The Lions will have beers flowing but champagne on hold after failing to whitewash Australia in the third Test with a 22-12 defeat - it is a mini sweetener for the Wallabies but neither team will feel satisfied with the series outcome, writes NIK SIMON
History will remember the class of 2025 as series winners but there will forever be a nagging feeling that they did not finish the job. It was a good outcome, two Tests to one, but not one that will propel them into the pantheon of greatness.
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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
'It would be cool to be the fastest of all time'
British sprinter Matthew Richardson wants to become the "fastest track cyclist of all time" as he aims to break the 200m flying start time trial world record in Turkey next who switched his allegiance to Great Britain from Australia after the Paris Olympics last summer, is attempting to break the record that stands at 9.088 is one of three British cyclists bidding to break records on the same track on 14 August, with Charlie Tanfield attempting the elite hour mark and para-cyclist Will Bjergfelt taking on the C5 category hour milestone."It has a nice ring to it, being the fastest track discipline," Richardson said. "There's no extra caveats to it afterwards - it's in a flat 200 [metres], you reached the highest peak speed possible on the track. It'd be cool, if I do it, to call myself the fastest of all time," Richardson, who was born in Maidstone, Kent and moved to Western Australia aged nine, won two silver medals and a bronze for Australia last summer before switching his won a trio of sprint titles at the British Track Championships at the start of the year, and followed it with two golds on his Great Britain debut at the Nations Cup in March, on the Konya track in Turkey where the new attempts will all take briefly set a new flying 200m record at the Olympics of 9.091 seconds, before Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen broke it minutes 26-year-old said he was "confident" going into next week and that the record would fall below nine seconds soon - a feat that requires speeds of more than 80km/hr."I'm pretty confident that I'm in a really good place to get the job done," he said."It's a bit of a race between Harrie and I to be the first person to do it [break nine seconds]. It's been on my radar for the last couple of years as the world's got a bit closer and closer to going below nine." Tanfield is aiming to become the fourth British man to break the hour record, registering the biggest distance cycled around a track in 60 minutes - since the UCI (International Cycling Union) changed the rules in 2014 - following Alex Dowsett, Bradley Wiggins and Dan current record stands at 56.792km set by Italy's Filippo Ganna in 2022."I identified this year after the Games as a time when I'd have the freedom to give it a go," Tanfield said."I've been preparing for this since I started training again after the Games, so there's been months of training and learning to get to this point. On the day my goal is to execute the perfect ride for my ability, if can do that and put it all together I'll be happy." 'I want to be the first para-cyclist to crack 50km' Bjergfelt said the C5 hour record of 47.569km, set in 2014 by Italy's Andrea Tarlao, had been something he had wanted to attempt for a long time. The 46-year-old believes the advancements in technology over the past 11 years make not only breaking it achievable but also adding considerably to the distance."Aerodynamics have evolved massively, I feel I'll be in a very, very good place to forward the record on and push it on and make it something big again," Bjergfelt said."I definitely want to see if I can crack 50km, if so I'll be the first C5 para-cyclist to break that barrier. That would be something that's pretty special. "I want to put out there that if you do have an impairment or a slight disability there's so many amazing things that you can do that it shouldn't hold anyone back." Bjergfelt made history in 2021 as the first para-cyclist to race in the men's Tour of Britain and he is back juggling full-time work as an engineer alongside racing after taking two years off to focus on hour record is known for being one of the most gruelling tests in cycling and Bjergfelt said the challenge is managing your effort to perfection."With the hour record you have to be really conservative in the first 40-45 minutes. You still want to be on a pace to beat the record but you have to be really within yourself, because it's an effort that comes back to bite you," he said. "In that last 10, 15 minutes that's where hopefully I'll be on pace to have broken the record and at the same time I'll still have enough in the tank to really extend myself in the last five minutes."
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Lions writer awards: man of the series, unsung hero and where tourists should go next
Man of series Finn Russell was at the heart of everything the Lions did well. Calm, assured, skilful and accurate from the tee. Chapeau. Try of series Tom Wright, second Test, Melbourne. What a ripper! Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's midfield break split the Lions wide open and Wright's touchdown put his side 23-5 up. Biggest villain Has to be Australia's now-convicted 'mushroom murderer' Erin Patterson. Her shocking court case pushed the Lions way down the news agenda. Unsung hero Jac Morgan. The brave back-rower never started a Test but Wales's solitary representative did himself – and his country – proud. Favourite moment Everything about the second Test was brilliant. The stroll down to the iconic MCG, the pre-match vibe – excellent use of AC/DC's Hells Bells as intro music – followed by a belting game in front of 90,000 fans. This year's cricket Ashes will be fun. Worst moment Idly looking around for my laptop bag only to realise – agh! – I'd left it in a Sydney taxi which was now 25km away. Fortunately, there was a happy ending. This Lions tour was … A reminder that sport is nothing without an audience. The previous Lions tour in South Africa took place behind closed doors; this one was enhanced by up to 40,000 visiting supporters, many of whom have been saving up to make the trip for years. All hail the sea of red. Next stop for Lions should be … To sit down and reimagine what future Lions tours should look like. Australia in 2037 including games in Japan and Fiji? France? South America? Or maybe an oval-ball Ryder Cup equivalent: Europe v the Rest of the World? Before somebody else launches it instead. Man of series Will Skelton, Australia. The cumulative scoreboard reflects that with the 23st second row on the field, the Wallabies comfortably outscored the Lions. The overarching feeling at full-time in Sydney was just what might have happened had he been fit in Brisbane. Try of series Tomos Williams for Lions v Western Force. Williams's second try of the match was a peach. Mack Hansen made the initial break, offloading inside to James Lowe, who found Williams dashing down the wing. The scrum-half exchanged passes with Lowe again before diving in the corner. Such a shame he injured his hamstring in doing so. Biggest villain Not one individual but the TMO – a role occupied by various officials throughout – did not have a great tour. In Sydney on Saturday, Dan Sheehan's blatant illegal clearout on Tom Lynagh went unpunished before a second-half check for the most innocuous of occurrences. Unsung hero Charlie Gamble, Waratahs and First Nations & Pasifika XV. Maybe not unsung given he was named player of the match for the FNP side and was praised for his performance for the Waratahs, but the beauty of tours such as this is watching players such as Gamble rewarded with an unlikely appearance in the series. Alas it didn't happen. Favourite moment Owen Farrell giving his boots to a child who had run on to the pitch in Sydney, only to be led away by security. These are the sorts of gestures made by Farrell that tend to go unnoticed by those who love to slate the only member of this squad with two series wins to his name. Worst moment Sweet Caroline, or something similarly obnoxious, blaring out while players are receiving treatment for worrying looking injuries. It has happened far too often, most recently when James Ryan was knocked cold for a couple of minutes in Sydney. Tone deaf. This Lions tour was … A slow burner and suddenly over too quickly, leaving a lingering sense of frustration that the Wallabies started the Test series so tamely. It did reach a stunning peak at the MCG and it should also be said it is always a stunning country to travel. Next stop for Lions should be … The couch or beach. It is August, the new football season is almost upon us and most of these players – some clearly running on fumes in Sydney – have been going non-step since last September. There are mandated rest periods at the start of next season and the hope is that they are stuck to. Man of series Will Skelton. The return of the Wallabies' lock flipped the series' momentum and he starred again in the third Test. Try of series Tom Wright, second Test. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii lacerated the Lions' midfield with his left foot and when Wright crossed, for a moment, Australia believed. Biggest villain Dan Sheehan. Tom Curry tackling a mid-air Tom Lynagh was egregious but Dan Sheehan's elbow to Lynagh's head was downright ugly. Unsung hero Ellis Genge. The prop was unlucky to be benched after a dominant first Test but helped to turn the second match in Melbourne to secure the series. Favourite moment The sheer drama of the final minute of the second Test, in front of 90,000, won't quickly be forgotten. The controversy made the Wallabies relevant to Australians again. Worst moment The Wallabies were flying at the MCG but Tom Lynagh's fumble and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's infringement both led to tries that handed the Lions the impetus and ultimately the series. This Lions tour was … A reset for Wallabies fans, who can now look to the home 2027 World Cup with optimism. Wait, here come the Springboks, Pumas and All Blacks again. Next stop for Lions should be … To book a Lions Women tour to Australia in 2031.
Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant The latest headlines from Wales and around the world James Ryan of the British and Irish Lions clashes with Will Skelton of the Wallabies (Image:) These are your evening rugby headlines on Tuesday, August 5. Lions star faces surgery British & Irish Lions star Tom Curry is set to go under the knife on a wrist ligament injury, having put off surgery until after the tour of Australia. The England flanker was one of the standout performers in Andy Farrell's squad Down Under, with the head coach describing him as a "machine" as he capped stunning performances in the opening two Tests with tries in each, before ending the third and final clash as the game's top tackler. Curry put his body on the line throughout the series, something which is made all the more remarkable by the Sale Sharks man's eventful injury history and the long-standing issue he has with his wrist. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Ahead of the tour, Sale boss Alex Sanderson revealed that the back rower would need to go under the knife, but admitted that the 'superhuman' England star was happy to play through the pain to be involved with the Lions. However, now that the tour is done and dusted, the operating table awaits for Curry. "He will need an operation at some point, but he's clearly able to manage it and play through whatever pain he's experiencing currently," Sanderson said back in May. "It's not something that is stopping his game minutes or something that's managing his training minutes either. Article continues below "He had to play and play through to see if he could, and if the risk was minimised, which the specialist was happy with, and the pain was manageable, which it clearly is for the superhuman that he is, then he'd put himself up for Lions selection. "The alternative is he could have an operation now and he'd probably miss the last run of games and he might miss the first two games of the Lions," the Premiership side's director of rugby added. "That wasn't a solution, because the level of competition for his position was so high, he had to see if he could manage it." Ryan 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant Australia legend David Campese has issued a scathing assessment of this year's British & Irish Lions Test series, claiming the tourists only delivered a "microwave meal version" of themselves compared to the "banquet feasts" that came before them. Andy Farrell's squad are returning home as series champions, having won the first two Tests before falling to defeat against the Wallabies in their final showdown in Sydney. However, Campese has been left feeling underwhelmed by what he saw from the Lions, instead hailing the "remarkable effort" of Joe Schmidt's team and "singing the praises" of individual Wallabies players. In a damning column piece for Planet Rugby, the 62-year-old also hit out at Farrell for treating the series as "an Irish development tour," even singling out one Ireland star for criticism and claiming he was "terrorised" by Wallabies giant Will Skelton. "It's hard to know how this Lions tour will be judged," Campese wrote. "At times, I feel that the hype was far greater than the reality. It was all a little manufactured, perhaps a little twee. "There was no real moments that came from within from the tourists. It seemed as if there was a need to force the narrative of legacy, of the history, rather than making the history itself through moments and performances." Turning his attention to the host's standout players, and indeed their opposition, the Wallabies legend continued: "Australia with Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper and Bobby Valetini are a completely different proposition than without them. "[Skelton] has a limited shelf life and the conditions played into his hand in terms of stamina, but every time he plays against James Ryan he absolutely terrorises the bloke and that happened once again," he added. "I also feel that Andy Farrell at times treated this as an Irish development tour. There's no way that the likes of Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Jack Conan were the best players in their position during the build-up and series. "Never forget, whilst these guys have had some success in friendly Tests and so on, they've achieved absolutely nothing in terms of the big silverware in Test rugby – the World Cup – and there's a reason for that – they're average players. "I go back to my point about Ryan – Skelton owns him every time he faces him." Get daily rugby updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice New role for Cole Leicester Tigers legend Dan Cole has joined the club's staff after hanging up his boots at the end of last season. The England prop - who made 388 appearances for the Premiership side - has been appointed as the Tigers' new recruitment & retention manager, and will work closely with incoming head coach Geoff Parling to align the club's senior squad and academy and pathway programmes. Cole, who also won a total of 121 Test caps for England and the British & Irish Lions, has already started in his new role, the club confirmed, with Parling also back in the UK after finishing his duties with Australia. The club's CEO Andrea Pinchen said: 'We are delighted to be able to keep someone of Dan's experience and knowledge at Leicester Tigers. 'He has always shown a keen interest in this area and, as anyone who knows him will attest, his attention to detail and professionalism are second to none. "His playing career was as successful as it was because of his work ethic, but also his commitment to learning and evolving every step of the way," Pinchen continued. "Add to that that he is a Leicester Tigers man through and through; he wants to see this club be successful and, pleasingly, wants to contribute and be a part of this exciting new chapter. Article continues below 'Dan will be a great fit, there's no doubt about that, and with the appointment of the new head of rugby operations to oversee the process and refreshed staffing structure, I am confident in what is being put in place."
