Indo Sport podcast: Beibhinn Parsons on injury nightmare & World Cup dream
Today at 12:15
Joe is joined by Ireland star Beibhinn Parsons to discuss his long road back from injury ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup in August.
Beibhinn recounts how she broke her leg twice in quick succession late last year and the grueling road to recovery.
Before that, Will pops into the studio to discuss the Lions team announcement for Friday's game against Argentina, with Tadhg Furlong back from injury
Rugby on Indo Sport is brought to you by Energia.
If you'd like to get in touch with the show, email us at indosportpodcast@independent.ie.
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Australian rugby's incendiary attitude towards nationality needs extinguishing
So there we were in the bowels of Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday night. The post-game media mixed zone is not always the natural home of relaxed, honest repartee, but Sione Tuipulotu is a friendly guy and the British & Irish Lions had just won their opening tour game in Australia. It was a chance for a couple of ritual inquiries and a spot of gentle breeze-shooting. Aside from anything else, it was good to see Tuipulotu smiling. He had missed the entire Six Nations through injury, initially putting his tour participation in doubt. It must have been a particularly tough period given he was Scotland's captain back in the autumn and also grew up in Melbourne. To say he fancied going on this trip would be an understatement. His backstory is also a multifaceted sign of the times. The MacLeods and the Mackenzies have their famous clan tartans; the Tuipulotus not so much. His grandmother hails from Greenock but moved to Australia as a young girl. His father is from Tonga. The family genes, consequently, are more exotic than some and the concept of nationality correspondingly more blurred. Which, on this trip, puts him in the crosshairs of those who insist borders should be hard and fast and national flags nontransferable. Maybe the Western Force stadium announcer thought he was being hilarious as he rattled off the Lions team: 'The Aussie at No 14, Mack Hansen. Another Aussie at No 12, Sione Tuipulotu. The Kiwi now Irishman, James Lowe.' Either way, more fuel was instantly poured on one of sport's more incendiary debates. Tuipulotu didn't hear it – or claimed he didn't – but you could sense the 28-year-old's heart sinking when the subject inevitably came up. 'I knew there would be some 'good humour' coming back home to Australia,' he replied, more than a touch wearily. 'These are all things we've got to take in our stride. Look, I am from Australia. I was born here. I don't know how funny that gag is to everybody but I'm loving playing for Lions.' In other words, he wasn't too impressed. Understandably so. Imagine if the same announcer pulls a similar stunt before England's cricketers play the opening Test of the Ashes series in the very same stadium this November. 'West Indian Englishmen Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell, Pakistani Englishman Shoaib Bashir …' Harmless banter or something more insidious when all that should matter is the three lions on their caps? The Lions prop Pierre Schoeman has already had to deal with such inquiries, as did Lowe on Saturday evening. Lowe qualified for Ireland via residency and played against the Lions for New Zealand Māori in 2017, but he and his wife are now Irish citizens and he insists representing the Lions 'will make me proud until the end of my days'. It may also be worth mentioning, for balance, that the current Wallaby squad are a similarly cosmopolitan bunch. The Fijian-born Filipo Daugunu qualifies via residency, while the winger Harry Potter was born in England. Tom Lynagh was born in Italy, for whom his brother Louis now plays, and raised in England. Taniela Tupou is known as the 'Tongan Thor' while Hunter Paisami represented Samoa at under-20s level. Noah Lolesio and Will Skelton were also born in New Zealand. Australia's head coach, Joe Schmidt, meanwhile, is a Kiwi revered for his work in Ireland. Yet even Schmidt has had to row back publicly from a 'sloppy' comment in which he pointedly referred to 'the southern-hemisphere centre partnership' of Tuipolotu and Bundee Aki. Schmidt says he regretted the remark and that it was not meant as a slight. Too late, sadly, to douse the jingoistic flames. And if allowed to rage unchecked, where will it all end? A Ryder Cup team – Brexit means Brexit – containing nobody from beyond the white cliffs of Dover? A ban on the naturalised Canadian Greg Rusedski showing up at Wimbledon? A retrospective trawl through the Lions record books to insert asterisks beside Ronan O'Gara (born in the USA) or Paul Ackford (born in Germany)? Life is not always about staying in your notional lane or adhering to other people's old‑school beliefs surrounding nationalism. Nor, furthermore, has a single one of rugby's regulations been broken. Yes, it would help if stricter rules applied around 'project players' and the poaching of youthful southern hemisphere talent. Nor should it be possible, as it theoretically would be, for someone such as Jack Willis – the England international currently based in France – to switch allegiance to Ireland at the end of next year on the strength of a grandparent from Ulster. But where in the Lions tour agreement does it say that a strong Irish, Welsh, Scottish or English accent is a prerequisite to be a fully fledged tour member? Equally ludicrous is the idea being pedalled in some quarters that if, say, Tuipulotu, Hansen and Lowe were to combine to score a series-clinching try against the Wallabies it would somehow cheapen the Lions ethos. Good luck with flogging that theory to Tuipulotu's proud granny Jacqueline, or, indeed, Andy Farrell. Because once they pull on a red jersey with a Lions badge on their chest, there should be no doubting any player's commitment. The eligibility rules are what they are and, until they change, the current whinging is both disrespectful and irrelevant. Those who disagree are entitled to their opinion. But if people think certain members of the Lions squad now in Australia are devaluing the exercise they are very much barking up the wrong gum tree. Guardian
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Lions - Jack Willis is sensational for Toulouse in Top 14 final win
Jack Willis was in outstanding form for Toulouse who beat Bordeaux 39-33 after extra-time in the Top 14 final. Thomas Ramos kicked two penalties in the added time to seal the win but Willis, starting in the Toulouse back-row was superb, scoring two of Toulouse's four tries. This is a player, excluded from the original Lions squad selection, who has started 25 of the 27 games he has played for Toulouse this season - and he has bagged 10 tries in the was at no7 for last weekend's game at Stade de France but had started half-a-dozen games at no6 and played twice at no8 is not in the current England set-up because they have decided, as part of a general policy, not to pick players who are based at foreign clubs. His last cap came in March 2023 when, indeed, he was at Toulouse but this was considered an exceptional circumstance as he had moved there following the collapse of his English club, having not returned to play in England at the beginning of the following season, he has been excluded from their international set-up since. Blair Kinghorn, who also plays for Toulouse, is a Scotland international regular and started at left-wing against Bordeaux - moving to full-back when Romain N'tamack got injured and Ramos moved to out-half - and has no such international bar on him from the hasn't an easy decision to make with regard to Willis. Selecting the exile might not be popular with the English Rugby Union - thought to be Farrell's next employers after then he has been shown as a man of his own mettle before and a lot will rest on how he viewed the collective Lions back-row performances to games in, Ben Earls, Jac Morgan and Tom Curry had have nightmares against Argentina and Tadhg Beirne, switched from second-row to back-row, didn't show too well against the same time there has to be satisfaction that 20 year-old Henry Pollock who was asked to play the executive role at no8 for the Lions against Force was within touching distance of Man of the Match.A practical neophyte who, according to the textbook, is 'supposed' to trade at this level by filling in at no6 for a sustained Kaboom!Pollock made 13 carries for 74 metres, two clean breaks beating four defenders, 17 tackles with just one miss and posted a try-assist. Only Joe McCarthy made more carries, only the back-three made more metres, only James Lowe equalled his clean break/defenders beaten tally, only Josh van der Flier beat his tackle count. This from a player who wasn't even in the England matchday squad for the 2025 Six Nations game here in fact, he was with the England U20 squad for Rounds 1&2 of the U20 Six Nations and, called into the senior squad, came on as a sub against Wales in the last of their Six Nations no7 for England U20s against Ireland U20 at Virgin Media Musgrave Park last January 30, he was instrumental in the English win, the scoreline finishing Foy (Munster), Bobby Power (Connacht) and Eanna McCarthy (Connacht) started in the Ireland back-row that night, Oisin Minogue (Munster) came in as a 65th minute sub for Power - none of that quartet have even been in a matchday squad at their was also a second bright performance last Saturday in Perth from Josh van der Flier, his first-quarter tackling and covering was sensational and just outstanding thereafter. He made a staggering 18 tackles in the first 55 minutes. Jack Conan came in as a sub late in the game which means he has yet to make a 2025 start for the Lions albeit he is expected to be named at no8 to face Queensland Reds on Wednesday picture still remains unclear as to whether Hugo Keenan will be fit and it is unlikely Blair Kinghorn will be considered having played alongside Willis for Toulouse in the Top 14 final. Bundee Aki and Huw Jones are the likely centre combination, it is hoped Gibson-Park will be fit for scrum-half, with the likelihood Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan, Will Stuart will comprise the front-row, James Ryan gain a spot in the second-row and with Conan at no8. The selection of the openside and blindside flankers will be revealing.
Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Joe McCarthy enjoying unexpected friendship with England starlet
Joe McCarthy and Henry Pollock, rookies of the British and Irish Lions, have formed an unlikely bond as they intensify their pursuit for Test selection. The forwards put on a show during Saturday's 54-7 triumph over Western Force in Perth, capitalising on their opportunities just three weeks ahead of the series opener against Australia. McCarthy was named man of the match after combining a robust defensive performance with some impactful attacking moments. Meanwhile, Pollock compensated for occasional lapses in discipline with his unique dynamism in the back row. Off the field, Ireland enforcer McCarthy has found himself forming an unlikely bromance with the swaggering England flanker. 'Henry's actually a good fella. He's proper high-energy and he's been very sound,' McCarthy said. 'He can be a bit much at times but he is himself and I've probably got on with him way better than I thought I would. Like we saw against the Force, he's class to have in your team as well.' McCarthy was part of the Leinster side that were knocked out of the Champions Cup semi-finals by Pollock's Northampton, leading to some awkward initial moments when the rivals first entered Lions camp earlier this month. 'We got there and were thinking 'oh for f***'s sake, it's these fellas again!',' McCarthy said. 'But I've played golf with Alex Mitchell and me and Tommy Freeman are doing 'thought for the day' on the bus, so it's interesting to hear Tommy's thoughts. 'One I liked was 'today is the oldest you ever have been and the youngest you ever will be'.' McCarthy admits he felt under pressure to deliver against the Force as he became the first second row to put his hand up for selection alongside captain Maro Itoje in the Lions engine room against the Wallabies on July 19. The display was reminiscent of his night against France in last year's Six Nations when he first served notice of his potential, but consistency has been elusive for the 24-year-old. 'It's hard to put your finger on it, sometimes things just happen for you. But then you might prepare super well for a game and things don't happen for you,' McCarthy said. 'Here it feels like a level up. During the week I was nervous and on edge about playing well but I'm probably at my best when I feel like my back's against the wall a little bit. 'Andy Farrell wants us to be super physical, on the edge, but he also tells us 'don't be desperate, don't force things – earn the right to get off the line, make tackles and make turnovers'.'
