The Pom you want to hate will be a star for Lions
Eddie Jones' Japan XV side were smashed 53-20 by the Māori All Blacks in Tokyo on Saturday, an ominous side before Japan's two-Test series against Wales starts next weekend. Former Reds No 10 Sam Greene made his first start for Japan after becoming eligible and enjoyed a bright first half, but Japan's defence was poor in the second half and the Māori ran in a total of nine tries. The problems that were evident for Japan in Jones' first year in charge last year were still there on Saturday, and unless they can find a few more gears physically they will be in trouble against the Welsh, despite the Six Nations side's own form woes. Jones didn't play his big guns against the Māori, but it was still a poor display in front of a healthy home crowd against a side with eight debutants and just one week of preparation. Meanwhile, the Springboks hammered a reasonable-looking Barbarians side 54-7 in Cape Town with a performance of pace and power. Watch out New Zealand, these Springboks are coming for that Eden Park winning streak.
Wallabies can already start preparing for this backline
Jamison Gibson-Park, Finn Russell, James Lowe, Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose and Mack Hansen will start the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane, with only the fullback position looking particularly contestable between Elliot Daly, Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan.
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It was clear in Perth that the Irish contingent are understandably more comfortable with coach Andy Farrell's style of play, with No 13 Ringrose the key man defensively with his line speed. Schmidt won't mind that tactic, particularly with Len Ikitau or Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii good enough or strong enough to take the hit from Ringrose and get the ball wider or beat him with footwork. The defensive issues that prevented Lowe from being an All Black also pop up sporadically, so there will be opportunities for the Wallabies if they are good enough. On the flipside, Russell's quick hands were a joy to watch in Perth - he really does belong among the elite in the terms of the deception he can offer at the line.
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Perth Now
38 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Tupou pulled from Wallabies camp for early Lions duel
Taniela Tupou won't face Fiji after being pulled from the Wallabies camp for an early test against the British & Irish Lions. The NSW Waratahs will benefit from the 58-Test prop's presence on Saturday in Sydney, the second Lions fixture of the week following their clash with the Queensland Reds in Brisbane. Australia play Fiji in Newcastle on Sunday, coach Joe Schmidt on Monday releasing Tupou after including him in the wider Test squad last week. The off-contract Tupou, reportedly set for a club move to France, did not hit his straps for the Waratahs this season but at his best would be a crucial piece of the Wallabies' pack to take on the Lions. He'll get his chance to make an early statement on Saturday before Schmidt refines his squad for the three-Test Lions series beginning in Brisbane on July 19.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Man of many talents hits right note for Aussie tennis
One-time national junior swimming champ, accomplished flautist who's graced Sydney's grandest stages, Phantom of the Opera star and mentored by a great sportsman, let's just say James McCabe is one multi-talented lad. And the great news for Australian tennis? This gifted musical and athletic allrounder has finally alighted on the sport as his chosen destination, with the late-starting but quickly-blooming 21-year-old virtuoso now ready to play all the right notes on his Wimbledon debut. With his every progress being backed all the way by the great dual-code rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams, McCabe gazed over the All England Club and declared: "Definitely, tennis was the right choice. "It's been my dream. When I was a kid, the first thing I did was pick up a racquet when I was two-and-a-half, and dad took me on the court and I could hit the ball, I could actually rally. "Dad thought it was a bit silly, but he's got those videos somewhere, and I had a diaper on at the time!" But McCabe, born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and Irish father and a proud Sydneysider from the moment he moved to Australia with the family at six months old, had to wait a long time before he finally turned his attention to tennis three years ago. Er, that's because he was just a bit too busy being one of life's achievers. It was exhausting just listening to McCabe relating how during his school years in Sydney, after he got his swimming scholarship to Trinity Grammar, he would regularly get just a few hours sleep, fitting in all his early morning training in the pool with a bewildering amount of after-school musical fare. "I was a flautist in orchestras and symphonic wind bands, marching bands and musicals, and played in the biggest venues in Sydney, like Town Hall and St Andrew's Cathedral and that was a big part of my life. And now it's tennis," explained McCabe, who's a fine choral soloist, guitarist and pianist. Now he's on one of sport's greatest stages instead as the world No.181 after making huge progress over the last three years, culminating in his qualification for his maiden Wimbledon last week, which has set up his debut against Hungary's world No.58 Fabian Marozsan on Tuesday. "When you're playing music and stuff, you're basically looking to be perfect, but in tennis, you can't be perfect," he shrugged, comparing his two worlds. "You're versing someone else, and they're doing everything that you basically don't want to do, that's the game. In tennis, you've got to take the punches, but also give them back." Which brings us to Williams, the All Blacks great who's a long-time family friend and mentor to McCabe. When McCabe came through qualifying last week, Sonny Bill sent him a message voicing his congratulations. "I'm very lucky and very grateful that I have him mentoring me and giving me all of his tips and advice, maybe the greatest of all-time in his field who carries himself so humbly." Williams has got his own big sporting date lined up for next month, his boxing blockbuster in Sydney with rugby league hard man Paul Gallen. Asked for his prediction, McCabe smiled: "I guess I definitely have Sunny, he's always my number one." But could McCabe, a national junior 200m butterfly champ before he turned his back on the swimming grind, turn out to be as brilliant a sporting allrounder as his hero? "Everyone has their own path, and you gotta make the most out of what you can make of it," shrugged McCabe. "And if you believe in your dream, anything's possible." One-time national junior swimming champ, accomplished flautist who's graced Sydney's grandest stages, Phantom of the Opera star and mentored by a great sportsman, let's just say James McCabe is one multi-talented lad. And the great news for Australian tennis? This gifted musical and athletic allrounder has finally alighted on the sport as his chosen destination, with the late-starting but quickly-blooming 21-year-old virtuoso now ready to play all the right notes on his Wimbledon debut. With his every progress being backed all the way by the great dual-code rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams, McCabe gazed over the All England Club and declared: "Definitely, tennis was the right choice. "It's been my dream. When I was a kid, the first thing I did was pick up a racquet when I was two-and-a-half, and dad took me on the court and I could hit the ball, I could actually rally. "Dad thought it was a bit silly, but he's got those videos somewhere, and I had a diaper on at the time!" But McCabe, born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and Irish father and a proud Sydneysider from the moment he moved to Australia with the family at six months old, had to wait a long time before he finally turned his attention to tennis three years ago. Er, that's because he was just a bit too busy being one of life's achievers. It was exhausting just listening to McCabe relating how during his school years in Sydney, after he got his swimming scholarship to Trinity Grammar, he would regularly get just a few hours sleep, fitting in all his early morning training in the pool with a bewildering amount of after-school musical fare. "I was a flautist in orchestras and symphonic wind bands, marching bands and musicals, and played in the biggest venues in Sydney, like Town Hall and St Andrew's Cathedral and that was a big part of my life. And now it's tennis," explained McCabe, who's a fine choral soloist, guitarist and pianist. Now he's on one of sport's greatest stages instead as the world No.181 after making huge progress over the last three years, culminating in his qualification for his maiden Wimbledon last week, which has set up his debut against Hungary's world No.58 Fabian Marozsan on Tuesday. "When you're playing music and stuff, you're basically looking to be perfect, but in tennis, you can't be perfect," he shrugged, comparing his two worlds. "You're versing someone else, and they're doing everything that you basically don't want to do, that's the game. In tennis, you've got to take the punches, but also give them back." Which brings us to Williams, the All Blacks great who's a long-time family friend and mentor to McCabe. When McCabe came through qualifying last week, Sonny Bill sent him a message voicing his congratulations. "I'm very lucky and very grateful that I have him mentoring me and giving me all of his tips and advice, maybe the greatest of all-time in his field who carries himself so humbly." Williams has got his own big sporting date lined up for next month, his boxing blockbuster in Sydney with rugby league hard man Paul Gallen. Asked for his prediction, McCabe smiled: "I guess I definitely have Sunny, he's always my number one." But could McCabe, a national junior 200m butterfly champ before he turned his back on the swimming grind, turn out to be as brilliant a sporting allrounder as his hero? "Everyone has their own path, and you gotta make the most out of what you can make of it," shrugged McCabe. "And if you believe in your dream, anything's possible." One-time national junior swimming champ, accomplished flautist who's graced Sydney's grandest stages, Phantom of the Opera star and mentored by a great sportsman, let's just say James McCabe is one multi-talented lad. And the great news for Australian tennis? This gifted musical and athletic allrounder has finally alighted on the sport as his chosen destination, with the late-starting but quickly-blooming 21-year-old virtuoso now ready to play all the right notes on his Wimbledon debut. With his every progress being backed all the way by the great dual-code rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams, McCabe gazed over the All England Club and declared: "Definitely, tennis was the right choice. "It's been my dream. When I was a kid, the first thing I did was pick up a racquet when I was two-and-a-half, and dad took me on the court and I could hit the ball, I could actually rally. "Dad thought it was a bit silly, but he's got those videos somewhere, and I had a diaper on at the time!" But McCabe, born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and Irish father and a proud Sydneysider from the moment he moved to Australia with the family at six months old, had to wait a long time before he finally turned his attention to tennis three years ago. Er, that's because he was just a bit too busy being one of life's achievers. It was exhausting just listening to McCabe relating how during his school years in Sydney, after he got his swimming scholarship to Trinity Grammar, he would regularly get just a few hours sleep, fitting in all his early morning training in the pool with a bewildering amount of after-school musical fare. "I was a flautist in orchestras and symphonic wind bands, marching bands and musicals, and played in the biggest venues in Sydney, like Town Hall and St Andrew's Cathedral and that was a big part of my life. And now it's tennis," explained McCabe, who's a fine choral soloist, guitarist and pianist. Now he's on one of sport's greatest stages instead as the world No.181 after making huge progress over the last three years, culminating in his qualification for his maiden Wimbledon last week, which has set up his debut against Hungary's world No.58 Fabian Marozsan on Tuesday. "When you're playing music and stuff, you're basically looking to be perfect, but in tennis, you can't be perfect," he shrugged, comparing his two worlds. "You're versing someone else, and they're doing everything that you basically don't want to do, that's the game. In tennis, you've got to take the punches, but also give them back." Which brings us to Williams, the All Blacks great who's a long-time family friend and mentor to McCabe. When McCabe came through qualifying last week, Sonny Bill sent him a message voicing his congratulations. "I'm very lucky and very grateful that I have him mentoring me and giving me all of his tips and advice, maybe the greatest of all-time in his field who carries himself so humbly." Williams has got his own big sporting date lined up for next month, his boxing blockbuster in Sydney with rugby league hard man Paul Gallen. Asked for his prediction, McCabe smiled: "I guess I definitely have Sunny, he's always my number one." But could McCabe, a national junior 200m butterfly champ before he turned his back on the swimming grind, turn out to be as brilliant a sporting allrounder as his hero? "Everyone has their own path, and you gotta make the most out of what you can make of it," shrugged McCabe. "And if you believe in your dream, anything's possible." One-time national junior swimming champ, accomplished flautist who's graced Sydney's grandest stages, Phantom of the Opera star and mentored by a great sportsman, let's just say James McCabe is one multi-talented lad. And the great news for Australian tennis? This gifted musical and athletic allrounder has finally alighted on the sport as his chosen destination, with the late-starting but quickly-blooming 21-year-old virtuoso now ready to play all the right notes on his Wimbledon debut. With his every progress being backed all the way by the great dual-code rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams, McCabe gazed over the All England Club and declared: "Definitely, tennis was the right choice. "It's been my dream. When I was a kid, the first thing I did was pick up a racquet when I was two-and-a-half, and dad took me on the court and I could hit the ball, I could actually rally. "Dad thought it was a bit silly, but he's got those videos somewhere, and I had a diaper on at the time!" But McCabe, born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and Irish father and a proud Sydneysider from the moment he moved to Australia with the family at six months old, had to wait a long time before he finally turned his attention to tennis three years ago. Er, that's because he was just a bit too busy being one of life's achievers. It was exhausting just listening to McCabe relating how during his school years in Sydney, after he got his swimming scholarship to Trinity Grammar, he would regularly get just a few hours sleep, fitting in all his early morning training in the pool with a bewildering amount of after-school musical fare. "I was a flautist in orchestras and symphonic wind bands, marching bands and musicals, and played in the biggest venues in Sydney, like Town Hall and St Andrew's Cathedral and that was a big part of my life. And now it's tennis," explained McCabe, who's a fine choral soloist, guitarist and pianist. Now he's on one of sport's greatest stages instead as the world No.181 after making huge progress over the last three years, culminating in his qualification for his maiden Wimbledon last week, which has set up his debut against Hungary's world No.58 Fabian Marozsan on Tuesday. "When you're playing music and stuff, you're basically looking to be perfect, but in tennis, you can't be perfect," he shrugged, comparing his two worlds. "You're versing someone else, and they're doing everything that you basically don't want to do, that's the game. In tennis, you've got to take the punches, but also give them back." Which brings us to Williams, the All Blacks great who's a long-time family friend and mentor to McCabe. When McCabe came through qualifying last week, Sonny Bill sent him a message voicing his congratulations. "I'm very lucky and very grateful that I have him mentoring me and giving me all of his tips and advice, maybe the greatest of all-time in his field who carries himself so humbly." Williams has got his own big sporting date lined up for next month, his boxing blockbuster in Sydney with rugby league hard man Paul Gallen. Asked for his prediction, McCabe smiled: "I guess I definitely have Sunny, he's always my number one." But could McCabe, a national junior 200m butterfly champ before he turned his back on the swimming grind, turn out to be as brilliant a sporting allrounder as his hero? "Everyone has their own path, and you gotta make the most out of what you can make of it," shrugged McCabe. "And if you believe in your dream, anything's possible."
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Wallaby vent: 'Coaches change every freaking two years'
Quade Cooper has launched a blistering attack on Rugby Australia, claiming a "decade of coaching chaos" is behind the Wallabies' dramatic fall from grace. Rugby World Cup finalists in 2015, the Wallabies will enter the looming showpiece series against the touring British and Irish Lions as the eighth ranked team in the world. An 80-Test stalwart who played under five different coaches in a 15-year Test career, Cooper has laid bare why the series shapes as a real-life David-versus-Goliath battle in a damning column for NewsCorp. Under the headline of 'Wallabies' identity crisis: a decade of coaching chaos', Cooper pulled no punches when disturbingly detailing where he believes it has all gone wrong for Australian rugby since the glory days of holding the Bledisloe and World Cup trophies and winning the 2001 series against the Lions. "The most frustrating narrative around the Wallabies over the past decade has been that we don't produce quality playmakers," Cooper wrote. "I've been in the No.10 jersey for the Wallabies. I've copped the pressure, the praise, the criticism. I know what it's like to try and lead a team through the chaos of constant change, all while trying to make sense of what Australian rugby actually stands for. "The core problem is that the coaches change every freaking two years." Pointing out that he played under Robbie Deans, Ewen McKenzie, Michael Cheika, Dave Rennie and Eddie Jones, Cooper said the "constant churn means you're changing the program every two years, and so consistent development is impossible". "When a new coach sweeps in, the whole set-up changes, the structure of the camps, the structure of who's coaching, the structure of how you're playing," he said. "This isn't just disruptive; it's crippling. "Australia has been unable to cultivate a distinct style of play because they're trying to get the best coach that's out there right now, rather than adhering to a foundational Australian identity. "As a result, Australian play over the last 15 years has had no identity to it. "I contrast this with global rugby powerhouses. "The All Blacks: Every time a coach comes in, their system is the All Blacks system. Coaches often have prior involvement and simply keep moving it forward. "The Springboks: South Africa is still South Africa no matter who has coached their team. They've just been able to add layers to it, integrating better players into certain positions without tearing up the whole playbook. "Their forward pack has not changed, they just add younger players to the mix that are more talented than the next." Cooper believes the "perpetual cycle of change in the Wallabies leads to the dreaded word heard so much in Australian rugby: 'rebuild'." "Every new coach starts building from the ground up. It's a self-perpetuating problem," he wrote. "My message is clear, at some point there has to be consistency. The Wallabies need to define their big rocks as an organisation, and their 'DNA'. "Only then can they establish principles of what you coach on that transcend individual coaching tenures, allowing true development and a consistent, winning identity. "Without that, the frustrations for playmakers and the team as a whole will continue to fester, leaving the Wallabies in a perpetual state of 'rebuilding' instead of genuine contention." Quade Cooper has launched a blistering attack on Rugby Australia, claiming a "decade of coaching chaos" is behind the Wallabies' dramatic fall from grace. Rugby World Cup finalists in 2015, the Wallabies will enter the looming showpiece series against the touring British and Irish Lions as the eighth ranked team in the world. An 80-Test stalwart who played under five different coaches in a 15-year Test career, Cooper has laid bare why the series shapes as a real-life David-versus-Goliath battle in a damning column for NewsCorp. Under the headline of 'Wallabies' identity crisis: a decade of coaching chaos', Cooper pulled no punches when disturbingly detailing where he believes it has all gone wrong for Australian rugby since the glory days of holding the Bledisloe and World Cup trophies and winning the 2001 series against the Lions. "The most frustrating narrative around the Wallabies over the past decade has been that we don't produce quality playmakers," Cooper wrote. "I've been in the No.10 jersey for the Wallabies. I've copped the pressure, the praise, the criticism. I know what it's like to try and lead a team through the chaos of constant change, all while trying to make sense of what Australian rugby actually stands for. "The core problem is that the coaches change every freaking two years." Pointing out that he played under Robbie Deans, Ewen McKenzie, Michael Cheika, Dave Rennie and Eddie Jones, Cooper said the "constant churn means you're changing the program every two years, and so consistent development is impossible". "When a new coach sweeps in, the whole set-up changes, the structure of the camps, the structure of who's coaching, the structure of how you're playing," he said. "This isn't just disruptive; it's crippling. "Australia has been unable to cultivate a distinct style of play because they're trying to get the best coach that's out there right now, rather than adhering to a foundational Australian identity. "As a result, Australian play over the last 15 years has had no identity to it. "I contrast this with global rugby powerhouses. "The All Blacks: Every time a coach comes in, their system is the All Blacks system. Coaches often have prior involvement and simply keep moving it forward. "The Springboks: South Africa is still South Africa no matter who has coached their team. They've just been able to add layers to it, integrating better players into certain positions without tearing up the whole playbook. "Their forward pack has not changed, they just add younger players to the mix that are more talented than the next." Cooper believes the "perpetual cycle of change in the Wallabies leads to the dreaded word heard so much in Australian rugby: 'rebuild'." "Every new coach starts building from the ground up. It's a self-perpetuating problem," he wrote. "My message is clear, at some point there has to be consistency. The Wallabies need to define their big rocks as an organisation, and their 'DNA'. "Only then can they establish principles of what you coach on that transcend individual coaching tenures, allowing true development and a consistent, winning identity. "Without that, the frustrations for playmakers and the team as a whole will continue to fester, leaving the Wallabies in a perpetual state of 'rebuilding' instead of genuine contention." Quade Cooper has launched a blistering attack on Rugby Australia, claiming a "decade of coaching chaos" is behind the Wallabies' dramatic fall from grace. Rugby World Cup finalists in 2015, the Wallabies will enter the looming showpiece series against the touring British and Irish Lions as the eighth ranked team in the world. An 80-Test stalwart who played under five different coaches in a 15-year Test career, Cooper has laid bare why the series shapes as a real-life David-versus-Goliath battle in a damning column for NewsCorp. Under the headline of 'Wallabies' identity crisis: a decade of coaching chaos', Cooper pulled no punches when disturbingly detailing where he believes it has all gone wrong for Australian rugby since the glory days of holding the Bledisloe and World Cup trophies and winning the 2001 series against the Lions. "The most frustrating narrative around the Wallabies over the past decade has been that we don't produce quality playmakers," Cooper wrote. "I've been in the No.10 jersey for the Wallabies. I've copped the pressure, the praise, the criticism. I know what it's like to try and lead a team through the chaos of constant change, all while trying to make sense of what Australian rugby actually stands for. "The core problem is that the coaches change every freaking two years." Pointing out that he played under Robbie Deans, Ewen McKenzie, Michael Cheika, Dave Rennie and Eddie Jones, Cooper said the "constant churn means you're changing the program every two years, and so consistent development is impossible". "When a new coach sweeps in, the whole set-up changes, the structure of the camps, the structure of who's coaching, the structure of how you're playing," he said. "This isn't just disruptive; it's crippling. "Australia has been unable to cultivate a distinct style of play because they're trying to get the best coach that's out there right now, rather than adhering to a foundational Australian identity. "As a result, Australian play over the last 15 years has had no identity to it. "I contrast this with global rugby powerhouses. "The All Blacks: Every time a coach comes in, their system is the All Blacks system. Coaches often have prior involvement and simply keep moving it forward. "The Springboks: South Africa is still South Africa no matter who has coached their team. They've just been able to add layers to it, integrating better players into certain positions without tearing up the whole playbook. "Their forward pack has not changed, they just add younger players to the mix that are more talented than the next." Cooper believes the "perpetual cycle of change in the Wallabies leads to the dreaded word heard so much in Australian rugby: 'rebuild'." "Every new coach starts building from the ground up. It's a self-perpetuating problem," he wrote. "My message is clear, at some point there has to be consistency. The Wallabies need to define their big rocks as an organisation, and their 'DNA'. "Only then can they establish principles of what you coach on that transcend individual coaching tenures, allowing true development and a consistent, winning identity. "Without that, the frustrations for playmakers and the team as a whole will continue to fester, leaving the Wallabies in a perpetual state of 'rebuilding' instead of genuine contention."
