Itoje returns as Lions make 14 changes for clash with Queensland Reds
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Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British and Irish Lions sweat over fitness of ANOTHER star as Andy Farrell 'crosses his fingers' for full-back sent for X-ray after injury in Queensland Reds win
Elliot Daly's Lions tour is in jeopardy after the full-back was sent for an X-ray following the victory over Queensland Reds. The three-time tourist was sent for scans on his forearm after suffering a suspected fracture whilst attempting a tackle. It would be a cruel blow if Daly is sent home early, having been one of the standout performers in the opening fixtures. 'We've all got our fingers crossed for him,' said Lions coach Andy Farrell. 'He's got a bang on the forearm and he's going for an X-ray this evening.' Daly was drafted into the starting team after Hugo Keenan was ruled out before kick-off with illness. His versatility has put him in contention to be part of the Test team to face the Wallabies but he now faces a nervous wait for his diagnosis. 'Elliot's been back to his good old self, hasn't he?' added Farrell 'We've seen him do that on these tours before, and he's certainly the type of character that loves touring. He's a people person. 'I actually phoned him up today. He'd just come out of the gym, had a tough old session, and I said to him, 'How was the gym session?' He says, 'Good, yeah, we trained hard'. 'I said, 'Well done, you've won the golden ticket, you're playing this evening'. He was not phased at all, and that's the type of characters that you need on tours like this.' Should Daly be ruled out of the tour, Scotsman Tom Jordan could provide versatile cover.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
See the proof footy legend Billy Slater's teenage son has the talent to follow in his dad's footsteps
Billy Slater's son, Jake, has been branded a 'chip off the old block' after showcasing his skills during an U15s match this week. Jake was representing Victoria during the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Championships during their Pool B clash against the Northern Territory. The side ran out a 26-10 victory against their opponents, having previously beaten West Australia in the competition but were defeated by the First Nations Goannas on Monday. The win saw Victoria advance to the final of the competition, which will be played on Friday. Victoria were leading Northern Territory 20-10 heading into the final two minutes of the match and had advanced their way up to Northern Territory's try line. Jake received the ball off the back of a ruck 10m out and faked a dummy pass out wide, sending multiple Northern Territory defenders off-balance. The young footy player then cut back inside off his right foot and showed his acceleration to dart past one advancing defender before sliding down across the whitewash, showing shades of his NRL great dad. SHADES OF HIS FATHER: Jake Slater (son of Billy Slater) showed some great footwork and a good step before crossing for a try at the U15s National Champs Slater has been key in directing traffic in attack and helped guide Victoria to the Championship Final on Friday @zerotackle — Ethan Lee Chalk (@EthanLeeChalk) July 1, 2025 Members of his team surrounded him in celebration as his side would go on to seal a 26-10 victory, while others online also lauded the youngster and his team-mate. 'Love seeing the next generation shine!' one wrote on X. 'Jake's got that Slater magic - great vision and footwork just like his dad. Big future ahead.' 'Chip off the old block that Jake,' another said. His dad, Billy, enjoyed a glittering career in footy's top flight, scoring 191 tries for the Melbourne Storm, winning two premierships with the side across his 15-year playing career. Slater now turns his attention to next week's State of Origin decider, as Queensland look to wrestle back the shield from New South Wales. Slater has handed a shock Origin recall to 33-year-old Josh Papalii, a move that has raised a lot of eyebrows around the NRL world. The Raiders star last played for the Maroons in 2022, but Slater believes he still has the fire to help his side win the series. 'It's probably something that I've had in the back of my mind for a couple of years now, in particular this year, the way that Big Papa has been playing for Canberra and the performances he's been putting in,' Slater said. 'I spoke to Papa a couple of days ago and the response was pretty much where my head was at, which was fantastic. 'It just shows you that he's still got that fire to play for this footy team, he's got that fire to represent the people of Queensland and he's got that fire to go out and do a good job for his state, so I was pleased to hear that. 'He's got an aura about him, he's a real warrior and has been for this footy team for a long time.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Conan 'absolutely loved' emphatic win over Reds
Jack Conan says the British and Irish Lions are "pretty happy" with how they have performed in their first two games in Farrell's side followed Saturday's comfortable win against the Western Force with a comprehensive 52-12 triumph over Queensland Reds on made his first start of the series at number eight against the Reds in Brisbane and was pleased with his display and the Lions' collective performance."It was class, I absolutely loved it. Normally I get a bit nervous before a game, but I was just excited," he told BBC Sport."I'm happy enough with how it went, a few mistakes but that is always going to happen, you have to roll with the punches a little bit, make the most of it and I felt like I did that."Like everyone else, I'm trying to put my best foot forward and make the most of the occasion personally and collectively."After a slow start at Suncorp Stadium, the Lions dominated the second half as they claimed a deserved believes their focus now is to put in a complete performance from the start as they look forward to their next game against Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday."We just want to play from minute one to minute 84, I think at one stage a few lads were screaming to kick it out because we were over it and pretty tired, but you want to play and show what you're about and show your skillset, I think we did that in spades today," he added."There is always room to improve and get better but we're pretty happy with how they have gone, and we have the opportunity to go again Saturday." Conan's fellow Irish forward, Ronan Kelleher, was also thrilled to get the win against the Queensland side on his first start of the Leinster front row's tap penalty put Andrew Porter over to level at 12-12 before Finn Russell's conversion put the Lions ahead and there was no looking back from a veteran of the 2021 tour of South Africa, is excited to be involved for a second time and feels their victory on Wednesday is a "a step in the right direction"."It's great to get the win against an unbelievably good Reds side," said the 27-year-old hooker."They were unbelievably physical, particularly in that first half, so we're happy with how we we and we are really excited about the next four a really exciting challenge and everyone is really looking forward to it. The competition for places is really important as well with lads showing up in training and ready to get better each day, so it's great to be a part of."
