
Wallabies ready to rip into Lions after moving on from second Test controversy
But the hosts' camp has been rocked by late injuries to hooker David Porecki and backup Matt Faessler during training after the team for the third Test was announced on Thursday, and an 11th-hour SOS has been sent for Brandon Paenga-Amosa.
Billy Pollard moves from the bench into the starting XV, while the man teammates call 'BPA' is set for another chance at the Lions having played them three times already, including for both the AUNZ Invitational XV and the First Nations & Pasifika side.
Wilson said he was 'gutted' to lose Porecki and Faessler but Paenga-Amosa – having represented the Wallabies as recently as last year – has fitted in quickly.
'He's been around this group for quite a long time over the last year, year and a half, and he's obviously versed [played against] the Lions already three times, so he's got a lot of confidence,' he said.
The Wallabies captain admitted the week has been difficult after the disappointment of Saturday, but the players turned the corner on Tuesday.
'On Tuesday, I was really proud of the group about what sort of session we had. We went out there, everyone was a bit quiet [but] once we went across that white line, the energy was back,' he said.
'Everyone really flipped that switch and we've had a really good week and we can't get out there.'
Flanker Carlo Tizzano has been left out of the squad after coming up sore from last week's match. He has faced an avalanche of abuse on social media after what some fans perceived as acting in an attempt to win a penalty in the second Test and prevent the last-minute try.
Wilson said it hasn't been an easy week for Tizzano and the treatment he has received isn't 'right'.
Sign up to The Breakdown
The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed
after newsletter promotion
'It's probably a good thing for him to get out of the limelight here and just get his body right and just get back to enjoying his footy,' Wilson said. 'Obviously with these series comes a lot of media, a lot of pressure and it seems like a lot of people want to take it out on him this week.'
As the Wallabies face the possibility of a first Lions sweep in 121 years, Wilson said the side has been 'fired up' all series, but they know their opponents will have their eyes on a clean sweep on Saturday.
'We want to go out there and get a result for our country,' he said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Footy legend Jimmy Bartel reveals his abusive father threatened to KILL his mum as he opens up about the holiday with his dad that left him horrified
Footy legend Jimmy Bartel has opened up on his upbringing with his abusive father and how his dad once threatened to kill his mother. In a wide-ranging and honest interview, the Geelong great, who won three premierships with the Cats, revealed that his experiences with his own father have shaped him into becoming a better dad for his two sons. Bartel's parents divorced when he was just one. His dad was Terry Bartel, a sportsman who played cricket and football for several high-profile clubs around Victoria. He opened the batting for Beechworth's senior side at the age of 15. Terry also played as a roving midfielder for the club's footy side, before joining Carlton's reserves in 1968. He would never play first-team football for the Blues, failing to settle in at the club. He died in 2010, aged 60, following a 20-month battle with cancer. Speaking with Sarah Grynberg on her 'A Life of Greatness' podcast, Bartel explained that his perception of his dad changed as he got older. 'He was violent, he had his own issues with his own upbringing,' Jimmy told Grynberg. 'He battled alcoholism, gambling addiction. He was incredibly violent to my mum and others in my family. I didn't understand that as a young kid. I was probably protected and shielded, being the youngest.' He added: 'For a young boy, a teenager growing up who loves sport, your dad is your first superhero. Mum kept all the scrapbooks, incredibly talented sportsperson. I'd see him around his mates. He was incredibly charismatic, great life of the party. 'Not diminishing anything his friends had with him... but that wasn't what I was getting. It became a really tough thing for me to deal with. 'How come I'm not getting that?' or you go around to a friend's house and dad's doing this and that stuff and you get to a point where you ask mum what's going on and she goes: 'He's just different to the others and in time you'll work out why'.' Bartel, 41, no longer chooses to drink in front of his mother or his kids, following the experiences he had with his dad while growing up. He also recounted how he had spent some time with his dad during the school holidays when he was 14 years old. The Geelong 300-gamer lifted the lid on a 'scary' experience where his father had 'gotten pretty physical' with him during the trip. 'I remember coming home and going straight to my bedroom,' he told Grynberg. 'Mum came in and said: 'What's wrong?'. "I just don't think he's the person I think he is"', Jimmy replied. 'I had a pretty average night with him, which was pretty scary for myself. He'd been heavily drinking and he got pretty physical with me.' His mother would go on to place an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) on his father. But after doing so, Bartel explained that his dad arrived at his mum's house and gave her an ultimatum if she did not lift the order. 'He came around and told her to lift the AVO or else he'd take mum. He did. He took my mum out of the house, and I remember looking out the lounge room window and he was taking my mum,' he said. 'I only found out when I was older. He took my mum out to the back of Geelong and pretty much gave her an ultimatum to remove the AVO or 'this is the end for you'. 'And so it was a tough decision for my mum, do you leave three kids with no mum or you come back home and you remove the AVO and you try and manage things a different way.' Jimmy would go on to enjoy a glittering career in the AFL. The utility player was named in two All-Australian sides, crowned a Brownlow Medallist in 2007 and was named the Norm Smith Medallist following Geelong's victorious 2011 premiership win. During his time at the club, Jimmy revealed that he once received a phone call from his sister about their dad. Jimmy was forced to skip a training session with the Cats, instead driving to meet his father to confront him about his abusive tendencies. Jimmy revealed his sister had phoned him, telling him that Terry had shown up at her house following a heavy drinking session, asking to see her first-born son. She explained he had become 'quite aggressive' with her, which Jimmy said: 'Just flipped the switch for me... I said: 'that's it'. 'I was at Geelong, went to training... I was nearly taking team-mates heads off in training drills. A coach grabbed me and said: 'Get off'. I was really close with this coach and he said: 'What is going on?'. I was blurting it out, I was half teary-eyed. 'He goes: 'Just leave, take all the time you want'. Jimmy explained that he got in the car and drove between three to four hours to see his dad. 'I was pretty irrational in my thinking. I was going to meet him the old-fashioned way. The Hume Highway is a boring road, and it gave you a bit of time to calm down. I spoke to my mum on the phone and she said: 'Don't do something he'd do, promise me that'.' Jimmy met Terry the following day, outside an RSL. 'I checked with my sisters and they were more than happy for me to represent their thoughts. I said to him 'That's it, you've done your dust mate, it's all finished'. 'He said: 'Do you want to fight about it, get it out of your system?' I said: 'No, no, that's where we're different, we're done'. He did step in, and I thought 'there's your opportunity' and then it was 'nup'. 'I got in the car, and it was almost a grieving process then for me. I didn't speak to him ever again, and he passed a few years later.' Bartel later opened up on how the experience had shaped him as a father. He said he feels like he 'overcompensates' now with his own children. He said: 'My boys probably get annoyed I smother them!' ''Give us another kiss and a hug,' things like that, you trick them into believing it's a world-famous hug. Always great words if you need a tip to con your kids! I want to be the dad kicking the football, playing cricket or basketball, or dinosaurs - whatever their interest is. He added: 'But I think it's probably because I never got that experience, so I don't want to leave them short in that way. And I think the other thing is that if I say I'm going to be there or do something for them I'm 100 per cent going to be there. 'I've probably gone the other way - probably the antithesis to it.'


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
England's Ashes series in Australia to be shown by TNT Sports
England 's Ashes series down under against Australia will be shown live on TNT Sports. Following the thrilling 2-2 Test series draw with India, Ben Stokes' side will travel to Australia, starting with the first Test in Perth in November, with the five-Test series concluding in January. TNT Sports have now been confirmed as the broadcast rights holders in a deal that will also include all international fixtures staged in Australia until March 2026. The previous two away Ashes series, in 2017-18 and 2021-22, were shown by BT Sport, which later became TNT Sports following a takeover in 2023. Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said: "We're pleased to extend our longstanding partnership with TNT Sports and that they will again be instrumental in showcasing the Australian summer of cricket to UK audiences." The deal includes Australia men's white-ball series against South Africa and India this autumn and the women's team's multi-format series against India in February and March next year. TNT Sports already had the rights to England's white-ball tours of Ireland and New Zealand in September and October respectively, and Sri Lanka in March 2026.


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Here is what the 2029 Lions team will look like
I was tasked with picking a British and Irish Lions team to take on New Zealand in 2029. And so giving myself the criteria of selecting the players currently under 30 who would be in pole position, this is the 15 who could topple the All Blacks. 15. Blair Kinghorn (Scotland) We have not yet seen the best of Kinghorn – although, after a few errors against the First Nations and Pasifika XV, the Scot was strong off the bench in the second Test and started the third after a delayed start to his tour. A year younger than Hugo Keenan, Kinghorn has the potential to go from strength to strength in the coming years. Playing club rugby at Toulouse always helps, too. 14. Tommy Freeman (England) There is no reason why Freeman, ever-present in the 2025 Tests, will not end up on the right wing once again in 2029. Quick, strong and aerially astute, he kept his place in the side on the back of his strong showings in the warm-ups rather than excelling in the Tests. But it shows how much credit he had in the bank that Andy Farrell stuck with him. One of the first names on the England teamsheet in an area of real strength. 13. Ollie Lawrence (England) There is every chance that Jamie Osborne could feature in the midfield, but alongside Tom Jordan and Sam Prendergast the back line would need some ballast; an out-and-out running threat. Lawrence's chances of touring in 2025 were cruelly ended by an Achilles injury suffered on England duty in the Six Nations, at a time when he had established himself as his country's premier centre. Aged just 25, there is no reason why that could not continue for another four years. 12. Tom Jordan (Scotland) In another world, Jordan may well have been a Lion in 2025. Not just with the early injury to Elliot Daly – Jordan's ability to cover 10,12 and 15 made him a prime candidate as replacement – but the Scot must have been in with a shot at making the original squad given his versatility and general excellence. Ahead of a move to Bristol – if he can nail down a starting spot with Scotland, which will be easier said than done – he can have every hope of touring the land of his birth in 2029. 11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England) As with Jordan, in another world Feyi-Waboso could have been a Lion this summer. Had injury not put a premature end to his season – he returned in June only to be sent off and banned in England's uncapped match against France – then he would have been right in the selection picture given his strike-running threat and willingness to hit things very hard on both sides of the ball. Maybe, given the signs of rustiness on his June return, he will be better for not going. 10. Sam Prendergast (Ireland) Prendergast was chucked in at the deep end for last year's Six Nations. It showed he has some maturing and growing to do – both mentally and physically – but the talent and potential is palpable. Should he bulk up a touch then there is no reason why he could not tour with the Lions in four years' time. Were he in the frame for the 2025 tour, it might well have been for the benefit of his future development that he did not feature. 9. Alex Mitchell (England) Although Mitchell featured in every match-day 23 of the 2025 tour, it would be fair to say that he never really grasped the nettle. Jamison Gibson-Park always looked like the Test starter and, before his injury, Tomos Williams looked as if he had the bench spot sewn up, too. Ben White also finished the tour in great form but after another four years of experience Mitchell will surely fancy his chances of achieving something he could not this year: a Test start. 1. Andrew Porter (Ireland) A year younger than Ellis Genge, Porter gets the nod at loosehead. England are starting to unearth some fabulous props who could well end up usurping the Irishman – who, admittedly, struggled in the final Test – but Porter has the jersey and so is a sensible choice for 2029. Although the likes of Fin Baxter and Genge might have something to say about that. 2. Dan Sheehan (Ireland) The easiest pick of the lot. One of the Lions' outstanding contributors on the 2025 tour who played as well as anyone in the travelling party. Sheehan captained the Lions in an early tour match and, depending on the form and fitness of club-and-country-mate Caelan Doris, he would surely be a candidate to lead more regularly in 2025. One of the world's outstanding hookers and comfortably the best among the home nations. 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour (England) Given his development this season, this could quite easily read Joe Heyes but the frightening thing about Opoku-Fordjour is that he is still just 21 years old. And he plays both sides of the scrum, which is a massive bonus on tour. There are high hopes for Thomas Clarkson, too, after his cameo on the 2025 tour. 4. Joe McCarthy (Ireland) Completely deserving of another run after impressing this summer. No one would have said that his inclusion was a surprise pre-tour, even if he was susceptible to the odd brain-fade. But the way that he took hold of one of the starting Test jerseys in the second row from his first appearance on tour was commanding and somewhat unexpected. He could easily do the same in four years' time. Maro Itoje could well be there again, too, but misses out on this selection because of age. 5. George Martin (England) Had injury not severely disrupted the end of Martin's season, he would have been a shoo-in for the Australia tour. As it was, his last appearance for club or country came in February. If he can get fit and stay fit then his ballast and muscle would offer so much where the Lions currently lack. The tourists (just about) got away with it against Australia, but against better opposition, who knows? 6. Ollie Chessum (England) With such a heavyweight second row, there would be a real need for a line-out-jumping six. Chessum did his chances of touring in 2029 no harm at all this year, featuring off the bench in two Tests and starting in one. Over the coming years, it looks as though he will become a central part of plans for both club and country, and might even develop into a central leadership figure, too. 7. Tom Curry (England) It is amazing when you think he is only 27 – by the time of the next tour he will be 31. There were eyebrows raised when he was selected in the Test team for 2025 but Andy Farrell was clearly aware of his value and his selections were fully vindicated. Expect Jac Morgan to still be knocking on the door, too. 8. Caelan Doris (Ireland) The forgotten man of this year's Lions tour and, goodness, how they missed him. Injury this year robbed him of representation, but he may well have been captain – who knows – and we can say with certainty that he would have started at No 8. Do not forget, like Curry, he is only 27. It is worth noting, too, that Ben Earl is the same age.