Russell and Gibson-Park, the dream that is about to become a reality
In a stadium that has in its day danced to the tune of many different teams from many different sports - the Kangaroos and the Jillaroos, the Reds and the Roar, the Matildas, the Broncos and the Dolphins - it's the Lions that will fill the place on Wednesday in Brisbane.Formerly the site of a burial ground and then Lang Park sports stadium, named after a particularly fiery Presbyterian minister from Greenock in Renfrewshire, the Suncorp stands on some interesting terrain in the inner city.When people say there's an elephant in the room in this place they're literally talking about an elephant. Carley, a circus animal, was a beloved performer on this land in the 1950s, so much so that they buried her here after the poor thing performed her last trick for the entertainment of the masses.The Queensland Reds - coached by Les Kiss who for six years was an assistant with Ireland and for another three was the director of rugby with Ulster - will be looking to do a different kind of burial.Much of the preamble to the Lions' second game on Australian soil has, unsurprisingly, centred around the half-back partnership of Scotland's Finn Russell and Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park, two players that serve as a constant reminder that rugby, though a playground for big beasts, can still be artistic and beautiful.Their combination is one that will have people shifting forward in their seats with quickening pulses. Rugby is forever in danger of eating itself with its inexorable march towards grunt and aggression, but these two remind you of why you might have fallen in love with rugby in the first place.Not many have ever had their rugby heart stolen by a one-dimensional big banger. But Russell and Gibson-Park and their potential to thrill? That's different. They've never played together, but Wednesday is the night it happens and if it's all right then we're going to be seeing a whole lot more of it in the Saturdays to come.They're very different people - Russell gregarious and charismatic, Gibson-Park quiet and laidback - but they're one and the same when it comes to how the game should be played: fast and furious, off the cuff and adventurous.Scrum-halves are supposed to be loud and bossy, but Gibson-Park isn't either of those things. His Lions and Ireland coach Andy Farrell calls him horizontal, such is his unflappable personality.His speed of thought is electrifying, his accuracy when firing passes that are so on the money that they can eliminate two and three defenders in an instant is unerring.His quick taps bamboozle defences, his support lines mess with their heads, his ability to scan a field and know in an instant where the space is is a large part of the reason why Ireland have been so consistent over so many years. He's a totem of that team - tiny but towering at the same time.It's said that there is only one Antoine Dupont, but that's not really true. There's one and three-quarters and the three-quarters is Gibson-Park. At his best, he's very much in the same conversation as the great Frenchman.And now we get to see him play with Russell, the great conductor at 10, a figure of growing authority on the back of a confidence-boosting and trophy-laden season with Bath.The double threat is what Lions' fans have wanted to see. Normally a coach wouldn't necessarily play his first-choice 10 on Saturday and Wednesday, but Farrell is making an exception in Brisbane because he, as much as anybody else, is mustard keen to see how these two will gel. Why wait? Just crack on.They've had a few training sessions but no game time together. Will the lack of familiarity get in the way or will it be chemistry from minute one? Intriguing.
Race for Test places intensifies as Lions take next step
The Lions Test jigsaw is still far from complete. The other day Farrell said they were only getting started in putting things together, but the reality is that come post-match against the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday there'll only be two more games before Test week and only one of those - the Brumbies in Canberra - has the look of a telling contest.It's early days but, equally, time is slipping away. It's the glorious contradiction of a Lions tour. If Hugo Keenan is to keep himself in the race at 15 - where the more versatile Elliot Daly and Blair Kinghorn are the main contenders - then he needs to send a message at the Suncorp.On the wing, James Lowe and Mack Hansen look to be in the box seat, so Tommy Freeman needs to do something to change the picture again. Duhan van der Merwe is the other wing on Wednesday. He's not the work-rate type operator Farrell values so much, so he's got a lot to find.The midfield has changed at every turn with Farrell exploring every option. It's Huw Jones and Bundee Aki on Wednesday. Potentially devastating in the first Test. Watching from the stand, Garry Ringrose and Sione Tuipulotu. Also potentially devastating. Some incredible talent is going to miss out when the big stuff swings around.Unlike, say, the 2017 tour to New Zealand there are few moral certainties for the Test pack this time around. Back then, you had a set of mostly unchanging and hardcore forwards playing the big games - a front-row of Mako Vunipola, Jamie George and Tadhg Furlong, a mix of Alun Wyn Jones, George Kruis and Maro Itoje in the second row with Sean O'Brien, Taulupe Faletau and, when fit, Sam Warburton in the back row.There isn't that kind of clarity now. Dan Sheehan is a shoo-in at hooker and Itoje is a certainty at lock. There are others who are ahead in their individual races, but they're nowhere near nailed-on like the class of 2017.Itoje is in no danger, but could do with a dominant performance on Wednesday. Seven of the pack of eight against the Reds have points to prove.The hosts should be better than the Force last weekend - fifth in Super Rugby compared to ninth - but they're still diminished. Hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami are the only two of eight Wallabies who have been released by Joe Schmidt.Barring a shock so ground-shaking that it could wake lovely Carley from her slumber, the Lions will win. But how well will they win - and how intoxicating will that half-back partnership prove now that it is almost a reality rather than an exciting figment of the imagination? Questions, questions as the Lions drive on.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
30 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."
