Paisami hunting a Test recall and a Bundee encore
The Queensland Reds No.12 was immense in the opening stages of Wednesday clash with the tourists, his barging runs and clever kicking helping the hosts to a 12-7 lead.
But the Lions stirred, their defence stiffening and attack clicking in a 52-12 win that followed a 54-7 defeat of the Western Force on Saturday.
He lined up against Irish star Aki who, like Samoa-born Paisami, grew up in Auckland.
Aki, 35, left the Chiefs for Connacht in 2014 and has been in Ireland ever since.
The pair were deep in conversation post-game, catching up for the first time since squaring off on the 2022 Spring Tour.
"I'm a big fan of Bundee," Paisami, who moved to Melbourne as a teenager, said.
"He's been in the game for years and what he's done ... it's always special, always a good challenge to face him.
"I was living in Auckland, watching the Chiefs ... his journey from the Chiefs to where he is now; I've always been a fan."
Paisami, 27, exited Wallabies camp ahead of Sunday's Test against Fiji to instead face the Lions and will return on Thursday to submit his 'homework' to coach Joe Schmidt.
Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii shape as the likely midfield pairing against Fiji but Paisami, who has 31 caps, gave Schmidt plenty to ponder.
"For me, coming back to where I love and am happy, it's at Ballymore. So for me it was a bonus," he said of playing for the Reds instead of potentially earning a cap against Fiji.
"For sure (I want to play for the Wallabies against the Lions) and that game there, I got a good taste.
"Joe will be asking questions, where I felt the pressure from.
"So I'll do my homework so when those questions come I know how to answer them.
"Joe's just asking me to be myself. Try and bring that same energy from here."
Reds coach Les Kiss, who will take over from Schmidt at the Wallabies later next year, said he "expected nothing less from Hunter".
"Both of them (Aki and Paisami) were relishing the contest and Hunter was quality," he said.
"Got us on the front foot. that's how we created the momentum. ... he was pretty good."
Lions skipper Maro Itoje, rested against the Force, celebrated his first game in charge with a try while No.7 Jac Morgan was a deserving man of the match.
The Lions will shift camp to Sydney ahead of Saturday's clash with the NSW Waratahs, coach Andy Farrell confident he has enough depth at fullback after Elliot Daly (forearm) was sent for scans in Brisbane.
The tourists have already lost star Welsh halfback Tomos Williams for the series with a hamstring complaint while Hugo Keenan (illness) was a late withdrawal but is expected to be fit to face the Waratahs.
Hunter Paisami hopes it's not the last he'll see of Bundee Aki as the Wallabies wrecking ball dusts himself off from a Lions mauling and returns to camp.
The Queensland Reds No.12 was immense in the opening stages of Wednesday clash with the tourists, his barging runs and clever kicking helping the hosts to a 12-7 lead.
But the Lions stirred, their defence stiffening and attack clicking in a 52-12 win that followed a 54-7 defeat of the Western Force on Saturday.
He lined up against Irish star Aki who, like Samoa-born Paisami, grew up in Auckland.
Aki, 35, left the Chiefs for Connacht in 2014 and has been in Ireland ever since.
The pair were deep in conversation post-game, catching up for the first time since squaring off on the 2022 Spring Tour.
"I'm a big fan of Bundee," Paisami, who moved to Melbourne as a teenager, said.
"He's been in the game for years and what he's done ... it's always special, always a good challenge to face him.
"I was living in Auckland, watching the Chiefs ... his journey from the Chiefs to where he is now; I've always been a fan."
Paisami, 27, exited Wallabies camp ahead of Sunday's Test against Fiji to instead face the Lions and will return on Thursday to submit his 'homework' to coach Joe Schmidt.
Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii shape as the likely midfield pairing against Fiji but Paisami, who has 31 caps, gave Schmidt plenty to ponder.
"For me, coming back to where I love and am happy, it's at Ballymore. So for me it was a bonus," he said of playing for the Reds instead of potentially earning a cap against Fiji.
"For sure (I want to play for the Wallabies against the Lions) and that game there, I got a good taste.
"Joe will be asking questions, where I felt the pressure from.
"So I'll do my homework so when those questions come I know how to answer them.
"Joe's just asking me to be myself. Try and bring that same energy from here."
Reds coach Les Kiss, who will take over from Schmidt at the Wallabies later next year, said he "expected nothing less from Hunter".
"Both of them (Aki and Paisami) were relishing the contest and Hunter was quality," he said.
"Got us on the front foot. that's how we created the momentum. ... he was pretty good."
Lions skipper Maro Itoje, rested against the Force, celebrated his first game in charge with a try while No.7 Jac Morgan was a deserving man of the match.
The Lions will shift camp to Sydney ahead of Saturday's clash with the NSW Waratahs, coach Andy Farrell confident he has enough depth at fullback after Elliot Daly (forearm) was sent for scans in Brisbane.
The tourists have already lost star Welsh halfback Tomos Williams for the series with a hamstring complaint while Hugo Keenan (illness) was a late withdrawal but is expected to be fit to face the Waratahs.
Hunter Paisami hopes it's not the last he'll see of Bundee Aki as the Wallabies wrecking ball dusts himself off from a Lions mauling and returns to camp.
The Queensland Reds No.12 was immense in the opening stages of Wednesday clash with the tourists, his barging runs and clever kicking helping the hosts to a 12-7 lead.
But the Lions stirred, their defence stiffening and attack clicking in a 52-12 win that followed a 54-7 defeat of the Western Force on Saturday.
He lined up against Irish star Aki who, like Samoa-born Paisami, grew up in Auckland.
Aki, 35, left the Chiefs for Connacht in 2014 and has been in Ireland ever since.
The pair were deep in conversation post-game, catching up for the first time since squaring off on the 2022 Spring Tour.
"I'm a big fan of Bundee," Paisami, who moved to Melbourne as a teenager, said.
"He's been in the game for years and what he's done ... it's always special, always a good challenge to face him.
"I was living in Auckland, watching the Chiefs ... his journey from the Chiefs to where he is now; I've always been a fan."
Paisami, 27, exited Wallabies camp ahead of Sunday's Test against Fiji to instead face the Lions and will return on Thursday to submit his 'homework' to coach Joe Schmidt.
Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii shape as the likely midfield pairing against Fiji but Paisami, who has 31 caps, gave Schmidt plenty to ponder.
"For me, coming back to where I love and am happy, it's at Ballymore. So for me it was a bonus," he said of playing for the Reds instead of potentially earning a cap against Fiji.
"For sure (I want to play for the Wallabies against the Lions) and that game there, I got a good taste.
"Joe will be asking questions, where I felt the pressure from.
"So I'll do my homework so when those questions come I know how to answer them.
"Joe's just asking me to be myself. Try and bring that same energy from here."
Reds coach Les Kiss, who will take over from Schmidt at the Wallabies later next year, said he "expected nothing less from Hunter".
"Both of them (Aki and Paisami) were relishing the contest and Hunter was quality," he said.
"Got us on the front foot. that's how we created the momentum. ... he was pretty good."
Lions skipper Maro Itoje, rested against the Force, celebrated his first game in charge with a try while No.7 Jac Morgan was a deserving man of the match.
The Lions will shift camp to Sydney ahead of Saturday's clash with the NSW Waratahs, coach Andy Farrell confident he has enough depth at fullback after Elliot Daly (forearm) was sent for scans in Brisbane.
The tourists have already lost star Welsh halfback Tomos Williams for the series with a hamstring complaint while Hugo Keenan (illness) was a late withdrawal but is expected to be fit to face the Waratahs.
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The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
‘A really sharp pain': Martin Johnson on the eternal regret of losing a Lions series
Martin Johnson captained teams to World Cup victories, Six Nations and Grand Slam titles, European Cup wins and multiple English league championships. The imposing English forward even led the British and Irish Lions to a series win in South Africa in 1997. But when he is walking the dog on a quiet afternoon, the memory that will often pop into his head is the one that got away: the 2001 Lions series in Australia. 'The number one regret in my career,' Johnson says. 'Because I always say in rugby, most of the time when you get beaten, you get beaten right? You come off the field and they've been better than you, and you know. And when you win it's because you've been better. 'In '01 they beat us ... but we had a chance you know? When you've got a chance to win a Lion series, you've got to take it. And we didn't.' Which is to say, Lions tours live long in the memory. Perhaps longest. Johnson will be back in Australia in coming weeks for another Lions tour, his first since retiring in 2005, after signing on as a pundit for Stan Sport. He is confident the Lions can get the job done but is wary of the breezy confidence in the UK and Ireland, where many have believed for a while the Lions will whitewash the Wallabies in the three-Test Test series. As with every Lions tour in Australia since 1989 - when the 12-year cycle began - Johnson believes the series will be a 2-1 result, and the Wallabies shouldn't be written off. 'I've spent a lot of my time in the last few weeks and months telling people in this country (England) do not underestimate playing in the Southern Hemisphere, in places like Australia, against very smart rugby players,' Johnson said. 'That sort of thought (of a whitewash) has been there and people just echo it, people who don't really know the detail; 'Oh we're going to do this and do that', and I'm going 'whoa whoa whoa' this is a Lion's tour.' Pain of 2001 Lions tour After being a shock pick to be a 27-year-old captain of the tour to South Africa in 1997, Johnson earned his spot in the Lions' pantheon by leading the team to a series victory. Four years later the Johnson-led Lions were on the cusp of a second series win, after winning the first Test in Brisbane and leading at halftime in the second Test in Melbourne. 'We're 40 minutes away from winning the series and it turned around, I've never been in a Test match that turned so much from first half to second half as that game,' Johnson said, of the Wallabies' rally from 11-6 down to win 35-14. 'Now you're in a dog fight in the last Test, and that game went to and fro, and we lost it.' The agony was embedded for Johnson, too, after Justin Harrison stole a lineout from his grasp in the dying minutes. 'We should have changed it (the lineout call),' Johnson says. 'I've never really watched that game through. But like any Test match, it's good and bad moments, and taking your opportunities.' Johnson returned to Sydney with England two years later and lifted the Rugby World Cup at the same venue, which helped ease the pain. But not erase it. 'It helps, but '01 still sits there. Your losses, they're more sharp, because it's a really sharp pain when you lose,' Johnson said. 'I was fortunate to win stuff as well. You have both sides and I always say, people say you won this you and won that and I say 'yeah but I lost them all, too'. I lost Lions series, Six Nations Tests, World Cup quarterfinals, European Cup finals … every game imaginable, I've lost. So we've had both sides of it and that's the great thing of sport isn't it. It makes the wins special.' Lessons for the Lions The 2001 tour was also one that helped shape the highly professional Lions machine that motors around the world every four years. After an almost semi-pro trip in 1997, Johnson says the subsequent tour of Australia - led by intense coach Graham Henry - was 'hectic', with barely a minute to spare, on or off the field. It contributed to a divided Lions squad. 'In 97 we were just dipping our toes in professionalism, by 2001 things had changed a heck of a lot, just in everything,' Johnson said. 'I remember 2001 distinctly ... just being there's no there's not a minute to do anything. We were having management meetings in airport departure lounges, because we were training, travelling, so much more than in 1997. We weren't used to handling it … it was all hectic and there was never time to catch your breath. Lots of lessons were learned.' The Wallabies threat Having played, and often beaten, the Wallabies during their 'golden era' at the turn of the century, Johnson has a hardwired respect for Australian rugby. 'People ask you what it's like to play against the All Blacks or the Springboks or the Wallabies, and if I give a national trait that carries through with Australian rugby, I always say they are very smart players,' Johnson says. 'In two ways; they're very, very good with their hands, and can all pass-catch. And with smart coaching, as well, they will negate their weaknesses and try and exploit yours better than any other team. In 2003 that wasn't a great Wallaby scrummage, as we know, and yet they nearly won a World Cup. That takes some smarts.' Johnson coached England for 2008-11 as well, and so can appreciate the Wallabies' upset victory at Twickenham in November last year. It re-affirmed his view of the Wallabies' traits: smart and skilled. 'The win at Twickenham you saw exactly that, didn't you?' Johnson said. 'When they had a chance to score tries, some very, very smart handling and bang they're scoring tries. 'So I've been constantly knocking back people's expectations of a comfortable (Lions) victory in Australia, because Lions tours are tough. They are hard.' Johnson said can see another decider unfolding in Sydney on August 2. 'I have picked 2-1,' Johnson said. 'I was talking with [Wallabies great] Michael Lynagh the other day, about when you're playing you'd take the ugliest Test series in history as long as you win it. But when you get a little bit older you, you're sort of like 'let's have a great series for everyone' you know? 'Something to remember and we can say 'wow we were privileged to be there in '25'.' Is Pollock the new Healey? Johnson laughs when you ask what the 2001 version of Martin Johnson would have made of flashy young English backrower Henry Pollock. The 20-year-old was picked for the Lions after an eye-catching season for Northampton, where he became fodder for countless headlines and social media posts via athletic tries and showmanship. More flowed after Pollock's impressive game against the Western Force, which featured a few try assists and a scuffle. 'It's easy to be a grumpy old man isn't it? He went to school fairly local to me here so my I've known about him coming through his school stuff, I've just been aware of him. No one has ever timed the Lions selection better than him,' Johnson said. 'I was doing an event on Saturday, and he became a big topic of discussion. [Former England forward] Ben Kay was there and he said 'look he's great, because he gets people talking about rugby', which is very true. 'He seems to be polarising but I saw some of the things he did against the Western Force and there was some real savvy rugby there. There's also going to be some mistakes and as he plays at the higher level, the intensity, he's going to find out about that. But I'm sure he's going to be able to adapt to it. It's just how quick.' Johnson said while it's easy to judge someone from afar, the only thing that counted was whether he was earning the respect of the Lions squad. He compared Pollock to his provocative former Leicester, England and Lions teammate Austin Healey, who was always a target of fury for rival fans. 'There's the perception of 'oh he's this and he's that',' Johnson said. 'Most of it, he wasn't really - he wouldn't have lasted as long in the teams he played with if he was not a good guy to play with. Loading 'You know that ACT midweek in '01, when we could have got beaten, who dragged the team back? He was one of the guys who dragged it back to win that game, and that matters. 'Henry Pollock, it'll be interesting because there's an expectation around him, that he might feel he has to live up to. But he's a young guy on a Lions tour, and there's plenty of experience around him.'
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘A really sharp pain': Martin Johnson on the eternal regret of losing a Lions series
Martin Johnson captained teams to World Cup victories, Six Nations and Grand Slam titles, European Cup wins and multiple English league championships. The imposing English forward even led the British and Irish Lions to a series win in South Africa in 1997. But when he is walking the dog on a quiet afternoon, the memory that will often pop into his head is the one that got away: the 2001 Lions series in Australia. 'The number one regret in my career,' Johnson says. 'Because I always say in rugby, most of the time when you get beaten, you get beaten right? You come off the field and they've been better than you, and you know. And when you win it's because you've been better. 'In '01 they beat us ... but we had a chance you know? When you've got a chance to win a Lion series, you've got to take it. And we didn't.' Which is to say, Lions tours live long in the memory. Perhaps longest. Johnson will be back in Australia in coming weeks for another Lions tour, his first since retiring in 2005, after signing on as a pundit for Stan Sport. He is confident the Lions can get the job done but is wary of the breezy confidence in the UK and Ireland, where many have believed for a while the Lions will whitewash the Wallabies in the three-Test Test series. As with every Lions tour in Australia since 1989 - when the 12-year cycle began - Johnson believes the series will be a 2-1 result, and the Wallabies shouldn't be written off. 'I've spent a lot of my time in the last few weeks and months telling people in this country (England) do not underestimate playing in the Southern Hemisphere, in places like Australia, against very smart rugby players,' Johnson said. 'That sort of thought (of a whitewash) has been there and people just echo it, people who don't really know the detail; 'Oh we're going to do this and do that', and I'm going 'whoa whoa whoa' this is a Lion's tour.' Pain of 2001 Lions tour After being a shock pick to be a 27-year-old captain of the tour to South Africa in 1997, Johnson earned his spot in the Lions' pantheon by leading the team to a series victory. Four years later the Johnson-led Lions were on the cusp of a second series win, after winning the first Test in Brisbane and leading at halftime in the second Test in Melbourne. 'We're 40 minutes away from winning the series and it turned around, I've never been in a Test match that turned so much from first half to second half as that game,' Johnson said, of the Wallabies' rally from 11-6 down to win 35-14. 'Now you're in a dog fight in the last Test, and that game went to and fro, and we lost it.' The agony was embedded for Johnson, too, after Justin Harrison stole a lineout from his grasp in the dying minutes. 'We should have changed it (the lineout call),' Johnson says. 'I've never really watched that game through. But like any Test match, it's good and bad moments, and taking your opportunities.' Johnson returned to Sydney with England two years later and lifted the Rugby World Cup at the same venue, which helped ease the pain. But not erase it. 'It helps, but '01 still sits there. Your losses, they're more sharp, because it's a really sharp pain when you lose,' Johnson said. 'I was fortunate to win stuff as well. You have both sides and I always say, people say you won this you and won that and I say 'yeah but I lost them all, too'. I lost Lions series, Six Nations Tests, World Cup quarterfinals, European Cup finals … every game imaginable, I've lost. So we've had both sides of it and that's the great thing of sport isn't it. It makes the wins special.' Lessons for the Lions The 2001 tour was also one that helped shape the highly professional Lions machine that motors around the world every four years. After an almost semi-pro trip in 1997, Johnson says the subsequent tour of Australia - led by intense coach Graham Henry - was 'hectic', with barely a minute to spare, on or off the field. It contributed to a divided Lions squad. 'In 97 we were just dipping our toes in professionalism, by 2001 things had changed a heck of a lot, just in everything,' Johnson said. 'I remember 2001 distinctly ... just being there's no there's not a minute to do anything. We were having management meetings in airport departure lounges, because we were training, travelling, so much more than in 1997. We weren't used to handling it … it was all hectic and there was never time to catch your breath. Lots of lessons were learned.' The Wallabies threat Having played, and often beaten, the Wallabies during their 'golden era' at the turn of the century, Johnson has a hardwired respect for Australian rugby. 'People ask you what it's like to play against the All Blacks or the Springboks or the Wallabies, and if I give a national trait that carries through with Australian rugby, I always say they are very smart players,' Johnson says. 'In two ways; they're very, very good with their hands, and can all pass-catch. And with smart coaching, as well, they will negate their weaknesses and try and exploit yours better than any other team. In 2003 that wasn't a great Wallaby scrummage, as we know, and yet they nearly won a World Cup. That takes some smarts.' Johnson coached England for 2008-11 as well, and so can appreciate the Wallabies' upset victory at Twickenham in November last year. It re-affirmed his view of the Wallabies' traits: smart and skilled. 'The win at Twickenham you saw exactly that, didn't you?' Johnson said. 'When they had a chance to score tries, some very, very smart handling and bang they're scoring tries. 'So I've been constantly knocking back people's expectations of a comfortable (Lions) victory in Australia, because Lions tours are tough. They are hard.' Johnson said can see another decider unfolding in Sydney on August 2. 'I have picked 2-1,' Johnson said. 'I was talking with [Wallabies great] Michael Lynagh the other day, about when you're playing you'd take the ugliest Test series in history as long as you win it. But when you get a little bit older you, you're sort of like 'let's have a great series for everyone' you know? 'Something to remember and we can say 'wow we were privileged to be there in '25'.' Is Pollock the new Healey? Johnson laughs when you ask what the 2001 version of Martin Johnson would have made of flashy young English backrower Henry Pollock. The 20-year-old was picked for the Lions after an eye-catching season for Northampton, where he became fodder for countless headlines and social media posts via athletic tries and showmanship. More flowed after Pollock's impressive game against the Western Force, which featured a few try assists and a scuffle. 'It's easy to be a grumpy old man isn't it? He went to school fairly local to me here so my I've known about him coming through his school stuff, I've just been aware of him. No one has ever timed the Lions selection better than him,' Johnson said. 'I was doing an event on Saturday, and he became a big topic of discussion. [Former England forward] Ben Kay was there and he said 'look he's great, because he gets people talking about rugby', which is very true. 'He seems to be polarising but I saw some of the things he did against the Western Force and there was some real savvy rugby there. There's also going to be some mistakes and as he plays at the higher level, the intensity, he's going to find out about that. But I'm sure he's going to be able to adapt to it. It's just how quick.' Johnson said while it's easy to judge someone from afar, the only thing that counted was whether he was earning the respect of the Lions squad. He compared Pollock to his provocative former Leicester, England and Lions teammate Austin Healey, who was always a target of fury for rival fans. 'There's the perception of 'oh he's this and he's that',' Johnson said. 'Most of it, he wasn't really - he wouldn't have lasted as long in the teams he played with if he was not a good guy to play with. Loading 'You know that ACT midweek in '01, when we could have got beaten, who dragged the team back? He was one of the guys who dragged it back to win that game, and that matters. 'Henry Pollock, it'll be interesting because there's an expectation around him, that he might feel he has to live up to. But he's a young guy on a Lions tour, and there's plenty of experience around him.'
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Fiji have midfield missile aimed at Wallabies' Suaalii
Playing more than 160 VFL games before taking on roles with the Wallabies, All Blacks and now coach of Fiji, Mick Byrne has seen some talented athletes in his time. But the memory of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sticks in his mind as Byrne plots a way to shut down the Wallabies superstar in Sunday's Test in Newcastle. He recalled meeting Suaalii when he was an assistant to Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, with the schoolboy making an immediate impression on the pair. "I remember when 'Cheik' and I first met him when I was at the Wallabies and a young schoolboy came in, before he signed with rugby league, and we knew then that he was a tremendous athlete," Byrne said of the NRL recruit, who will line up for his fourth Test. "I think he offers a dimension to the game that not many athletes can .... it's a bit like Izzy (Israel Folau) in his day as well, that aerial skill set as well as being really well balanced across the ground. "Like a lot of international players we come up against, we've got to keep our eye on him, but I think as a player he just offers another sort of dimension, being that aerial skill set that we'll have to be aware of as well." Byrne named a strong line-up to try to contain Suaalii and the Wallabies, who are looking to make amends after losing their last clash against Fiji at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Byrne has since replaced Simon Raiwalui as coach, but has been able to include 13 players who were part of that historic match in France, posting their first win over Australia in 69 years. That includes the entire forward pack apart from flanker Elia Canakaivata. Fiji have their own midfield weapon in Josua Tuisova, who was key to their success in Saint Etienne, with Byrne looking to get some punch from the inside centre. Weighing 113kg, Tuisova's nicknames are "Human Bulldozer" and "The Bus". "Josh shifts the ball well and he's got great feet and he's a big, strong player," Byrne said of Tuisova, who plays for Racing 92 in France's Top 14. "We've got the opportunity to use him to get across the gain line early ...so being able to have Josh there is awesome for us because he does give us pretty good go-forward." While the World Cup win has bolstered belief, Byrne said the changes to the Wallabies since then presented a different challenge as his team looked to notch a third win in Australia, with the last in 1954. "The last start was two years ago, so different coaching regime, different players on the field, and I like the way (Australia coach Joe Schmidt) has got the Wallabies playing and now they're playing great footy," Byrne said. "So they're a completely different proposition to previous and we've got to be ready for that as they've got threats across the field. "I think it'd be great to beat Australia in Australia, to get a victory on Australian soil."
