Latest news with #outback
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Lions lay down series marker and ease to victory over Australia in first Test
Winning the first Test does not guarantee a series victory but Australia are already hanging on by their fingernails. On the evidence of this contest it is going to take something remarkable to stop the Lions from finishing the job in Melbourne next Saturday and, with thousands of travelling fans cheering them on, Andy Farrell's side have firm control of their own destiny. There were moments in the first half when the Lions were so dominant it felt akin to watching a juggernaut thundering through the outback, scattering everything in sight like skittles. They were unable to sustain it but the visitors' dominance in the opening 50 minutes was such that the winning margin should have been wider. From Finn Russell's insouciant brilliance to Tom Curry's relentless tackling, the Lions were a cut above in the areas that mattered most. The last half-hour was more competitive – boosted by their bench the Wallabies won the last 38 minutes of the game 14-3 – but some of that was down to the Lions being able to take their collective foot off the gas. From a relatively early stage there was no doubt about the winners and tries from Sione Tuipulotu, Curry and Dan Sheehan ensured the Lions were in effect home and hosed by the start of the second half. The home side were at least kept in the game by the Lions' loss of second-half rhythm but they were 24-5 behind by the 41st minute. They should now be able to welcome back the forceful Rob Valetini and Will Skelton but if they finish a comfortable second in the second Test at the MCG the debate surrounding the future shape of Lions tours of Australia will intensify. That said, try telling the thousands of red-shirted Lions fans on the ground that winning in Australia will ever lose its lustre. Walking through the hordes on Caxton Street before the game, the occasional splash of gold was the only hint that another team might be involved. The now-familiar sea of red was in danger of becoming an ocean and it was the same inside the stadium. To stand any chance the Wallabies needed to find a way of silencing the red army as swiftly as possible. And avoiding the kind of self-inflicted howlers that, as David Campese can testify, can sway the biggest occasions. They reckoned without Russell, who never needs his opponents' permission to declare his genius. Having slotted an early penalty to reward a turnover forced by Tadhg Beirne, the fly-half gave the Wallabies further notice of his intentions with a lovely offload to a charging Sheehan. The Lions rumbled on towards the line and, with the defence stretched, another beautifully judged long ball from Russell gave Tuipulotu the easiest of run-ins. The Frankston-reared centre was desperate to be part of this tour back to his homeland for precisely this sort of moment. Worse seemed about to follow for the Wallabies when James Lowe escaped the clutches of Max Jorgensen down the left and Huw Jones appeared to have scored his side's second try. Luckily for the hosts, it was ruled out because Jones was still being fractionally held as he rolled out of Jorgensen's desperate cover tackle. Australia Wright; Jorgensen, Suaalii, Ikitau (Kellaway 68), Potter; Lynagh (Donaldson 60), Gordon (McDermott 58); Slipper (Bell 49), Faessler (Pollard 49), Alaalatoa (Robertson 57), Frost, Williams (Hooper 58), Champion de Crespigny (Tizzano 66), McReight, Wilson (capt). Tries Jorgensen, Tizzano, McDermott. Cons Donaldson 2. British & Irish Lions Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Tuipulotu (Aki 57), Lowe, Russell (M Smith 66), Gibson-Park (Mitchell 74); Genge (Porter 48), Sheehan (Kelleher 60), Furlong (Stuart 57), Itoje (capt), McCarthy (Chessum 43), Beirne, Curry (Earl 57), Conan. Tries Tuipulotu, Curry, Sheehan. Conversions Russell 3. Penalties Russell, M Smith. Referee Brendan O'Keeffe (NZ) Even without it the Lions still had a 10-point cushion and the Wallabies were clinging on in every sense. Without Valetini they were finding it hard to make any gainline dents and nothing was coming easily. It was a sizeable bonus, therefore, when Hugo Keenan was stripped of a high ball by Jorgensen and the wing stole away to put Australia belatedly on the board. The balance of play, though, was overwhelmingly with the Lions. They were winning the power battle and had a couple more decent opportunities before scoring their second try. This time it was Curry who provided the finishing touch from close range, to cap a typically influential half of rugby. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion The second half was only a minute old when the Lions scored again, a nice attacking line from Jones and Curry's pass putting Sheehan over in the right corner. The Wallabies almost responded through Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, only for the referee to rule it out for not dissimilar reasons to Jones's previous non-try. At that point, even so, the odds on the Lions scoring only one further penalty goal from Marcus Smith, on as a replacement for Russell who left the fray after 66 minutes with cramp, would have been lengthy. The Lions would have wanted their bench to supply more oomph but the Wallabies, by contrast, seemed to be energised by some of their replacements. Still, with Harry Potter having narrowly failed to score in the left corner, they had to wait until the last seven minutes for Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott to add a touch of respectability to the final scoreline. The Lions, for whom Beirne, Ellis Genge, Jamison Gibson-Park and Tuipulotu further enhanced their reputations, will not want that pattern to be repeated in Melbourne and will also be aware that no series ever runs totally smoothly. In 2001 they won the first Test in Brisbane only to contrive to lose the last two Tests. Last time around in South Africa, just when they felt they had an advantage, the same thing happened. The chief takeaway from this still Brisbane evening, nonetheless, will be the Lions' first-half superiority, rather than the second-half drop-off. While both sides will probably be better for this runout, Farrell's Lions are now in pole position and also appear to have more in the tank.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Lions lay down series marker and ease to victory over Australia in first Test
Winning the first Test does not guarantee a series victory but Australia already need a minor miracle. On the evidence of this contest it is going to take something pretty remarkable to stop the Lions from wrapping things up in Melbourne next Saturday and, with thousands of travelling fans cheering them on, Andy Farrell's side now have firm control of their own destiny. There were moments in the first half when the Lions were so dominant that it felt akin to watching a juggernaut thundering through the outback, skittling everything in sight. They were unable to sustain it but the visitors' dominance in the first 50 minutes was such that the winning margin could have been wider. From Finn Russell's insouciant brilliance to Tom Curry's relentless tackling, the Lions were a cut above in the areas that mattered most. The last half-hour was rather more competitive but this outcome will worry everyone involved with Australian rugby. From a relatively early stage there was no doubt about the winners and tries from Sione Tuipulotu, Curry and Dan Sheehan ensured the Lions were in effect home and hosed by the start of the second half. The home side were only kept in the game by the Lions' loss of second-half rhythm, by which point it was a case of too little too late. They were 24-5 behind by the 41st minute and, if they cannot pose a bigger threat in the second Test at the MCG, the debate surrounding the future shape of Lions tours of Australia will only intensify. That said, try telling the thousands of red-shirted Lions fans on the ground that winning in Australia will ever lose its lustre. Walking through the hordes on Caxton Street before the game, the occasional splash of gold was the only hint that another team might be involved. The now-familiar sea of red was in danger of becoming an ocean and it was the same inside the stadium. To stand any chance the Wallabies needed to find a way of silencing the red army as swiftly as possible. And avoiding the kind of self-inflicted howlers that, as David Campese can testify, can sway the biggest occasions. They reckoned without Russell, who never needs his opponents' permission to declare his genius. Having slotted an early penalty to reward a turnover forced by Tadhg Beirne, the fly-half gave the Wallabies further notice of his intentions with a lovely offload to a charging Sheehan. The Lions rumbled on towards the line and, with the defence stretched, another beautifully judged long ball from Russell gave Tuipulotu the easiest of run-ins. The Frankston-reared centre was desperate to be part of this tour back to his homeland for precisely this sort of moment. Worse seemed about to follow for the Wallabies when James Lowe escaped the clutches of Max Jorgensen down the left and Huw Jones appeared to have scored his side's try. Luckily for the hosts it was ruled out because Jones was still being fractionally held as he rolled out of Jorgensen's desperate cover tackle. Even without it, the Lions still had a 10-point cushion and the Wallabies were clinging on in every sense. Without big Rob Valetini they were finding it hard to make any gainline dents and nothing was coming easily. It was a sizeable bonus, therefore, when Hugo Keenan was stripped of a high ball by Jorgensen and the winger stole away to put Australia belatedly on the board. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Australia Wright; Jorgensen, Suaalii, Ikitau (Kellaway 68), Potter; Lynagh (Donaldson 60), Gordon (McDermott 58); Slipper (Bell 49), Faessler (Pollard 49), Alaalatoa (Robertson 57), Frost, Williams (Hooper 58), De Crespigny (Tizzano 66), McReight, Wilson (capt). Tries Jorgensen, Tizzano, McDermott. Cons Donaldson 2. British & Irish Lions Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Tuipulotu (Aki 57), Lowe, Russell (M Smith 66), Gibson-Park (Mitchell 74); Genge (Porter 48), Sheehan (Kelleher 60), Furlong (Stuart 57), Itoje (capt), McCarthy (Chessum 43), Beirne, Curry (Earl 57), Conan. Tries Tuipulotu, Curry, Sheehan. Conversions Russell 3. Penalties Russell, M Smith. Referee Brendan O'Keeffe (NZ) The balance of play, though, was overwhelmingly with the Lions. They were winning the power battle and had a couple more decent opportunities before scoring their second try. This time it was Curry who provided the finishing touch from close range to cap a typically influential half of rugby. The second half was only a minute old when the Lions scored again, a nice attacking line from Jones and Curry's pass putting Sheehan over in the right corner. The Wallabies then almost scored through Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, only for the referee to rule it out, but ultimately had to wait until the final seven minutes for Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott to add a touch of respectability to the final scoreline.
Auto Car
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Going off-grid with the £190k 'Bentley of caravans'
The information I'm sent before I collect the Bruder EXP-7 (I feel a little strange calling it a caravan, but we'll come back to that) contains some surprises. There's no bedding or kitchenware inside, I'm told, but there is a washer-dryer. Now, I went caravanning when I was a kid, and I can still remember the noise of the pump when we had to pedal a lever repeatedly to draw water to the tap. People with water containers that were round barrels so they could be rolled rather than carried across the campsite were positively flash gits. But now I'm going to try a caravan with a washing machine? Swoon. I'm sure things have moved on a bit in the conventional caravan world, but even by today's standards the Bruder EXP-7 is a bit special. It's from an Australian company founded by two brothers – hence the Bruder logo with kangaroos as umlauts – who grew up camping and being driven around the outback, and who kind of haven't stopped. They would go to places that would quickly leave a conventional caravan looking like it had been used in one of those novelty banger races, so what they make, it says here, are described as 'luxury off-road expedition trailers'. Sometimes companies over-egg a description, but maybe not this lot, I think, as I have a nose around the EXP-7 outside Bentley's Crewe factory. There's no official tie-in with Bentley, by the way. The people there just thought the Bruder was quite the thing, and I think they're keen to remind people that the Bentayga is a properly accomplished tow car and off-roader. There is a perception sometimes that luxury is about five-star hotels and restaurants you can't get into. I'm not sure that's the only case: luxury, for me, is naffing off from all of that, being in a wide open space, on your own terms, in your own time, where the office can't find you and you can't get social media fomo because there's no phone reception.
SBS Australia
6 days ago
- SBS Australia
Remarkable survival story prompts reminders on travel safely in Australia's outback
"She spent one day with the car after it became bogged? and then she moved on from there, so she was essentially out in the wilderness for eleven nights which is significant and just brings us back to how lucky she was that she was located safely and well and how thankful we are that we managed to find her. She basically looked at the direction of the sun and tried to head west, thinking that would be her best bet to come across someone or a road." That's Western Australia's Acting Detective Inspector Jessica Securo at a press conference over the weekend. She detailed just how a 26-year-old German backpacker survived the brutal 12-day ordeal alone in the outback. Carolina Wilga has been discharged from a Perth hospital after surviving nearly two weeks lost in remote Western Australia. She was treated for dehydration and minor injuries - she is safe, walking, and has reunited with loved ones. Detective Inspector Securo says family members in Germany were overwhelmed. "They were in disbelief that a community can come together and just throw every resource at locating their daughter." From the hospital, Ms Wilga revealed why she abandoned her vehicle: she hit her head after losing control of her van, and strayed from the bogged car in a state of confusion. In a police statement, Ms Wilga also thanked the motorist who found her last Friday, as well as police, searchers and medical staff. Tania was the woman who found her. She told ABC News of the moment she saw Ms Wilga. "I knew it was her straight away. I was coming back from Beacon because I'd been down to pick up my trailer and yeah she was on the side of the road, waving her hand." Ms Wilga left her hometown of Castrop-Rauxel in Germany with big dreams, to see every corner of this vast country. She'd walked for 11 days - sleeping in a cave, surviving by drinking from rainwater and puddles on the ground. Caro Ryan is the Bush Search and Rescue Deputy Unit Commander at SES New South Wales. She recommends the TREK method for adventure seekers looking to travel in Australia. "Trek acronym, TREK, and it stands for T, which is take everything you need. So that's going to be your food and your water. Take a little bit extra, you don't know if you're going to get delayed. Take a first aid kit, take some warm layers of clothes, take a map and a compass or a good way of navigating - you might have a digital app, something like that. Make sure you've definitely then got your battery pack, a power bank for your phone to keep that phone working." She says a paper map is helpful, and there are good packing lists available online. "Then the R is for register your intention, which is really just a fancy way of saying tell somebody where you're going. It's really important. So not only tell someone where you're going, but get specific. Tell them what track you're going to do in what area, where you're going to leave your car, how long you're going to be, and let them know when you're back as well." Ms Ryan says having a personal locator beacon can be a lifesaver. "Then E stands for emergency communications. So you think about these wild places we have all across Australia so many times we don't have mobile phone coverage, and having a way of communicating if something goes wrong or even just to let someone know you're running late is essential. So having a PLB, that's a personal locator beacon, it's a small device, fits in the palm of your hand. You can either buy them or rent them and they're absolute lifesavers." And lastly, familiarise yourself with the intended journey. "Finally we've got K, which is know your route and stick to it. So that's really about planning the trip that's right for you, for your experience, for the skills that you might have for your level of fitness and making sure you've got good information about that track that you're going to be doing as well. There's a great system in Australia, we've got the Australian walking track grading system, and our tracks all across Australia are graded from one to five, whereas five is really hard." Sergeant Jim Armstrong is from the WA Police Emergency Operations Unit. He says research and preparation is key - from informing someone that you're going to choosing the right type of clothing and equipment. "One thing that we recommend is offline mapping. So with most phones that have Google, there'll be a mapping feature and in the settings there, there's a thing called offline mapping and what you can do is actually select an area that you're intending to go to and you won't need to have phone coverage for your mapping to still function." And Sergeant Armstrong says people often try to do things they're not equipped to do. "We often see people attempting to do some serious four-wheel drive off-road adventures in their commuter vehicles, which are just totally unsuitable for the conditions. So it's important that your vehicle is suitable and it's also mechanically sound and checked out before you leave. Now with regard to your advanced planning for your trip, have a look at the resources you have and also have a self-rescue plan if something were to go wrong and an idea of what you intend to do." It's always recommended to stay with the vehicle but if that isn't possible, he says, leave a clear trail. "If you reach a point at a track like a fork or you have to make a decision to go left or right, leave a pile of rocks on the track with an arrow with some sticks, just pointing in the direction you've gone. It just makes things a lot easier when we're out searching if we come across something like that, we know which way to keep searching. When you are camped up for the night, consider a small fire. Obviously we don't want fires to get out of control, but a small fire with the smoke and the heat can be easily spotted by a plane or a helicopter." Sergeant Armstrong says any reflective device like a mirror can attract attention to your location. Despite everything she's been through, WA Police say Ms Wilga still loves Australia and has plans to see the rest of the country, including travelling across to the east coast.
ABC News
6 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
NT Parks' safety reminder after second Larapinta Trail hiker rescued in one week
Northern Territory Parks is reminding hikers to carry personal location devices and be well prepared when they head into the outback after a man was rescued from the Larapinta Trail in central Australia this week. Perth resident Mark Foley was walking the breathtaking track through the West MacDonnell Ranges/Tjoritja National Park west of Alice Springs when he started to feel unwell. "I had a skin sore, which one of the guys was fixing up and I all of a sudden felt very dizzy," the 62-year-old said. Mr Foley and his friends were well prepared and one of them used a device to send out the alarm. A few hours later, Mr Foley was airlifted to Alice Springs Hospital, where he received treatment for infection and dehydration. Senior director for Parks and Wildlife Operations Chris Day said the incident was the second rescue of a hiker from the Larapinta Trail that week. "It starts well before you get on the walk, that's the key. It's planning and preparation," the Parks ranger of 44 years said. Mr Day recommended all hikers or people adventuring into the outback carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) so rescuers could easily find them in an emergency. "Number one is that communication device, the personal locator beacon, or increasingly these days these messaging devices, which both have the ability to raise an alarm," he said. Source: Northern Territory Parks After a three-day stint resting in Alice Springs, Mr Foley was given the all clear by doctors to return to the trail. "I rejoined the trip at Standley Chasm," he said. Mr Foley said the experience had not deterred him from future hikes, but he was grateful his group was carrying a location and communication device. "It's just so essential," he said.
