Aussie top order fails again
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West Australian
32 minutes ago
- West Australian
British and Irish Lions produce classy showing to beat Western Force 54-7 after hosts put up first half fight
A classy British and Irish Lions display has helped them begin their first Australian tour in 12 years with a bang as they downed Western Force 54-7 at Optus Stadium. But in front of a club record 46,656 fans, the Force hardly disgraced themselves as they fought tooth and nail and more than matched their star-studded opponents in an engrossing opening stanza. In the most important exhibition match this version of the Force will ever play, they refused to let the occasion over-awe them in the first half as they met fire with fire. But in a game of moments, it was the visitors who showed their class, taking a mile when granted an inch by the Force, who had more possession and territory by half-time, but found themselves 21-7 down at the break. Pretty passing patterns mesmerised the Force, and then rapid-fire offloads opened up channels the Lions all too happily exploited, and three tries in the 15 minutes after half-time killed off the contest. Young Lions whizz Henry Pollock justified the hype and the back-rower was at the centre of everything as he set-up two tries, was the centre of a full-team melee and was yellow carded on the stroke of half-time. But while the likes of Pollock, fly-half Finn Russell, full-back Elliot Daly and Aussie Irishman Mack Hansen would have given Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt food for thought ahead of the looming three-Test series. However, Schmidt would have also been encouraged by the performance of several players he released from his squad to link up with their Force teammates — none more so than Dylan Pietsch. Pietsch played like a man on fire and had plenty of support from fellow winger Mac Grealy as the game went on, the pair driving through contact and gaining metres through sheer will power, while Wallabies squad members Tom Robertson and Nick Champion de Crespigny also impressed. Once the Lions fans had spilled out of the watering holes and turned the Burswood peninsula red, it took less than two minutes for the tourists to stamp their credentials as rugby's answer to the Harlem Globetrotters. Russell's precise cross-field kick picked out his captain Dan Sheehan, and the front-rower flipped the ball inside to James Lowe before accepting the off-load and scoring. The Force had barely touched the ball by that point, but the outstanding Pietsch scooped the resultant kick-off out of the sky to rescue possession. After 19 phases of Force pressure and close calls on the try-line to Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Darcy Swain and Ben Donaldson, Nic White scrambled over and Donaldson converted to level the scores. The Lions infringed frequently early, and in a sign of the Force's intent, they opted for touch rather than the posts, although they could not turn their set-piece supremacy into points. Pollock helped restore the Lions' advantage in the 17th minute when his sharp pass found Josh van der Flier and the English back-rower almost took the offload to the house with a barnstorming run, before his clever pass allowed Tomos Williams to score. The Force continued to knock on the door, but the Lions refused to let them in, and they put some distance between the two sides when Russell's quick tap-and-go caught the hosts napping. After Daly had plunged over, Nick Champion de Crespigny found himself at odds with Pollock and the pair tangled, triggering a full-team pushing and shoving match. Lightning struck not once, not twice, but thrice after the break as the Lions ripped the life out of the game with violent ferocity. A stinging counter-attack saw the Lions roar down the right edge and Williams acrobatically touched down for his second try of the night although immediately clutched at a hamstring afterwards. Once more down the right wing did the Lions go in the 52nd minute and some lovely passing from Russell and Daly ended in a Garry Ringrose try. Three minutes later, Pollock showed his class as the forward ran down his own chip and chase inside the 22 and Joe McCarthy lumbered over to make it 40-7. As the Force tired late and their bench entered the game, the Lions played with their food and Daly ran in his second try of the night before Hansen set up Alex Mitchell for their eighth try as time expired.
Metro
36 minutes ago
- Metro
Three big names top Amazon's James Bond casting wishlist
Amazon MGM are reportedly circling three huge names to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. The long-running franchise made a monumental step towards its next instalment this week, with the appointment of Denis Villeneuve as director. Announcing that the Dune filmmaker would be helming the next film in the series, head of Amazon MGM Studios Mike Hopkins said: 'We are honoured that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond's next chapter. 'He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself.' Since then, speculation has gone into overdrive as to who might play Villeneuve's Bond – with some suggesting he might tap up Dune collaborator Timothée Chalamet to take the role. According to Variety, the studio and producers have their own wishlist in mind – and it's between actors Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland and Harris Dickinson. 28-year-old Jacob hit the stratosphere as the star of the 2023 hit Saltburn, appearing opposite Barry Keoghan as the object of creepy Oliver Quick's affections. With the publication reporting that producers are looking for an actor under the age of 30, Jacob certainly hits the bill in that respect. While Jacob is an Australian, that shouldn't count against him in playing British instruction Bond – underrated 007 George Lazenby was an Aussie too. If Jacob is successful, this should more than make up for him missing out on a starring role in James Gunn's upcoming Superman reboot. Marvel Cinematic Universe star Tom Holland, 29, previously threw his own name into the hat, admitting that he'd 'love' to play Bond. 'I'm just putting that out there,' he teased in 2021, adding: 'I look pretty good in a suit.' And, as the MCU's own Spider-Man, Tom is no stranger to explosive franchise filmmaking. English actor Harris, 29, has had a strong run of hits recently, starring in Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw and Babygirl in the last three years alone. As of April this year, Harris's odds were listed as 9/1 to score the elusive license to kill. 'The 28-year-old already has a very impressive portfolio of work and has received critical acclaim for his acting alongside Nicole Kidman,' said Betfred spokesperson Robert Ford. Earlier this year, it was announced that Harris will step into the shoes of another British icon – playing John Lennon in Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles biopic. With producers circling their Bond, speculation has also been rife as to who might be the next Bond girl. While some speculated that Zendaya could appear opposite Villeneuve's future Bond, her Dune: Part 2 co-star Florence Pugh has edged her out of the top spot. According to the Midsommar star is the favourite to be the next Bond girl, at odds of 8/1. 'I think everyone's always interested in playing a spy, right?' she told Digital Spy. 'That's something we grow up admiring, which is so strange, but it's just a very clever and quick world that we all want to be a part of.' As the only name formally attached to the new film, Villeneuve has responded to the announcement of his new gig, promising that the franchise is in safe hands. More Trending 'Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007,' he said in a statement released soon after the news broke. 'I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory. He described the opportunity 'a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Beloved British actress edges out Zendaya as favourite for Bond Girl MORE: What £40,000,000 could pay for instead of fund Jeff Bezos' wedding in Venice MORE: Creepy Jeff Bezos mannequin's 'Titanic moment' on Venice canals as Amazon boss wedding nears
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Open legends extending their 25-year scrap into another Major battle
Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington at it again after over two decades Honoured Stewart Cink admits it'll be a pleasure to enjoy yet another epic battle with fellow Open legend Padraig Harrington. The pair are set for the latest ding-dong in Colorado at the US Senior Open as they both share the halfway lead with Aussie Mark Hensby. Cink and Harrington have their names etched in the history of the Open Championship having run-off a hat-trick of Claret Jug wins. The Irishman was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year in 2007 and Carnoustie and 2008 at Royal Birkdale before the American took the honours in 2009 with his dramatic win over Tom Watson at Turnberry. The American has nothing but admiration for Harrington and said: 'We've played together so many times. I would be shocked if there's anybody I've played more golf with in major championships than Padraig Harrington over my career and it's probably by double the next guy. I just get paired with him all the time. This goes way back 20, 25 years. 'I've always respected his game and we're very good friends with their family. It's a comfortable pairing. I love watching him play. I would hope that he probably feels similarly about me. We have mutual respect for each other. He's a world class player and he's been doing it a long time. I would love it if we could go the distance here. 'We played against each other in the Ryder Cup. That's like the pinnacle of competition. I don't even know if he got the better of me or if I got the better of him. But all I know is I've watched him play a lot and I've listened to him talk a lot. He's just a great character and I have just the highest respect for his game. It's going to be fun. I feel honoured to be able to go up against him and, hopefully, he feels the same way. I thrive on it. We love it. I love the fact that I haven't played great these first two days. I've played pretty good golf but nothing spectacular, but I've watched him play kind of the same way. He's played very well and he's also made some mistakes that he probably would like to have back. Neither of us have hit our stride here, so hopefully we get a little bit better and turn the screws a little bit. I have a feeling that Harrington and I are going to be in it late.' The Dubliner returned the compliments and said: 'I played with Stewart a lot over the years and a lot of my good tournaments have been played with Stewart, so he's a good partner for me always. I think on the Champions Tour, it's a better partner because there's a lot of similarities in our clubs. 'If anything, he'd be a little bit longer than me, but I suppose I know his game enough that I can see what's happening as well. He is definitely a partner I would choose to play with.'
