Latest news with #ChampiondeCrespigny
Irish Examiner
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
No Will Skelton for Wallabies as Champion de Crespigny gets surprise debut
Nick Champion de Crespigny will make a surprise Wallabies debut in the British & Irish Lions opener, while Rob Valetini and Will Skelton were omitted with injuries. The 29-year-old flanker, who played for Castres Olympique in France in recent seasons, slots into the back row next to captain and No 8 Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight. Champion de Crespigny is one of just two uncapped players in Joe Schmidt's match-day squad, and had surged into calculations after injury to pivotal backrower Valetini and the in-form Langi Gleeson. Schmidt has backed 22-year-old Tom Lynagh to steer the ship in a new-look halves combination with Jake Gordon. Ben Donaldson will provide backline backup on the bench, with Schmidt resisting the temptation to recall veteran James O'Connor, who wore the No 10 in all three Tests 12 years ago. Hooker Matt Faessler returns after a last-start hat-trick in gold, having started for the Reds instead of playing against Fiji in his comeback from a hamstring injury. Uncapped Andrew Kellaway has bumped Filipo Daugunu off a new-look bench that includes hooker Billy Pollard, scrumhalf Tate McDermott, prop Tom Robertson and flankers Tom Hooper and Carlo Tizzano. James Slipper will join George Smith as the only Wallabies to feature in back-to-back Lions series in the professional era while Wilson has retained the captaincy. Canberra-raised Champion de Crespigny returned from a Top 14 stint with Castres Olympique to play for the Western Force this season to join the back of a bulging queue of contenders. But, with two-time defending John Eales medallist Valetini and Gleeson on ice – former captain Liam Wright (shoulder) is also out of the picture – he'll be asked to dent a Lions line that has enjoyed five relatively comfortable wins since arriving in the country late last month. Lynagh hasn't played since the Reds lost their Super Rugby quarter-final in early June, with a broken hand ruling him out of the Fiji Test. The Italy-born, England-raised playmaker finished school and moved to Australia in 2021 and has flourished under Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss as the Queensland Reds' main man for the last two years. He will make Australian rugby history as the first father-son Wallabies to face the Lions after Michael Lynagh wore the No 10 against the Lions in 1989. 'The whole squad has worked hard as a group to prepare for what's going to be a massive challenge against an in-form Lions team,' Schmidt said. 'With the short runway leading up to such a big test match, we know we must adapt fast and improve quickly, from the performance we had against Fiji recently. We're very much aware of the occasion and conscious of earning the support from the public through the effort they see on the field.' The Lions will name their side later on Thursday, when it's expected coach Andy Farrell will confirm son and four-time tourist Owen will not be part of the match-day 23. WALLABIES: James Slipper, Matt Faessler, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (c), Jake Gordon, Tom Lynagh, Harry Potter, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright. Bench: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway. Agencies
Sydney Morning Herald
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Impeccable pedigree, but Nick Champion de Crespigny will bring mongrel against Lions
Arriving at Sydney University as an economics student in 2015, Champion de Crespigny had to make a choice and plumped for the rugby club. His decision was vindicated two years later when he won the Shute Shield playing alongside Wallabies Harry Potter and Jake Gordon. After graduating, Champion de Crespigny found work in property development while trying and ultimately failing to nail down a spot with the Waratahs. An offer to play as a full-time professional in France with Castres eventually followed, and the back-rower moved to the country of his forefathers. Castres is home to just over 40,000 people, and most of them are well-acquainted with the town's rugby team. Champion de Crespigny embraced life in France, helping his new side defeat an Antoine Dupont-led Toulouse in the Top 14 semi-finals in 2022 before playing in front of 78,245 fans at the Stade de France in the final against eventual champions Montpellier. In front of a packed Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, Champion de Crespigny will face the toughest challenge of his professional career when the Force go head-to-head with the Lions in the tourists' first match on Australian soil. 'I actually reflect most days. I had the privilege of not having the most linear path to professional rugby and I really appreciate it,' Champion de Crespigny said. ' I remember labouring during the day, training at night, and studying, and then getting up at 6am to get to the gym before having to go work in the city for another day. 'I've seen the other side of life where you're trying to balance it all, so I think every single day, wow, this is amazing. This week's been a bit of a whirlwind with everything going on. But I'm starting to really get excited and sit back and go, what a journey it's been.' One of Champion de Crespigny's possible opponents on Saturday, Pierre Schoeman, is reflecting on his own unique journey to the Lions series. The prop moved from South Africa to Scotland seven years ago and qualified for his adopted country three years later. Schoeman played for South Africa's under-20s, but has now fully embraced life as part of the British and Irish Lions squad. 'Scotland is home for us, my wife and myself, I know other players as well, like Mack Hansen has made Ireland home, you embrace that, you fully take that on,' Schoeman said. Loading 'It's like the movie Outlander, you move to a different country, and now that's your house, you live there. If you work for one of the big four in finance, you get the opportunity, you're going to go for them and you can really make that home. 'But this is much different. You buy into the culture and now to represent the British and Irish Lions, you fully buy into that, you fully submerge into that, nothing else matters.'
The Age
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Impeccable pedigree, but Nick Champion de Crespigny will bring mongrel against Lions
Arriving at Sydney University as an economics student in 2015, Champion de Crespigny had to make a choice and plumped for the rugby club. His decision was vindicated two years later when he won the Shute Shield playing alongside Wallabies Harry Potter and Jake Gordon. After graduating, Champion de Crespigny found work in property development while trying and ultimately failing to nail down a spot with the Waratahs. An offer to play as a full-time professional in France with Castres eventually followed, and the back-rower moved to the country of his forefathers. Castres is home to just over 40,000 people, and most of them are well-acquainted with the town's rugby team. Champion de Crespigny embraced life in France, helping his new side defeat an Antoine Dupont-led Toulouse in the Top 14 semi-finals in 2022 before playing in front of 78,245 fans at the Stade de France in the final against eventual champions Montpellier. In front of a packed Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, Champion de Crespigny will face the toughest challenge of his professional career when the Force go head-to-head with the Lions in the tourists' first match on Australian soil. 'I actually reflect most days. I had the privilege of not having the most linear path to professional rugby and I really appreciate it,' Champion de Crespigny said. ' I remember labouring during the day, training at night, and studying, and then getting up at 6am to get to the gym before having to go work in the city for another day. 'I've seen the other side of life where you're trying to balance it all, so I think every single day, wow, this is amazing. This week's been a bit of a whirlwind with everything going on. But I'm starting to really get excited and sit back and go, what a journey it's been.' One of Champion de Crespigny's possible opponents on Saturday, Pierre Schoeman, is reflecting on his own unique journey to the Lions series. The prop moved from South Africa to Scotland seven years ago and qualified for his adopted country three years later. Schoeman played for South Africa's under-20s, but has now fully embraced life as part of the British and Irish Lions squad. 'Scotland is home for us, my wife and myself, I know other players as well, like Mack Hansen has made Ireland home, you embrace that, you fully take that on,' Schoeman said. Loading 'It's like the movie Outlander, you move to a different country, and now that's your house, you live there. If you work for one of the big four in finance, you get the opportunity, you're going to go for them and you can really make that home. 'But this is much different. You buy into the culture and now to represent the British and Irish Lions, you fully buy into that, you fully submerge into that, nothing else matters.'
