Unless the Wallabies were playing possum, Lions may be in for a feast
Lolesio could never quite succeed in one of Australian rugby's most pointless pursuits – finding a saviour at No.10 – and judging by Nathan Cleary's latest State of Origin series, you can put a line through that name as well.
Lolesio's degree of familiarity with Joe Schmidt's structured style of play is going to be hard to recreate, especially for a player coming in from outside the group.
James O'Connor, the 35-year-old new man in the squad, will offer some hard-won experience, but he started one game for the Crusaders this year, and they got pumped 45-29 by Moana Pasifika in Christchurch. There are no easy answers.
But what can be said with a far higher degree of certainty is that if the Wallabies defend as passively as they did against Fiji last week, they could have prime Dan Carter in their No.10 jersey, and this underwhelming British and Irish Lions side would still beat them.
Against Fiji, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Len Ikitau probably had more running metres going sideways or backpedalling than they did going forwards.
Granted, there are a million more pleasant ways of spending a Sunday afternoon than tackling Fiji No.12 Josua Tuisova, whose bossing of Suaalii emphasised the physical gap between Test rugby and the NRL, but if that was the line speed the Wallabies backs bring to the first test against the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday, they are in enormous trouble.
It was, in fact, clearly the worst defensive display by any Australian team (compared to the Force, Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies) since the Lions landed. There was so much room for Tuisova to move into that it made you wonder if the Wallabies were playing possum in a cunning plan to lull the Lions into a false sense of security.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
32 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Clubs want ‘accountability' after racial abuse
Port Adelaide has called for the federal government to demand 'accountability' from social media companies as two AFL clubs and the players association condemned more racial attacks. It comes as Victoria Police arrested and charged man for a racial attack on NBL star Montrezl Harrell in what was lauded as a landmark moment in Australian sport. Port's Jase Burgoyne and St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera both called out the racial abuse they copped across last weekend. After going down to Sydney by five points on Sunday, Wanganeen-Milera was targeted by an anonymous account with a vile attack, including the words 'bro u f--king n----r'.' Burgoyne, a close friend of Wanganeen-Milera, then revealed even more horrific language used to attack him on his Instagram account, including 'tell your cousins to get jobs', 'welcome to country you f--king loser' and a vile reference to his mother. The abuse on Jase Burgoyne's Instagram account. Credit: Supplied Port released a statement on Monday condemning the attacks and calling for action having referred the matter to the AFL's integrity unit. 'Such abuse is reprehensible and will not, and should not, be tolerated,' the statement said. 'The club has advised the AFL integrity department and we look forward to working closely with the AFL to identify those responsible and sanction appropriately. 'We also encourage people who witness or experience online abuse to report and highlight it to the social media platforms on which it appears. 'Port Adelaide also calls for governments to demand accountability from social media organisations. Platforms need to take accountability and action against these abusers.' Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has called out racial abuse. Mark Stewart Credit: News Corp Australia AFL boss Andrew Dillon said hiding behind a fake account was 'cowardly' and the league would use its agreement with the eSafety Commissioner to address the issue. 'We have been clear that there is absolutely no place for this behaviour in our sport and in society. Racism is never acceptable and these incidents demonstrate there is so much more work to be done,' he said. 'Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Jase Burgoyne are talented footballers and remarkable young men. We acknowledge their courage to call out the hurtful and completely unacceptable remarks and offer our support to both players, their families and our broader Indigenous playing group.' St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena said the club would work closely with the league to identify the perpetrator of the abusive messages. 'As a club we do not accept racist behaviour of any kind,' Dilena said. 'These comments are abhorrent and have no place in our game or our community. 'Beyond Nasiah's talent on the field, he is a proud Kokatha and Narangga man who deserves to work and live free from this type of abuse. St Kilda Football Club stands firmly with Nasiah, his family and all First Nations people, and we remain committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. 'We fully support Nasiah and will work closely with the AFL integrity unit to do everything we can to identify the person responsible for these messages.'
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
'It shits me': Nick Farr-Jones' nagging Lions regret
World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones has ranked the pain of never winning a series against the British and Irish Lions as probably the biggest regret of his celebrated career and urged the Wallabies to seize the moment in Saturday's first Test in says even 36 years after leading Australia to a 2-1 series loss to the Lions, he still tosses and turns about missing his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conquer the best of the British and Irish. "Yeah, it shits me," Farr-Jones told AAP. "When the Lions come down, only once every 12 years, you get one roll of the dice. And if I've got any damn regrets about the game looking back, it's that we didn't beat the bastards." After crushing the tourists 30-12 in the 1989 first Test, the Wallabies lost the infamous "Battle of Ballymore" 19-12 as the Lions mauled them in Brisbane to level the series. Despite only suffering a seven-point loss, it was the manner in which the Wallabies succumbed in the brutal second Test that gives Farr-Jones nightmares. The Lions hatched a plan to monster Australia's halfback and captain into submission. "And it worked a treat," he admitted. Farr-Jones said cheekily winking and blowing a kiss at Lions hooker Brian Moore early on in the game was a big mistake. "He proceeded to rip me apart after that and all the other forwards ripped into me," he said. "They had a pack which included three policemen, three bobbies - (Wade) Dooley, (Paul) Ackford, (Dean) Richards - as well as Finlay Calder, 'Mad Dog' Moore. "I think the only probably non-fighter in that pack was David Sole, the Scottish prop. "You had Mickey Skinner. It was a tough, hard pack and they would have sat around two weeks before the first and the second Test, and they would have said, 'What are we going to do?' "Let's beat the crap out of them, and how about we start with the captain. "He's a little guy. We can beat the crap out of him. His game will implode, the team will unravel around him and in a way it sort of happened. "So I commend them for the tactics." Farr-Jones pointed out that the likes of two-time World Cup-winning Wallabies legends Tim Horan and Phil Kearns never got a crack at the Lions and hopes Joe Schmidt's class of 2025 realise the opportunity in front of them. Because he still regrets his 1989 side not taking their chance in a 2-1 series-deciding third-Test loss in Sydney, when the defining moment of the 19-18 near-miss remains David Campese's wild pass to Greg Martin in the Australian in-goal area that led to the Lions' winning try. "So, looking back, the cracks in the ceiling would get wider at three in the morning because we should have won that series. There's no doubt about that, and we butchered it," Farr-Jones recalls. "And I'm not talking about Campo's incident or what have you. We had 79 other minutes in which to win that game. "We should never have lost it. You wake up and you really regret it because, as came to pass in World Cups, we got a second roll of the dice." Farr-Jones AM achieved just about every major honour in helped the Wallabies complete the fabled grand slam tour in 1984with victories over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, alsofeatured in triumphant Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand andcrowned his career by hoisting the Webb Ellis Cup next to the Queen atTwickenham in only other career disappointments that come closeto losing to the Lions was not winning a first grade premiership in 14seasons with Sydney University and seeing his great friend andteammate Tim Gavin miss the `91 World Cup through injury. World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones has ranked the pain of never winning a series against the British and Irish Lions as probably the biggest regret of his celebrated career and urged the Wallabies to seize the moment in Saturday's first Test in says even 36 years after leading Australia to a 2-1 series loss to the Lions, he still tosses and turns about missing his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conquer the best of the British and Irish. "Yeah, it shits me," Farr-Jones told AAP. "When the Lions come down, only once every 12 years, you get one roll of the dice. And if I've got any damn regrets about the game looking back, it's that we didn't beat the bastards." After crushing the tourists 30-12 in the 1989 first Test, the Wallabies lost the infamous "Battle of Ballymore" 19-12 as the Lions mauled them in Brisbane to level the series. Despite only suffering a seven-point loss, it was the manner in which the Wallabies succumbed in the brutal second Test that gives Farr-Jones nightmares. The Lions hatched a plan to monster Australia's halfback and captain into submission. "And it worked a treat," he admitted. Farr-Jones said cheekily winking and blowing a kiss at Lions hooker Brian Moore early on in the game was a big mistake. "He proceeded to rip me apart after that and all the other forwards ripped into me," he said. "They had a pack which included three policemen, three bobbies - (Wade) Dooley, (Paul) Ackford, (Dean) Richards - as well as Finlay Calder, 'Mad Dog' Moore. "I think the only probably non-fighter in that pack was David Sole, the Scottish prop. "You had Mickey Skinner. It was a tough, hard pack and they would have sat around two weeks before the first and the second Test, and they would have said, 'What are we going to do?' "Let's beat the crap out of them, and how about we start with the captain. "He's a little guy. We can beat the crap out of him. His game will implode, the team will unravel around him and in a way it sort of happened. "So I commend them for the tactics." Farr-Jones pointed out that the likes of two-time World Cup-winning Wallabies legends Tim Horan and Phil Kearns never got a crack at the Lions and hopes Joe Schmidt's class of 2025 realise the opportunity in front of them. Because he still regrets his 1989 side not taking their chance in a 2-1 series-deciding third-Test loss in Sydney, when the defining moment of the 19-18 near-miss remains David Campese's wild pass to Greg Martin in the Australian in-goal area that led to the Lions' winning try. "So, looking back, the cracks in the ceiling would get wider at three in the morning because we should have won that series. There's no doubt about that, and we butchered it," Farr-Jones recalls. "And I'm not talking about Campo's incident or what have you. We had 79 other minutes in which to win that game. "We should never have lost it. You wake up and you really regret it because, as came to pass in World Cups, we got a second roll of the dice." Farr-Jones AM achieved just about every major honour in helped the Wallabies complete the fabled grand slam tour in 1984with victories over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, alsofeatured in triumphant Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand andcrowned his career by hoisting the Webb Ellis Cup next to the Queen atTwickenham in only other career disappointments that come closeto losing to the Lions was not winning a first grade premiership in 14seasons with Sydney University and seeing his great friend andteammate Tim Gavin miss the `91 World Cup through injury. World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones has ranked the pain of never winning a series against the British and Irish Lions as probably the biggest regret of his celebrated career and urged the Wallabies to seize the moment in Saturday's first Test in says even 36 years after leading Australia to a 2-1 series loss to the Lions, he still tosses and turns about missing his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conquer the best of the British and Irish. "Yeah, it shits me," Farr-Jones told AAP. "When the Lions come down, only once every 12 years, you get one roll of the dice. And if I've got any damn regrets about the game looking back, it's that we didn't beat the bastards." After crushing the tourists 30-12 in the 1989 first Test, the Wallabies lost the infamous "Battle of Ballymore" 19-12 as the Lions mauled them in Brisbane to level the series. Despite only suffering a seven-point loss, it was the manner in which the Wallabies succumbed in the brutal second Test that gives Farr-Jones nightmares. The Lions hatched a plan to monster Australia's halfback and captain into submission. "And it worked a treat," he admitted. Farr-Jones said cheekily winking and blowing a kiss at Lions hooker Brian Moore early on in the game was a big mistake. "He proceeded to rip me apart after that and all the other forwards ripped into me," he said. "They had a pack which included three policemen, three bobbies - (Wade) Dooley, (Paul) Ackford, (Dean) Richards - as well as Finlay Calder, 'Mad Dog' Moore. "I think the only probably non-fighter in that pack was David Sole, the Scottish prop. "You had Mickey Skinner. It was a tough, hard pack and they would have sat around two weeks before the first and the second Test, and they would have said, 'What are we going to do?' "Let's beat the crap out of them, and how about we start with the captain. "He's a little guy. We can beat the crap out of him. His game will implode, the team will unravel around him and in a way it sort of happened. "So I commend them for the tactics." Farr-Jones pointed out that the likes of two-time World Cup-winning Wallabies legends Tim Horan and Phil Kearns never got a crack at the Lions and hopes Joe Schmidt's class of 2025 realise the opportunity in front of them. Because he still regrets his 1989 side not taking their chance in a 2-1 series-deciding third-Test loss in Sydney, when the defining moment of the 19-18 near-miss remains David Campese's wild pass to Greg Martin in the Australian in-goal area that led to the Lions' winning try. "So, looking back, the cracks in the ceiling would get wider at three in the morning because we should have won that series. There's no doubt about that, and we butchered it," Farr-Jones recalls. "And I'm not talking about Campo's incident or what have you. We had 79 other minutes in which to win that game. "We should never have lost it. You wake up and you really regret it because, as came to pass in World Cups, we got a second roll of the dice." Farr-Jones AM achieved just about every major honour in helped the Wallabies complete the fabled grand slam tour in 1984with victories over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, alsofeatured in triumphant Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand andcrowned his career by hoisting the Webb Ellis Cup next to the Queen atTwickenham in only other career disappointments that come closeto losing to the Lions was not winning a first grade premiership in 14seasons with Sydney University and seeing his great friend andteammate Tim Gavin miss the `91 World Cup through injury.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
'It shits me': Nick Farr-Jones' nagging Lions regret
World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones has ranked the pain of never winning a series against the British and Irish Lions as probably the biggest regret of his celebrated career and urged the Wallabies to seize the moment in Saturday's first Test in says even 36 years after leading Australia to a 2-1 series loss to the Lions, he still tosses and turns about missing his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conquer the best of the British and Irish. "Yeah, it shits me," Farr-Jones told AAP. "When the Lions come down, only once every 12 years, you get one roll of the dice. And if I've got any damn regrets about the game looking back, it's that we didn't beat the bastards." After crushing the tourists 30-12 in the 1989 first Test, the Wallabies lost the infamous "Battle of Ballymore" 19-12 as the Lions mauled them in Brisbane to level the series. Despite only suffering a seven-point loss, it was the manner in which the Wallabies succumbed in the brutal second Test that gives Farr-Jones nightmares. The Lions hatched a plan to monster Australia's halfback and captain into submission. "And it worked a treat," he admitted. Farr-Jones said cheekily winking and blowing a kiss at Lions hooker Brian Moore early on in the game was a big mistake. "He proceeded to rip me apart after that and all the other forwards ripped into me," he said. "They had a pack which included three policemen, three bobbies - (Wade) Dooley, (Paul) Ackford, (Dean) Richards - as well as Finlay Calder, 'Mad Dog' Moore. "I think the only probably non-fighter in that pack was David Sole, the Scottish prop. "You had Mickey Skinner. It was a tough, hard pack and they would have sat around two weeks before the first and the second Test, and they would have said, 'What are we going to do?' "Let's beat the crap out of them, and how about we start with the captain. "He's a little guy. We can beat the crap out of him. His game will implode, the team will unravel around him and in a way it sort of happened. "So I commend them for the tactics." Farr-Jones pointed out that the likes of two-time World Cup-winning Wallabies legends Tim Horan and Phil Kearns never got a crack at the Lions and hopes Joe Schmidt's class of 2025 realise the opportunity in front of them. Because he still regrets his 1989 side not taking their chance in a 2-1 series-deciding third-Test loss in Sydney, when the defining moment of the 19-18 near-miss remains David Campese's wild pass to Greg Martin in the Australian in-goal area that led to the Lions' winning try. "So, looking back, the cracks in the ceiling would get wider at three in the morning because we should have won that series. There's no doubt about that, and we butchered it," Farr-Jones recalls. "And I'm not talking about Campo's incident or what have you. We had 79 other minutes in which to win that game. "We should never have lost it. You wake up and you really regret it because, as came to pass in World Cups, we got a second roll of the dice." Farr-Jones AM achieved just about every major honour in helped the Wallabies complete the fabled grand slam tour in 1984with victories over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, alsofeatured in triumphant Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand andcrowned his career by hoisting the Webb Ellis Cup next to the Queen atTwickenham in only other career disappointments that come closeto losing to the Lions was not winning a first grade premiership in 14seasons with Sydney University and seeing his great friend andteammate Tim Gavin miss the `91 World Cup through injury.
