Rugby's Fun Police robbed Fiji. Here's how game should make it up to them
Waratahs should inspire the Wallabies
The Waratahs play well with a chip on their shoulder. They did it when they upset the Chiefs in Sydney during Super Rugby and they carried a bagful of chips with them against the Lions on Saturday. They had clearly tapped into what they perceived as disrespectful media coverage about their prospects, and when the Lions opened the door for them with knock-ons to Hugo Keenan and Fin Smith, they took full advantage. Their aggression on defence and ability to put pressure on the Lions' attacking plays was a clear blueprint for the Wallabies to follow, with one caveat: when the Lions hit the short, flat runner instead of going out the back - Sione Tuipulotu's lovely little pass for Huw Jones' early try was the perfect example - they used the Waratahs line speed against them.
Pull the other one Andy
Lions coach Andy Farrell's insinuation that the Waratahs had watered the pitch on Saturday was a mix of classic coaching paranoia with some stereotyping thrown in. There are two big myths about Australian rugby often perpetuated by visitors. First, Australian players grow up playing AFL and therefore have a natural ability under the high ball; and second, the game is always played on fast, dry tracks. The Waratahs effectively played the Brumbies in a swimming pool in Sydney last year and are no stranger to tricky conditions, while up in Brisbane this season the Reds had to play wet weather footy all year. To be fair to Farrell, he did pay credit to the Waratahs' defensive starch after the match - he should have just left it at that.
Wilson puts his hand up
The Waratahs coaches clearly have an enormous amount of faith in halfback Teddy Wilson. They've built a little loop play that maximises his pace, and the Waratahs even used it deep in their own territory in the first half against the Lions. The No 9 is also a born competitor with plenty of pace who can spark things himself. There was a lot of talk about Brumbies No 9 Ryan Lonergan being unlucky when he missed out on the Wallabies squad, which was entirely justifiable. But Wilson won't be far away himself.
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The Advertiser
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More changes as Matildas aim to rebound from shock loss
Joe Montemurro has promised to ring in the changes yet again as his inexperienced Matildas attempt to bounce back to form in Tuesday night's rematch with Panama in Perth. Panama, ranked a lowly 56th in the world, produced one of their greatest wins on Saturday win beating the 15th-ranked Matildas 1-0 in Bunbury. Montemurro, in his first international window as Matildas coach, had made a whopping 10 changes to his starting line-up for that match, and introduced four debutants off the bench. It's all part of his wider plan to gain more insight into the depth in Australian women's football, and to see who can adapt to his possession-based game style. Montemurro's reign started with a 3-0 win and a 1-1 draw against Slovenia before the shock loss to Panama. The Matildas have looked disjointed in all three games, but Montemurro is confident the short-term pain will lead to long-term gain. Australia entered the current international window without mainstays like Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry and Clare Wheeler. Ellie Carpenter, Mackenzie Arnold, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Sharn Freier exited the squad after the Slovenia series, while Amy Sayer and Charli Grant were rested for Saturday's loss to Panama. Sayer and Grant are expected to come in for Tuesday's game at HBF Park, but Alex Chidiac, Emily Gielnik and Kaitlyn Torpey have left to rejoin their respective clubs. In an added blow for the Matildas, goalkeeper Teagan Micah has been ruled out of the final match of the international window after suffering whiplash in making a save on Saturday. Montemurro doesn't view the shock 1-0 loss to Panama as a disaster, but says fans can expect more changes on Tuesday. "You don't lose, you learn," Montemurro said on Monday when asked about the surprise defeat. "It's a perfect opportunity to learn, because it's not a do-or-die game. It's not a game that we are going to lose points on or lose our status in a competition situation. "I haven't really looked at it as a loss. I looked at it as more information for us to go forward. "Obviously when you make a lot of changes like that, there is going to be a little bit of instability. "But I still have belief in the process, I still have belief in the way going forward, and we've got a bank of information that will help us going forward." Montemurro is looking for his players to display more football intelligence on Tuesday. And although the current window is more about information gathering and the implementation of a new game style, he wants to end it with a win. "We want to create the culture, we want to create the standards, we want to create an idea of football," Montemurro said. "And obviously there will be a wider, extended look at where we are, where we're going with the squad - but we want to do it while we're winning. "So a win is is important, like always."
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Wimbledon: 16-year-old Cruz Hewitt makes debut to remember as father Lleyton Hewitt watches on
Australian tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt has watched from the stands as his 16-year-old son Cruz made a Wimbledon debut to remember. Following in his father's footsteps, but incredibly at a year younger than Lleyton, Hewitt took his highly anticipated first steps on the hallowed grass of The All England Club. And the 16-year-old showed he could be Australian men's tennis' next big thing, cruising past Russian Savva Rybkin, who has only been beaten eight times in his junior career. Hewitt claimed a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory in the first round of the famed junior tournament, eliciting Lleyton's trademark fist pumps from the player's box. The youngster bears an uncanny resemblance to his father, especially in a back-to-front cap, moving around the court swiftly and utilising powerful groundstrokes. Lleyton featured in the junior draw at Wimbledon in 1998 at 17 years old before going on to win two Grand Slams, one on the famed grass in 2002, less than a year after his first at the 2001 US Open. Hewitt Snr remains the last Australian man to claim a Grand Slam title and is the current coach of Australia's Davis Cup team, which he represented when they won their last title in 2003. His son will next face Finnish 11th seed Oskari Paldanius on Tuesday.
