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Irish Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland star emerges as major doubt for Lions' Test with Australia on Saturday
Mack Hansen has emerged as a major doubt for the Lions' first Test against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday. The Ireland winger has yet to train this week having picked up a foot injury in last Saturday's win over the AUNZ invitational side and attack coach Richard Wigglesworth conceded that he is up against it in terms of featuring on Saturday's game, along with Scotland's Blair Kinghorn, who also sat out Tuesday's session at the Churchies School. Missing out would be a significant blow to Australian-born Hansen, who lined out for the Wallabies at under-20 level but declared for Ireland under the parentage rule after moving to Connacht in 2021. He had been one of the stars of the tour down under so far, though England's Tommy Freeman looks most likely to slot in a No 14 now instead. Another Irish international, Garry Ringrose, and Luke Cowan-Dickie have already been ruled out of Saturday's opener due to concussion protocols. 'He hurt his foot in the game,' said Wigglesworth in relation to Hansen. 'I don't think it is anything serious but he was managed today. 'Hopefully he will be fully integrated pretty quickly. It is nothing that we are over concerned about but we need to make sure we have enough numbers at training but it doesn't look too serious.' But Wigglesworth conceded that Hansen is a significant doubt having not trained this close to the game at the Suncorp Stadium, without fully ruling him out. 'A doubt is anyone who didn't train fully today, but he's definitely not ruled out,' he said. 'Every case is different. There are injuries you can play with and get on with. As a rugby player at the highest level, you're constantly doing that at this stage of the season. 'You'd be surprised if you ask any of them if they're all, on both teams, feeling 100 per cent. And then there's other injuries that you can't and that would be a risk and we certainly wouldn't be taking risks with players.'
Irish Independent
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Mack Hansen a major doubt for first Lions Test as Ireland winger sits out training
Although forwards coach John Dalziel told the media that Hansen is fit to train this week on Monday, the Connacht star was not togged out for today's session at the Churchies School in Brisbane. Pressed on his absence, attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said that Hansen had picked up a foot injury in Saturday's win over the AUNZ invitational side and had not recovered in time for today's session. The former England scrum-half said that Hansen is in the same boat as Blair Kinghorn, the Scotland full-back who also stayed out of the session. Garry Ringrose and Luke Cowan-Dickie have been ruled out with concussion. 'He hurt his foot in the game," Wigglesworth said of Hansen. "I don't think it is anything serious but he was managed today. "Hopefully he will be fully integrated pretty quickly. It is nothing that we are over concerned about but we need to make sure we have enough numbers at training but it doesn't look too serious.' Pressed on whether Hansen would be fit for the first Test, Wigglesworth said: 'A bit like Blair, we will find out tomorrow, he didn't train fully today so we will know a bit more tomorrow. "Every case is different. "There are injuries you can play with and get on with. As a rugby player at the highest level, you're constantly doing that at this stage of the season. You'd be surprised if you ask any of them if they're all, on both teams, feeling 100pc. "And then there's other injuries that you can't and that would be a risk and we certainly wouldn't be taking risks with players.' Born in Canberra to an Irish mother and Australian father, Hansen has been a star on this tour and was right in the selection mix for the first game along with England's Tommy Freeman who now looks likely to get the No 14 shirt, with Hugo Keenan at full-back and James Lowe on the left wing. ADVERTISEMENT Hansen's issue explains why Darcy Graham has been flown in to train with the squad ahead of his Scotland teammates Ewan Ashman and Rory Sutherland who join up with the squad on Sunday. Jamie Osborne trained with the team today, while Thomas Clarkson and Jamie George are due in today. "We need to make sure we're covered numbers-wise and for the games coming up,' Wigglesworth said of Graham's arrival. "That was probably expedited a bit quicker because of Blair and Mack not being on feet today and potentially tomorrow.' Andy Farrell names his team on Thursday.
Irish Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Owen Doyle: Lions tour has shown that TMO protocol is in serious need of review
The midweek match against the Brumbies was a long way away from champagne rugby, but much better than the vin ordinaire we'd been served up to then. The Lions , however, did not deliver the much needed breakdown ferocity that they're really going to have to produce in the Tests. However, on Saturday, against the cobbled-together AUNZ outfit, the Lions at long last got the cork out of the bottle, playing some flowing, stylish rugby. That's said with the proviso that their opponents defence leaked frequently, like an old bucket. French referee Pierre Brousset had an indifferent afternoon in the Brumbies game. The breakdown area saw bodies flying all over the place and while Brousset did give a few off-feet penalties, too much went unpunished. It's not actually a question of increasing the number of penalties. Players will change their behaviour if they are sanctioned, or know they will be. There was better breakdown behaviour and a more measured performance by Andrea Piardi in the AUNZ match. The final Brumbies' try was preceded by two classic side entries from the home team. For the Lions, Joe McCarthy and Henry Pollock threw themselves over the breakdown a couple of times and we still didn't hear from Brousset. READ MORE As for the scrum, the collapse issue was once again evident. Both referees were inconsistent, even hesitant, in deciding when to reset collapses, penalise them or play on with or without advantage. I found myself guessing what they'd do – let's hope they weren't. There were also tight in-goal decisions. James Lowe and Maro Itoje had tries ruled out, whereas the ball, from some camera angles, looked to be 'probably' grounded. But 'probably' is not enough for the microscopic examination of a formal on-screen review: it must be indisputable. The on-field decision of the referee is absolutely critical to the outcome. On both occasions Brousset stated 'no try,' and there wasn't enough evidence for him to change his call. It's hard to blame the referee, but if he'd said 'on-field decision is a try', then both would have been scores. It adds up to a very strange sort of paradox. The TMO protocol obviously needs another serious review. Referee Andrea Piardi generally controlled the breakdown well when officiating the Lions' match against an Australia/New Zealand selection match. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Lowe did cross for a terrific team try after quite amazing work by the omnipresent Dan Sheehan. Despite carrying the ball into a heavy collision with David Felliuai on the right hand side, Sheehan still managed to place it, enabling the move to continue. He then became the vital link as the ball was shifted quickly wide to the left before passing to Jack Conan, who handed Lowe a stroll into the corner. Following Australia's escape against Fiji there is a lot of discussion around the TMO's involvement. There is plenty of annoyance that Fiji had a try ruled out, the TMO noticing that Harry Potter's foot had grazed the touchline moments before Fiji got possession and worked a wonderful pitch-length try. Why chalk off the try for a touch missed by the on-field officials, particularly when Fiji had turned over the ball – that's the thrust of the argument. It's hard to fathom because if a ball-carrier goes out of play the ball is dead and a lineout must restart the match. Putting a foot on the touchline is not an infringement, so play cannot continue, neither can advantage be played. Imagine the bedlam if play-on was possible in such circumstances. But believe me, there are some who wish it to be that way. Maybe the TMO needs to go back to basics and only be used for foul play and when tries have been scored, but only referencing the clear and obvious, which must always be the mantra. Not something that takes minutes for the officials to debate. That was pretty much how things started out, but, bit by bit, we've ended up where we are now. TMOs are currently involving themselves in the most marginal events in open play, which was not part of the original plan. In the Waratahs match, referee Paul Williams called several things – 'it went backwards' or 'play on' – only for the TMO to immediately overrule him. The referee was happy to immediately accept the correction. It's all in search of the impossible dream, a perfect performance. But there is another reason. Elite coaches and their analysts will get out their own microscope searching for errors. They are unforgiving, particularly if a mistake has been result-altering. It's normally done behind the closed doors of confidentiality; nonetheless, the ref gets a pretty hard time of it. In last week's matches, the lineout problem raised its ugly head again. Both referees continued the apparent 'policy' of ignoring crooked throws, even if the opposition put up a jumper. It's such a simple fix, just a couple of sanctions would see a real effort to throw the ball along the line of touch. Instead, the lineout remains on the slippery slope towards extinction as a contest for possession, helped on its way by slack officiating. In an ironic moment, Tadgh Beirne was penalised for jumping across when attempting to reach a crooked throw. He did, but it had zero impact on AUNZ winning possession. Rónan Kelleher then scored a try, having been fed a short 'straight' ball as he stood at the front. While a throw here or there might be nicked, or go awry, the overwhelming majority go with serve. Match officials need to recognise that there must be a contest for possession and call these. Otherwise, their job might well be handed to AI.
Rhyl Journal
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Lions have set sights on whitewashing Wallabies
The Lions enter the first Test bolstered by an eight-try demolition of an AUNZ Invitational XV, with Andy Farrell scheduled to name his team for the Brisbane opener on Thursday. Farrell's tourists are strong favourites to win the series and Pollock, who is competing for a place on the bench at Suncorp Stadium, insisted they were aiming for greatness. Building! 📈#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 12, 2025 'We want to come here and be the best Lions team ever. We've been talking about that loads and 3-0 is definitely on the table,' Pollock said. 'Whether you're playing or not playing in the Tests, we're all just trying to strive to be the best team we can and get that 3-0 win. If that's playing or not playing, then I'll adjust and be the best team-mate I can be.' Pollock – at 20-years-old, the youngest player in the squad – has been rooming with a veteran of four Lions expeditions in Owen Farrell, who made his first appearance of the tour off the bench against AUNZ. The England back row was just eight when Farrell's odyssey with the elite of British and Irish rugby began in Australia 12 years ago and he has been mining the veteran playmaker for advice. 'It was good to get chatting to him, learning from him. He's an amazing player and an amazing person as well,' Pollock said. 'We've had a few conversations. He's got kids, so we talk about his kids, but I'm sitting there going 'I'm still 20'! 'He's been great and I'm learning so much from him. He's so experienced in this game and in this kind of environment. 'It's still quite cool but at the same time, in this environment, we're all striving for the same thing. 'We want to come here and dominate as a team and he's been amazing since he's come in. He's been on top of everything. 'To be able to bring him off the bench and have his experience and his words has been amazing. You can definitely see what he brings on the pitch.' The Lions have come through a bruising schedule of four matches in 11 days and while they remain unbeaten since arriving in Australia, the injury count is growing with Tomos Williams and Elliot Daly forced home, Garry Ringrose and Luke Cowan-Dickie ruled out of the first Test and Blair Kinghorn a major doubt for the opener. Now the schedule settles down to whole weeks spent in the Test host cities Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, enabling the squad to train properly for the first time in a fortnight. All eyes on Brisbane! 👀🦁#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 13, 2025 'You have to be mentally strong as well as physically strong. Your body is the reason you get picked and you have to stay fit,' said Pollock, who withdrew from the side that faced the New South Wales Waratahs because of a calf injury. 'With these short turnarounds, you learn a lot about what you can do and what you can't do in terms of gym, running and extras and making sure that on the pitch you're 100 per cent where you want to be. 'You're just trying to get as fit as you can for these games. With the short turnaround, it's just always trying to be available for the coaches and saying 'I'm fit, I'm fit'. It's something different and I've loved the experience.'
BBC News
13-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Ruthless killer instinct missing'
The Sunday Telegraph in Australia headline said "Lions make statement but ruthless killer instinct missing".That may be a little harsh after Andy Farrell's side won 48-0 against the AUNZ Invitational XV on article goes on the say, "for a team that keeps bragging about being the best of the best, the Lions lacked the killer instinct to go on with the job against against a makeshift team whose build-up included a bonding session over beers at a pub."For Joe Schmidt and his underdog Wallabies, their best hope of beating the Lions lies in hope that they haven't been able to produce a full 80-minute performance since arriving in Australia."
