Latest news with #AutumnInternationals
The Star
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Schmidt, Farrell mull options with Lions series on the line
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - England v Australia - Allianz Stadium Twickenham, London, Britain - November 9, 2024 Australia head coach Joe Schmidt before the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Joe Schmidt will unveil his team for the second test against the British & Irish Lions in Melbourne on Thursday, a lineup that could go a long way to defining his time as coach of Australia. Australia must find a response to the physical dominance the tourists exerted in the opening hour of the first test defeat in Brisbane or risk becoming the first Wallabies team to fail to take a Lions series to a decider. Rob Valetini, Australia's best test player of the last two years, has recovered from a calf injury and will take his place in the back row at the expense of rookie Nick Champion de Crespigny. Lock Will Skelton has also recovered from a similar injury and while his inclusion would certainly beef up the pack, his limitations at the lineout might require a tweak of the back row to add another jumper. Schmidt has had no shortage of helpful suggestions from media pundits this week with most concurring that the hard-running Angus Bell should be promoted to start at loosehead prop instead of 36-year-old James Slipper. Dave Porecki should be available after sustaining a concussion against Fiji two weeks ago and his lineout throwing would help shore up an area of the game where the Wallabies struggled in the first test. Behind the scrum, Tom Lynagh showed enough in his first test start to get another shot, although many would like him to do so in tandem with his Queensland Reds teammate Tate McDermott, who had a fine game off the bench in Brisbane. There have also been calls to shift Joseph Suaalii from centre into the back three after he struggled to make an impact in Brisbane until it was too late. That would also allow Len Ikitau to move to his more favoured outside centre spot with Hunter Paisami, another Queenland Red, slotting into the midfield outside Lynagh. Lions coach Andy Farrell's job is a little easier after the early dominance the tourists showed in Brisbane, although he looks likely to be forced to make a change to his second row. Irish lock Joe McCarthy limped off with a foot injury early in the second half at Lang Park and has not trained this week, leaving the door open for Ollie Chessum to move up from the bench. The head knock suffered by Marcus Smith against the First Nations & Pasikifa XV on Tuesday could open up a spot on the bench for Farrell's playmaker son Owen, who was called up as an injury replacement for his fourth Lions tour. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
The Star
a day ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Wallabies look to get Suaalii more involved in second Lions test
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Scotland v Australia - Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain - November 24, 2024 Australia's Joseph Suaalii arrives before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Joseph Suaalii's Australia centre partner Len Ikitau is hoping to get the rugby league convert involved in the game earlier and more often in the second test against the British & Irish Lions on Saturday. Suaalii made an explosive entry into test rugby against England last November but was a bit part player as the Wallabies were dominated by the Lions for the first hour of the 27-19 loss in Brisbane last week. Inside centre Ikitau took the crash ball option more often than not in the face of a fierce Lions rush defence with the result that Suaalii received very little clean possession to exploit. "We've only played a handful of games together but it's just trying to understand in what places he'd like to get the ball and kind of just feeding off each other," Ikitau told reporters on Tuesday. "I felt like I didn't really get him into the game as early as I wanted, but that's a lot of learnings that I can take moving forward." Suaalii was not the only Australian back who struggled to get his hands on the ball in the first half of the series opener with talented right winger Max Jorgensen restricted to a couple of touches before he scored a try off a box kick. "We knew there were opportunities with their line speed and how they wanted to attack us in defence, but I think just being able to pull the trigger when the opportunity comes and backing our ability to pull the trigger," Ikitau said. "A few times I think we were just conservative and held the ball where there's opportunities out wide." Some in Australia have urged coach Joe Schmidt to rejig his backline and give Suaalii a run in the outside backs on Saturday. "To be honest, if he's on the field that's the best thing for us, just somewhere on the field," said Ikitau. "If he's playing 13, if he's on the wing, fullback, I know that he's just a freak of an athlete and he can step up to the occasion and just play his footy. "He always (says) at the end of the day, it's a footy game and he's a footballer so I don't think it would faze him." (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Hometown boy Valetini hungry for Lions after enforced absence
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Ireland v Australia - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - November 30, 2024 Australia's Rob Valetini in action as he is tackled by Ireland's Bundee Aki REUTERS/Lorraine O'sullivan/File Photo BRISBANE (Reuters) -Wallabies loose forward Rob Valetini said he cannot wait to get stuck into the British & Irish Lions at the weekend with his return from injury all the sweeter for the fact the second test is in his hometown of Melbourne. In the absence of Valetini, Australia's best player for the last couple of years, the Wallabies were bullied off the park by the Lions in the first hour last Saturday before fighting back to lose the first test by eight points. Valetini and lock Will Skelton both missed the warm-up match against Fiji and the Brisbane test with calf injuries but are fit to bring a bit more bulk to Australia's pack for Saturday's clash at Melbourne Cricket Ground. "There's a lot of hunger to get out there, missing the last two games was quite hard for me after playing most Wallabies tests for the last two years," the 26-year-old told reporters in Melbourne on Monday. "The Lions only come along every 12 years and I'll be almost 40 next time they come. But more than that, it's the hunger for the jersey. "It'll be awesome, I'm Melbourne born and bred, I'll have all my family there and to play in front of them will be awesome." Valetini dismissed the idea that Australia's lack of physicality in the first half in Brisbane means he will be carrying a huge weight on his shoulders on Saturday. "I don't really feel pressure or anything like that," he said. "I feel like it's just another game of rugby, something I've been playing since I was young. I just want to go out there and do my job. Whether it's carrying or tackling, I just want to do my bit for the team." Lions coach Andy Farrell credited his powerful back row of Jack Conan, Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne with putting the tourists firmly on the front foot in Brisbane, and Valetini said he was looking forward to getting amongst them. "I was watching on the sidelines and all three were pretty involved, big boys and they did their jobs well," he said. "I was eager to get on the field, but couldn't. But yeah, that's the challenge for us this week, knowing what's coming and being prepared for it." There will also be a reunion for Valetini at the MCG when he comes up against another Melbourne-born player in Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu. "I played through all my grades growing up with Sione, he was the guy you wanted to be in rugby in Melbourne ... and I was pretty shocked when he had to leave (Australia)," Valetini said. "It's been a wild journey for him to be able to come back here and play for the Lions against us. It'll be pretty cool to play against him and I'll probably try and get one up on him." Prop James Slipper, who played in the second-test victory over the Lions in Melbourne which levelled up the 2013 series, said he was delighted to have Valetini back on board. "His size definitely helps," the 36-year-old grinned. "Nah, Bobby's a really good player, he gives a lot of boys around him a lot of confidence just the way he goes about his business." (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Facing unique French test makes All Blacks better, says coach Robertson
Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Ireland v New Zealand - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - November 8, 2024 New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson before the match REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo (Reuters) -New Zealand coach Scott Robertson believes his team will have gained long-term benefits from overcoming a France side that offered a unique challenge on Saturday as the All Blacks completed a 3-0 series win over the Europeans. Robertson's team were forced to fight their way back into the game after a fast start by the tourists to clinch a come-from-behind 29-19 win in Hamilton that ensured the All Blacks swept the series. "What we take out of it is you've got to play different teams," said Robertson. "They attack differently to anything in Super Rugby, maybe in world rugby, so you train all week in opposition to try and beat the French, and it's really unnatural. "We know what's coming, we've got to stop them. And that's what we've learnt again tonight. They start, they get ahead of us, that fills our hunger. But that's test match footie. You never under-assume anyone and we're better for it." Robertson made 10 changes to the team that started the previous test and the French dominated the opening exchanges to claim a 19-10 lead through back-to-back penalties by scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec. A try by All Blacks centre Anton Lienert-Brown late in the half reduced the deficit to two points and a strong second-half showing, inspired by replacement Jordie Barrett, led New Zealand to victory. "We know how important the 23 is and Jordie was just so professional when he came on," said Robertson. "He made a massive difference for us. Some of that wasn't pretty, we understand that, but there was a hell of a lot of character and effort off the back of a lot of care. "One thing for us is we've got to get the balance right. Sometimes we can overplay and sometimes we can underplay with our kicking. That's the balance." (Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
The Star
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Tupou, Daugunu released from Wallabies squad for tour match v Lions
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Ireland v Australia - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - November 30, 2024 Australia's Taniela Tupou in action with Ireland's Bundee Aki REUTERS/Lorraine O'sullivan/File Photo MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Australia prop Taniela Tupou will be given another chance to convince selectors he deserves a shot against the British & Irish Lions after being released from Joe Schmidt's squad to play in the First Nations & Pasifika XV tour match. Centre/winger Filipo Daugunu was also released to join tighthead Tupou in Toutai Kefu's First Nations squad for the clash against Andy Farrell's Lions in Melbourne on Tuesday. Both missed out on selection for the Wallabies' series-opener against the Lions in Brisbane on Saturday. Schmidt opted for Allan Alaalatoa as his starting tighthead with New South Wales prop Tom Robertson earning a spot on the bench. It is the second time Tupou has been released from the Wallabies having missed out on the warm-up test against Fiji to play for his Super Rugby side New South Wales Waratahs in their tour match defeat by the Lions in Sydney. Former Wallabies number eight Kefu told Reuters he was glad for the reinforcements as his squad prepares for a Lions outfit that humiliated the invitational Australia-New Zealand XV 48-0 in Adelaide last Saturday. "We've got a decent squad, actually. I'm pretty happy with my forward pack," he said. "I think our locks are world class. I'm sure they'll have a good game and come in the reckoning for Wallabies honours." Kefu has former Wallabies locks Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Darcy Swain along with Queensland Reds' Seru Uru and Fijian Drua's Mesake Vocevoce as second row options. Kefu, who played in the 2-1 series win over the Lions in 2001, was in the coaches' box for the Australia-New Zealand XV thrashing in Adelaide. He said his squad would have their work cut out containing the Lions after having only a few sessions together to prepare for them. "They've looked pretty good," he said of the Lions, who are undefeated in the Australian tour. "Those provincial teams have been together a lot longer than us and they struggled somewhat. "It's going to be a tough challenge." (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
