and the return of forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini from injury will help the Wallabies next week in Melbourne, where they need a win to ensure the series is alive going into the third and final test in Sydney. The team is "desperate to keep the series alive,' Schmidt said. 'Melbourne is going to be massive for both teams.' Blindside flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny made his test debut in Brisbane and 22-year-old Tom Lynagh, son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, started a test for the first time at No. 10. Lynagh made some good runs, kicked well and defended bravely but, as Schmidt noted, the young flyhalf was forced to be more reactive than proactive in attack because of the way the Lions were dominating the first half. He was tackled in the air by Tom Curry as he leaped to take a high ball just before the break but continued until midway through the second half to help claw back some momentum for the home team. Replacement scumhalf McDermott had an immediate impact off the bench, creating a try for Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i that was disallowed and then scoring one of the two late tries for Australia. British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell is expecting the Australians to be more cohesive and more dangerous in the second test, and he has cautioned his players to look at history. In 2001, the Lions won the first test in Brisbane and then lost in Melbourne and Sydney as Australia rallied for an historic series victory. In 2013, the Lions narrowly won in Brisbane before losing the second test in Melbourne. They needed a big lift in Sydney to clinch that series. 'We know what's coming,' Farrell said. 'We know what happened in the second half here and we roll into the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013.' 'When an Australia team becomes desperate, it is difficult to handle, so we expect a different game next weekend," he added. "We need to make sure we are ready for them to be at their best (because) it'll take a better performance than what we've shown here to make sure we get a win next week.' ___ AP rugby:
Associated Press
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Wallabies' second-half surge gives Schmidt confidence they can level the series against the Lions
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Joe Schmidt saw enough spirit in a second-half comeback by his young Wallabies lineup to feel confident they can level the series next week despite losing the first test to the British and Irish Lions. 'This time last year we would have melted,' Schmidt said after the 27-19 loss on Saturday, 'but I love the way this team is developing.' The Lions overpowered the Australians in the early exchanges and led 24-5 just after halftime. The Lions, coming off a series of five wins in tour games, had all the momentum for the first 50 minutes and the ball was bouncing their way. But late tries to replacements Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott cut the final margin to eight points. 'Very proud of the way the players fought their way back,' Schmidt said. 'A comparatively young side ... still finding their way. 'There was enough demonstration that we're already desperate, but we've got to be more accurate.' The Wallabies have been a work in progress since Schmidt was hired in the wake of Australia's failure to make the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup in 2023. The Wallabies had six wins in 13 tests in a 2024 season that ended in a 22-19 loss to Ireland in Dublin to earn back some credibility, and opened this international season with a narrow 21-18 win over Fiji two weeks ago. Another week together and the return of forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini from injury will help the Wallabies next week in Melbourne, where they need a win to ensure the series is alive going into the third and final test in Sydney. The team is 'desperate to keep the series alive,' Schmidt said. 'Melbourne is going to be massive for both teams.' Blindside flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny made his test debut in Brisbane and 22-year-old Tom Lynagh, son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, started a test for the first time at No. 10. Lynagh made some good runs, kicked well and defended bravely but, as Schmidt noted, the young flyhalf was forced to be more reactive than proactive in attack because of the way the Lions were dominating the first half. He was tackled in the air by Tom Curry as he leaped to take a high ball just before the break but continued until midway through the second half to help claw back some momentum for the home team. Replacement scumhalf McDermott had an immediate impact off the bench, creating a try for Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i that was disallowed and then scoring one of the two late tries for Australia. British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell is expecting the Australians to be more cohesive and more dangerous in the second test, and he has cautioned his players to look at history. In 2001, the Lions won the first test in Brisbane and then lost in Melbourne and Sydney as Australia rallied for an historic series victory. In 2013, the Lions narrowly won in Brisbane before losing the second test in Melbourne. They needed a big lift in Sydney to clinch that series. 'We know what's coming,' Farrell said. 'We know what happened in the second half here and we roll into the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013.' 'When an Australia team becomes desperate, it is difficult to handle, so we expect a different game next weekend,' he added. 'We need to make sure we are ready for them to be at their best (because) it'll take a better performance than what we've shown here to make sure we get a win next week.' ___ AP rugby:
