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The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Australia legend claims Ireland & Lions scrum-half is ‘easily' better than France skipper Antoine Dupont
WILL GENIA claims that Ireland star Jamison Gibson-Park is the best number nine on the planet. The Australia legend was speaking ahead of the Advertisement 2 Australia legend Will Genia says Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park is the best half-back in the world 2 Genia reckons Leinster star Jamison Gibson-Park is better than France skipper Antoine Dupont Genia, who earned 110-caps for his country his widely regarded as one of the greatest scrum-halves to have played the game was speaking on 'The for Love of Rugby' podcast. And he was speaking 37-year-old Genia insisted that the He said: "I think he's easily the best half-back in the world. Yeah, I do. Advertisement read more on rugby "Dupont is an athletic freak, and he's incredibly skilful - and there's never been anyone like him - my favourite half-backs are guys like yourself, Ben Smith, Fourie du Preez. "Guys with a real sense of finesse, and an ability to act as a playmaker as well - I'm not saying Dupont doesn't do that - not at all, but when I watch Gibson-Park, he reminds me of guys like yourself. "He's real smooth with how he plays the game; he's real decisive. He's got great vision, excellent skills. For me he's definitely the best half-back in the world." A Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union He added: "I'm gonna go with a 2-1 win for The Aussies. We're building nicely really nicely, we've a core group of players who are playing really well domestically. The Papua New Guinea-born number nine went on to add that he thinks Joe Schmidt's side are good enough to win the opening two-tests of the series. He concluded: "We're going to win the first two, and then you boys will win the last one. Ireland players included in Andy Farrell's Lions squad: Jamison Gibson-Park Garry Ringrose Bundee Aki James Lowe Mack Hansen Dan Sheehan Josh van der Flier Jack Conan Tadhg Beirne Tadhg Furlong Andrew Porter Hugo Keenan Ronan Kelleher Joe McCarthy James Ryan Advertisement
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steve Smith in telling photo as Aussies avoid double disaster after Pat Cummins injury blow
The Aussies have received a huge boost in the form of Steve Smith's troublesome elbow, with the cricket star set to play in the ODIs against Sri Lanka and captain the side at the Champions Trophy. With Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Marsh already ruled out, Smith's availability was thrown into doubt when he appeared to re-injure his elbow in the second Test. Smith played in the two-Test series but avoided having to throw, after injuring his elbow while playing in the BBL last month. But he appeared to hyperextend it while diving in the field in the second Test, and then reacted with pain when he made an ill-advised throw on day four. Questions then arose about how Smith would be able to play ODIs without the ability to throw, as he wouldn't be able to hide at first slip like he did in the Tests. But on Tuesday he was seen throwing without pain at training in Colombo, and will take his place in the first ODI against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. And with Cummins and Marsh both out of the Champions Trophy, Smith will assume the captaincy once more. "It feels fine," Smith said about his elbow on Tuesday. "My throwing's probably going to be limited for a little bit. It feels a lot better than it did when I injured it initially during that Big Bash game. It won't affect my batting." Australia won the Champions Trophy in 2006 and 2009, but haven't made it past the group stage at either of the last two editions. It means the Champions Trophy is one of the few major titles currently missing from Australia's bulging cabinet, with all Test bilateral trophies, the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship locked away. "I'd be lying if Champions Trophy isn't at the front of our minds," Smith said. "It's a big ICC tournament for us." Pakistan are the defending champions and will host this year's tournament, which serves as a mini-World Cup of sorts featuring only the top eight teams in ODI cricket. Steve Smith practising his throwing at the Premadasa. Good signs for how his elbow is recovering on the eve of the first ODI #SLvAus — Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) February 11, 2025 RELATED: Marnus cops new blow as Cam Green and Sam Konstas news confirmed Scott Boland detail that could ruin hopes of recall for World Test final Australia will finalise their Champions Trophy squad this week, and need to name replacements for Cummins, Hazlewood, Marsh and Marcus Stoinis. Cummins, Hazlewood and Marsh are all injured, while Stoinis announced his retirement from ODI cricket after being named in the preliminary squad. The Aussies have called six players into their ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series - Tanveer Sangha, Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Spencer Johnson. They will draw that pool to add to their Champions Trophy squad, and could conceivably take all six to Pakistan (with two as travelling reserves). Abbott and Johnson appear the most likely candidates to replace Cummins and Hazlewood, with Mitchell Starc and Nathan Ellis the only other front-line quicks in the squad. Connolly and Fraser-McGurk will likely replace Stoinis and Marsh. Steve Smith (c), Travis Head (vc), Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Short, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa with AAP
Int'l Cricket Council
05-02-2025
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Australia faces massive double injury blow for Champions Trophy
Australia's ICC Champions Trophy plans have been thrown into further disarray with news that skipper Pat Cummins and key seamer Josh Hazlewood are unlikely to travel to feature at the tournament. Every Champions Trophy squad The Aussies have already been dealt a blow with the loss of experienced all-rounder Mitch Marsh due to injury and the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood could further dent the side as they seek a third Champions Trophy title in the 50-over tournament that commences in Pakistan and Dubai on February 19. WATCH: Cummins' dominant spell in 2023 World Cup Final against India Australia's skipper, Pat Cummins, delivered an outstanding performance with figures of 3/34 in his 10-over spell in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 Final against India. Andrew McDonald discussed the latest injury blow on Wednesday and the Australian coach revealed he may need a new skipper for the tournament given the likely absence of current ODI captain Cummins. "Pat Cummins hasn't been able to resume any type of bowling so he's heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain," McDonald told Australian radio station SEN . "Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we've been having conversations with while we've been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They'll be the two that we look at for that leadership post. "They're the two obvious ones. Steve has done a great job here in the (first) Test match (against Sri Lanka). He's done some good work in one-day international cricket across the journey as well. So it's between those two. "But, as I said, Patty is hugely unlikely, which is a bit of shame, and we've also got Josh Hazlewood, who is battling (to be fit) at the moment. So that medical information will land over the next couple of days and we'll be able to shore that up and let everyone know the direction." WATCH: Hazlewood in action at 2023 World Cup Josh Hazlewood took India's fifth wicket. Teams have until February 12 to submit their final squads of 15 to the ICC for the tournament and if Cummins and Hazlewood join Marsh on the sidelines then Australia will be on the lookout for three new players. Australia great Ricky Ponting recently threw up uncapped all-rounder Mitch Owen for Marsh's vacant role when speaking on The ICC Review , while Sean Abbott and Spencer Johnson are other pace options which may be considered. Ponting floats left-field name to replace Marsh at Champions Trophy WATCH: Behind the scenes of Australia's World Cup success in 2023 The Cricket World Cup trophy was lifted for a record sixth time by Australia. The Aussies are drawn in Group B at the Champions Trophy alongside Afghanistan, England and South Africa, ahead of a potential berth in the knockout stages of the eight-team tournament. Australia preliminary squad: Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa (squad yet to be finalised) ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 News
