Wallabies vow to put bodies on line in crunch second Lions Test
Australia need victory at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday to keep the three-Test series alive after losing the opener in Brisbane 27-19.
They were outgunned in that game around the collision areas but have muscled up with hard-working flanker Rob Valetini and giant lock Will Skelton both back from injuries to beef up the pack.
Hooker Dave Porecki, who suffered a concussion in a warm-up Test against Fiji, also returns, with his lineout throwing skills sorely missed in Brisbane.
Coach Joe Schmidt has also opted for a 6-2 bench split, rather than their usual 5-3, in anticipation of a bruising and wet contest, with six forwards among the replacements.
'We want to go out there and impose ourselves physically,' said Wilson.
'We want to back our skills, start fast and with a 6-2 bench it means another person gets to go off the field.
'So more reason start fast, throw your body around knowing there's some quality bench players coming to finish.'
Australia need look no further than the tactics employed by a hastily-assembled First Nations and Pasifika XV to see how they can stifle Andy Farrell's men.
They took the game to the Lions on Tuesday with some bone-crunching tackles and plenty of niggle, unsettling the tourists who hung on for a tense 24-19 win.
'A lot of us were there watching and just seeing the way Pasifika went after them, the line speed, the big hits in defence, it was a great blueprint there about how to really try and physically dominate them,' said Wilson.
His words echoed Schmidt on Thursday who said the Wallabies 'don't want to be nice, and we don't want to be submissive'.
Wilson said the squad have had good preparation this week and after slumping 24-5 behind in Brisbane took confidence from how they were able to get back into the game.
'We do feel like we're improving each week this year,' he said.
'Obviously we came together and really had to try and fast-track a lot of our relationships in the team to be able to go out there on the field and play well.
'And I guess Fiji, we got away with that one, and then we didn't start too well in that first Test (against the Lions).
'But in that second-half, once we got a bit of possession, a bit of territory, and started playing our sort of footy, we take a lot of confidence from that.'
Lions boss treats son Farrell like any other player, says coach: The familial bond between head coach Andy Farrell and playmaker son Owen looms large over the British & Irish Lions as they prepare for the second Test.
However, the dynamic between the pair has been strictly professional since Owen's late call-up into his father's squad, according to Lions scrum coach John Fogarty.
Owen Farrell missed out on selection for the first Test win in Brisbane but the former England captain has been named in the reserves for the clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Farrell and his father have shared plenty of change-rooms, including during the Lions' 2013 tour of Australia, when Andy was defence coach and Owen came off the bench to help the tourists win the third Test decider in Sydney.
The family ties make for an interesting sub-plot as the pair could celebrate another series win at the MCG on Saturday.
In the team environment, though, their special relationship is virtually imperceptible, said Fogarty.
'When we're training or when we're in a rugby setting, there's no difference between any player and Owen,' Fogarty told reporters on Friday.
'It's just the same relationship as any player and coach. If you didn't know it was his son, you wouldn't really get it.
'You wouldn't really think he was his son. He doesn't treat him in any way differently.
'They're two professionals.'
The coach's decision to call up Owen as a replacement for injured fullback Elliot Daly proved polarising despite the flyhalf/centre's leadership and experience of three previous Lions tours.
Farrell had, after all, not played a test for England since 2023 and endured an injury-blighted season with French club Racing 92.
Agencies
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
a day ago
- The National
British & Irish Lions seal 'fairy-tale' victory to beat Australia and clinch series
A last-gasp try from Hugo Keenan earned the British & Irish Lions a thrilling comeback victory over Australia that sealed the three-Test series with a match still to play. It was a very different Australia from the first Test when they had gone down 27-19 in Brisbane after finding themselves 17-5 at the break. This time, it was the home side who dominated from the start in front of 90,307 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against a sloppy Lions, with the Wallabies establishing a 23-5 lead thanks to tries from James Slipper, Jake Gordon and Tom Wright. But Andy Farrell's side produced the response needed with Tom Curry and Huw Jones going over before the break, reducing the deficit to six points. A Tadhg Beirne try in the second half left the Lions just two points behind before Keenan's big moment in the 80th minute when he rode a tackle to claim the decisive try. The finish was unbearably tense as match officials checked the score to see if there had been a dangerous clearout by Jac Morgan earlier in the move before clearing the Wales captain of any wrong doing. The Irish full-back was injured at the start of the tour and then missed out on his Lions debut after taking ill. 'I was screaming pass it, pass it,' said coach Farrell on match-winner Keenan. 'After what he has been through, it was all worth it. To score at the death of a Lions Test. 'These players have dreamt of playing for the Lions. It was a fairy tale. We want to win every game but we will take a breath after that one.' They remain unbeaten after eight tour games in Australia with only the final dead rubber Test in Sydney next weekend standing between them and a whitewash. Lions captain Maro Itoje – a colossus for the tourists – added: Big Faz [Andy] was telling us to play big and be bigger all the time and believe in ourselves. I give credit to the bench they came on and made the difference. 'It's amazing as I always say it's not about me, it's about all those on the pitch and those Lions fans in the stands.' After a shaky start that saw Australia take a 6-0 advantage – courtesy of two fine penalties taken in style by Tom Lynagh – Lions hit back in the simplest of fashions in the 17th minute when Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan tapped and powered over the line. But that joy was short-lived as a spell of home pressure ended with veteran prop James Slipper squeezing his way over restoring their six-point lead, with Tommy Freeman being sent to the sin-bin because of poor Lions discipline. And it was to prove costly as things quickly went from bad to worse for the tourists as Australia took complete control of the Test courtesy of quick-fire tries from scrum-half Gordon – scything through the Lions defence – and full-back Wright to establish a 23-5 lead just past the half-hour mark. The latter try saw Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii power through before feeding Wright who raced clear to touch down, celebrating with his arms outstretched in front of ecstatic MCG home fans. But the game seemingly hurtling away from them, the Lions responded with two tries of their own in the space of four minutes. First, Jamison Gibson-Park combined with Jack Conan, to set up Curry for a one-on-one which he finished confidently in the corner. Then Scottish centre Jones powered over before international teammate Russell added the extras as a breathless first half ended with Australia holding a 23-17 lead. The points may have dried up after the break but the tension remained consistently high. After Lynagh took the lead back up to nine with a penalty, Curry then produced a try-saving tackle to deny Suaalii who would have put Australia into another commanding position. And Curry's efforts were swiftly rewarded when Ireland's Beirne surged through three Wallabie tackles to score, following fine work by James Lowe, with Finn Russell converting from out wide, bringing the Lions to within two points. Then, with seconds left on the clock, Keenan would go over to break Australian hearts and earn the Lions a series victory with the final Test in Sydney still to play. It is the first time since 1997 that the Lions have wrapped up a Test series with a game to spare, and not since 1966 have they managed the feat against Australia. 'I suppose you don't think about scoring the winner, especially with my try-scoring record,' said Keenan. 'It was of the back of countless phases, it will be one I saviour forever.'
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Wallabies vow to put bodies on line in crunch second Lions Test
Skipper Harry Wilson vowed Friday the Wallabies will 'throw their bodies around' to physically dominate the British and Irish Lions with everything on the line in the crunch second Test. Australia need victory at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday to keep the three-Test series alive after losing the opener in Brisbane 27-19. They were outgunned in that game around the collision areas but have muscled up with hard-working flanker Rob Valetini and giant lock Will Skelton both back from injuries to beef up the pack. Hooker Dave Porecki, who suffered a concussion in a warm-up Test against Fiji, also returns, with his lineout throwing skills sorely missed in Brisbane. Coach Joe Schmidt has also opted for a 6-2 bench split, rather than their usual 5-3, in anticipation of a bruising and wet contest, with six forwards among the replacements. 'We want to go out there and impose ourselves physically,' said Wilson. 'We want to back our skills, start fast and with a 6-2 bench it means another person gets to go off the field. 'So more reason start fast, throw your body around knowing there's some quality bench players coming to finish.' Australia need look no further than the tactics employed by a hastily-assembled First Nations and Pasifika XV to see how they can stifle Andy Farrell's men. They took the game to the Lions on Tuesday with some bone-crunching tackles and plenty of niggle, unsettling the tourists who hung on for a tense 24-19 win. 'A lot of us were there watching and just seeing the way Pasifika went after them, the line speed, the big hits in defence, it was a great blueprint there about how to really try and physically dominate them,' said Wilson. His words echoed Schmidt on Thursday who said the Wallabies 'don't want to be nice, and we don't want to be submissive'. Wilson said the squad have had good preparation this week and after slumping 24-5 behind in Brisbane took confidence from how they were able to get back into the game. 'We do feel like we're improving each week this year,' he said. 'Obviously we came together and really had to try and fast-track a lot of our relationships in the team to be able to go out there on the field and play well. 'And I guess Fiji, we got away with that one, and then we didn't start too well in that first Test (against the Lions). 'But in that second-half, once we got a bit of possession, a bit of territory, and started playing our sort of footy, we take a lot of confidence from that.' Lions boss treats son Farrell like any other player, says coach: The familial bond between head coach Andy Farrell and playmaker son Owen looms large over the British & Irish Lions as they prepare for the second Test. However, the dynamic between the pair has been strictly professional since Owen's late call-up into his father's squad, according to Lions scrum coach John Fogarty. Owen Farrell missed out on selection for the first Test win in Brisbane but the former England captain has been named in the reserves for the clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Farrell and his father have shared plenty of change-rooms, including during the Lions' 2013 tour of Australia, when Andy was defence coach and Owen came off the bench to help the tourists win the third Test decider in Sydney. The family ties make for an interesting sub-plot as the pair could celebrate another series win at the MCG on Saturday. In the team environment, though, their special relationship is virtually imperceptible, said Fogarty. 'When we're training or when we're in a rugby setting, there's no difference between any player and Owen,' Fogarty told reporters on Friday. 'It's just the same relationship as any player and coach. If you didn't know it was his son, you wouldn't really get it. 'You wouldn't really think he was his son. He doesn't treat him in any way differently. 'They're two professionals.' The coach's decision to call up Owen as a replacement for injured fullback Elliot Daly proved polarising despite the flyhalf/centre's leadership and experience of three previous Lions tours. Farrell had, after all, not played a test for England since 2023 and endured an injury-blighted season with French club Racing 92. Agencies
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Gulf Today
Paret-Peintre lands first French Tour stage win, Pogacar retains overall lead
Valentin Paret-Peintre became the first French winner on this year's Tour de France as he edged an enthralling stage 16 on Tuesday, pipping Ireland's Ben Healy atop the mythical 1910m altitude Mont Ventoux summit finish. Behind them Jonas Vingegaard attacked overall leader Tadej Pogacar relentlessly but the defending champion tracked the Dane all the way up the 15km ascent to extend his lead by two seconds. Trailing by 4min 13sec at the start of this stage Vingegaard attacked with 9km to climb on Mont Ventoux, whose eery upper reaches resemble a lunar landscape. 'I didn't want to push too hard and then let him have me on a counter-attack. I kept my rhythm as much as I could,' said Pogacar who has been fighting off a cold this week. 'He attacked many times but I just tried to hold his wheel.' Vingegaard was knocked off his bike by a motorbike after the finish line but was unhurt, remounting to go and congratulate Pogacar on another fine battle. 'He seemed okay,' Pogacar said later. The battle for the overall lead, however, was eclipsed by a frantic fight for the stage win between EF's Healy and Soudal Quick-Step's Paret-Peintre who became the first French winner on Mont Ventoux since Richard Virenque in 2002. 'He looked so happy at the finish line,' said Pogacar, who crossed the summit 43sec adrift. Mont Ventoux has long been held in awe by riders and spectators alike and it has witnessed some of the greatest dramas and tragedies of the Tour. In 1967, the British cyclist Tom Simpson died here after collapsing on a baking climb. The great Eddy Merckx once needed oxygen at the summit while Chris Froome ran part of the way up during a frantic wait for mechanical assistance on his way to a third Tour de France title in 2016. 'Perfect tactic': ealy, who wore the yellow jersey for two days after winning the Bastille Day stage six, appeared to be heading for his second stage win as the two riders approached the finish of an epic tussle. Paret-Peintre looked completely drained but, cheered on by the home crowd, he found a final surge of strength to overtake the Irishman with 20 metres remaining and held on to the line. 'I was near giving up, Healy was so strong but I said to myself come on, it's the Tour de France, Mont Ventoux,' said Paret-Peintre. 'I knew that if I held on, the last section suited me better than him as it's really steep. It turned out to be the perfect tactic.' Healy's consolation was to be awarded the day's combativity prize while moving up one place to ninth in the overall standings. Almost unnoticed further down the mountain, German break out star Florian Lipowitz consolidated his third place, extending his lead on fourth-placed Scottish rider Oscar Onley by around 30 seconds. With two more Alpine stages coming up and five more stages left Vingegaard and his Visma team did everything they could to hurt the Team UAE leader Pogacar here, and can only hope they have tired the pugnacious champion. But the 26-year-old resisted all they threw at him, despite being isolated from his teammates early in the climb. Stage 17 should be one for the sprinters as Tim Merlier hopes to add to his two stage wins and current green jersey Jonathan Milan also targets a second win at the 700m straight run to the finish line at Valence. The weather however could rewrite the script with 50kph winds forecast along the 170km run. Van der Poel drops out of Tour with pneumonia: The Tour de France lost one of the 2025 edition's leading riders Tuesday when Mathieu van der Poel pulled out with pneumonia, his team Alpecin confirmed. Van der Poel is the top one-day rider in cycling and while he is too large physically to win a mountainous Grand Tour, he lit up the first 10 days of this 21-day slog in the first section in the north. Agence France-Presse
