Latest news with #FirstNations&PasifikaXV
Irish Examiner
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Jamie Osborne on Lions call: 'I was in a taxi. We were actually all going to a barber'
It was only 12 days ago that Jamie Osborne was sharing a cab with his Ireland team-mates on a trip to Lisbon barbers when his mobile started buzzing. On Tuesday the centre with eight international caps will pull on the famous red jersey and become a British & Irish Lion, lining up in midfield alongside Owen Farrell and kicking off against the First Nations & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium. The phone call that changed the 24-year-old's rugby life was from Andy Farrell and it came in the company of Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Darragh Murray and Cian Prendergast. Full-back Blair Kinghorn's knee injury against the Brumbies meant the versatile back was required in Australia and now the pair will line up together in the same backline. 'I think every player dreams of it,' Osborne said in Melbourne, a week after linking up with the Lions in Brisbane. 'I probably didn't have much hopes for it after the initial squad announcement. I wasn't really thinking about it but it was amazing to get the call. 'It was out of the blue. I was just in Lisbon and I got a phone call on Thursday at 11 o'clock and saw his name and thought: 'This is probably good'. 'I was in a taxi. We were actually all going to a barber. There was five of us there so it was good fun. The lads were probably celebrating more than myself. Yeah, it was class.' Nearly two weeks on from that call and the Leinster centre is still on cloud nine having immersed himself into the Lions tour experience, helping to prepare the first Test team prepare for last Saturday's series opener against the Wallabies. 'You're definitely nervous but I think it gets a little easier the older you get but it definitely helped that there's a lot of Irish players and Leinster players in camp, and the coaching staff, most of whom I've worked with before. 'That definitely helps and I would say that I was less nervous than maybe a few of the Scottish lads who have come in recently.' Osborne's versatility in his ability to cover 12 and 13, both wings and full-back has not gone unnoticed and the Naas RFC man has learned to see that adaptability as a positive rather than the alternative. "Wherever it's needed, I'll give it a go. It can feel like a good thing when you're getting picked, and it can feel like a bad thing when you're not. "I suppose it's about turning it into a strength rather than a weakness, and if the time comes when I'm finding myself settling in a position, so be it. "I can really go for that, but at the moment, the versatility is probably a factor as to why I'm here. You can't knock it'. It is no surprise to learn Osborne is determined to enjoy the game against First Nations and Pasifika, armed with the sort of confidence garnered only by having played successful Test rugby with Ireland, beginning last summer with a dream Test debut against the Springboks as Farrell's full-back. 'The week in general, obviously I was probably most nervous I've been that week just because of the occasion. I hadn't played that position in a while. "But when you come through that, definitely you get a bit more confidence. Obviously the following week went well as well, so that probably gave me more confidence. 'Everyone wants to put their best foot forward and win in a Lions jersey, never mind just playing in it. "I want to play to the best of my ability, enjoy it as well. You won't enjoy it as much if you don't play to play as well."
Tom's Guide
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Tom's Guide
How to watch First Nations & Pasifika XV vs British & Irish Lions: Live stream the 2025 rugby game, team news
After beating the Wallabies 27-19 in the opening Test at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, the Lions will attempt to continue their winning ways when they take on a First Nations & Pasifika XV that is packed with talent and power. You can watch First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions live streams from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE. The First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions live stream takes place on Tuesday, July 22. • Time: 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. BST / 8 p.m. AEST• FREE STREAM — RugbyPass TV (U.S.)• Australia — Stan Sport• U.K. — Sky Sports• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free Owen Farrell will make his 20th appearance in a Lions jersey as he captains a starting XV that does not include any of the players who featured in the first-Test victory against Australia. The veteran fly-half is participating in his fourth Lions tour and was given the nod as skipper ahead of fellow Englishman Jamie George. The 33-year-old will wear the number 12 in a team that also features Ireland's Jamie Osborne, the fit-again Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham on the right wing and Duhan van der Merwe on the left. Fin Smith and Ben White also come back into the team after excelling in the warm-up game against AUNZ, while Ben Earl, Marcus Smith and Alex Mitchell are on the bench. While head coach Andy Farrell is protecting his first-choice players, he will be assessing the performance of the starters against a powerful First Nations & Pasifika XV to see if any can force their way into the team for the second Test against the Wallabies on Saturday. Here's how to watch First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions live streams from anywhere in the world and potentially for free. First Nations & Pasifika XV: Muirhead; Reilly, Foketi, Feliuai, Daugunu; Beale, Thomas; Ieli, Paenga-Amosa, Tupou, Swain, Salakaia-Loto, Uru, Gamble, Tualima Replacements: Asiata, Pearce, Doge, Vocevoce, Leota, Goddard, Debreczeni, McLeod British and Irish Lions XV: Kinghorn; Graham, Osborne, Farrell (capt), Van der Merwe; F Smith, White; Schoeman, George, Bealham, Ryan, Cummings, Morgan, Van der Flier, Pollock Replacements: Ashman, Sutherland, Clarkson, Brown, Earl, Mitchell, M Smith, Ringrose If you're in the U.S. you're in luck, as you can watch a First Nations & Pasifika XV vs British & Irish Lions live stream for FREE on RugbyPass TV. Traveling outside the States right now? You can use a VPN to watch all the action as if you were back home. Of the options, NordVPN is our top pick, and we'll show you how to access it below. Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the rugby on your usual subscription? You can still watch First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market: NordVPN deal: FREE $50 / £50 Amazon gift card Boasting lightning fast speeds, great features, streaming power, and class-leading security, NordVPN is our #1 VPN. ✅ FREE Amazon gift card worth up to $50/£50✅ 4 months extra FREE!✅ 76% off usual price Use Nord to unblock RugbyPassTV and watch FREE Lions coverage live online with our exclusive deal. Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting Canada from the States but want to view RugbyPassTV as usual, you'd select a U.S. server from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head over to RugbyPass TV and enjoy! As mentioned above, American rugby fans are among the luckiest in the world as they can watch a First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions live stream for FREE on RugbyPass TV. The second Test on Saturday will be shown on CBS which is available via Paramount Plus. You will need the Showtime package ($12.99) to access CBS' live stream. Not currently in the U.S. but want to catch the First Nations & Pasifika XVa vs Lions Test? You can use a VPN to watch all the action as if you were back home. NordVPN is our top pick. First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions, along with every game of the 2025 Lions tour, is being shown on Sky Sports. Head to Sky TV deals and packages for today's best prices and don't forget you can stream Sky Sports live on Sky Go, which is available on a multitude of devices. NOW Sports is an alternative streaming membership instead. Plans start at £14.99 per day or £29.99 per month. There will also be highlights later in the day at 8 p.m. BST on the free-to-air Welsh-language S4C channel, which can be streamed on BBC iPlayer. If you're abroad right now, you can still follow your preferred First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN. The First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions live stream, along with every game of the tour, is exclusive to DAZN in Canada. Paying for a year upfront will get you the most bang for your buck, at CA$249.99. However, if you commit to a year but pay monthly, you'll get your first two months for CA$4.99 apiece, with the remaining 10 priced at CA$24.99/month. A monthly rolling subscription usually costs CA$34.99, but for a limited time you can get your first month for CA$19.99. U.S. residents visiting Canada can get a FREE First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions live stream through RugbyPassTV using NordVPN. The First Nations & Pasifika XV vs Lions is being broadcast on Stan Sport ad-free and in 4K, along with every other game of the Lions tour. Stan Sport costs AU$15/month on top of a Stan plan, which starts at AU$12/month. You can also watch the second test match for free on 9Now. If you're away from Australia right now and want to watch your usual subscription from back home, use a quality VPN like NordVPN. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
The 42
a day ago
- Sport
- The 42
Hansen 'on track' for second Test as Lions wait on McCarthy
MACK HANSEN DIDN'T train with the Lions today in Melbourne, but the Irish wing is 'on track' to be available for selection in the second Test against the Wallabies on Saturday. Ireland wing Hansen missed the first Test due to a foot injury and wasn't named in the matchday 23 for tomorrow's final midweek game against the First Nations & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. However, Connacht man Hansen could still come into contention for a place in the Lions' matchday 23 for the second Test against the Wallabies on Saturday at the MCG. 'Mack, it's just probably just a bit too soon in terms of playing tomorrow, but he's in good shape,' said Lions assistant coach Simon Easterby today after their training session in Xavier College. 'He's certainly on track [for the second Test]. It's probably one of those where we just have to get through the next 24 to 48 hours and then make a decision based on how he's recovering based on the stuff he's been doing over the last few days. 'Mack wasn't involved today. He's definitely on the right road to recovery, but tomorrow's game was probably slightly too soon for him.' Second row Joe McCarthy also sat out today's training session due to the foot injury that saw him replaced early in the second half of last weekend's win over the Wallabies. He remains a doubt for the second Test. 'Joe is just recovering from that foot issue he had on the weekend, and that's just a wait-and-see type of injury,' said Easterby. Advertisement 'He's been pretty good, and he knew what it was initially. He tried to play through it and it's one of those where it was better off that he came off. Joe McCarthy was injured in the first Test. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'If he's felt something like that before, he might have realised what it was, and then it becomes something that he can probably manage. He knew that he wasn't fully functional, even if he wasn't too bad. 'He didn't train today, but there's no reason why later in the week… like anything, with those types of injuries, there's a little bit of grey around how long they take, and it's really the individual recovery that will allow us to decide whether it's right to pick him or not.' Easterby said the Lions coaches will wait until after tomorrow's clash with the First Nations & Pasifika XV to finalise their selection for the second Wallabies Test. Head coach Andy Farrell named a completely changed starting XV for tomorrow's game, with many players eager to impress and force their way into the second Test plans. Fullback Blair Kinghorn returns from a knee injury in the number 15 shirt, while Garry Rigrose is back from a head injury on the Lions bench. 'It is great to have those two back,' said Easterby. 'Both were unfortunate with their injuries, both on good form coming into the tour, and both probably feel like they want to lay down a bit of a marker for the second and third Test.' Owen Farrell captains tomorrow's team from inside centre, experienced hooker Jamie George starts, while the back row of Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier, and Henry Pollock will also be hoping to make statements. 'There's an opportunity for guys to play in a Lions jersey tomorrow, and opportunities for those performances to get a return on being involved next Saturday and the week after,' said Easterby. 'There's still so much to play for, for us as a team, but for guys individually as well.' Thomas Clarkson will make his Lions debut tomorrow. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Easterby also confirmed that hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie is progressing through his return-to-play protocols after head injury and is on track to be back in the selection mix ahead of the second Test. Among tomorrow night's Lions debutants are Irish outside centre Jamie Osborne and replacement tighthead prop Thomas Clarkson, who were both late call-ups to the Lions squad in Australia. Easterby works with both men in Ireland and is pleased for them. 'It goes without saying, the quality of those two individuals,' said Easterby. 'Tom's fought through a pretty tough position at Leinster, never mind in the Irish squad, and he's put in some brilliant performances. 'He really has stood up and brought that on the Emerging Ireland tour. He was certainly someone that we felt could step up over the next couple of years, but he's been excellent. 'He's fought for everything and in a pretty tough position where being a tighthead probably takes a good few years to learn your trade, he's certainly in a really good place. 'Jamie has had a brilliant couple of years. The performance he had in South Africa last summer, his performance for Leinster playing 12, 13, wing, 15, it was pretty impressive, the positions he can cover and the quality that he brings to the group as well. 'I'm really pleased with the two of them. They fully deserve being here and no doubt they'll perform really well tomorrow.'
Powys County Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Owen Farrell to captain Lions for first time in Melbourne clash
Owen Farrell will lead the British and Irish Lions for the first time in Tuesday's match against the First Nations & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium. Farrell is given his maiden start of the tour 17 days after he joined the Lions squad as a call-up for Elliot Daly and forges a midfield partnership with fellow late arrival Jamie Osborne. The former England captain came on as a second-half replacement against AUNZ on July 12 and produced some eye-catching moments in attack as he blew away the cobwebs in his first appearance since May 4. It will be the first time in four tours that he has skippered the Lions and his selection presents the opportunity to play his way into contention for Saturday's second Test against the Wallabies. Blair Kinghorn has the chance to prove his fitness for the Melbourne Cricket Ground showdown after missing the series opener in Brisbane with a knee injury, lining up at full-back.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Lions brace for backlash after Lynagh baptism of fire
British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell reckons his men are in a "fantastic place" with room to improve as they brace for the Wallabies to do the same in a must-win Melbourne Test for the hosts. The Lions were dominant early in their Brisbane opener, leading 24-5 before the Wallabies managed two late tries and came close to scoring at least two more in a 27-19 Saturday result. The Lions will play a First Nations & Pasifika XV on Tuesday in Melbourne before attempting to seal the series at the MCG on Saturday. Twelve years ago the Lions were in the same place before James Horwill's Wallabies forced a Sydney decider with an emotional 16-15 win. "We know what's coming and we know what happened in the second half," Farrell, an assistant on the 2013 tour, said. "So we roll on to the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013. "When an Australian team comes desperate it's difficult to handle ... but we expect more of ourselves as well. "It'll mean the world to them. We need to make sure we're ready for them." The Wallabies, who conceded for the final time in the 42nd minute, will take some momentum to Victoria and also be boosted by the availability of key pair Rob Valetini and Will Skelton. Their physicality was missed in a one-sided first half before the Wallabies' bench also gave Joe Schmidt something to ponder, scrumhalf Tate McDermott and flanker Carlo Tizzano both scoring tries. McDermott entered the fray just as Queensland Reds teammate and flyhalf Tom Lynagh departed. Lynagh, 22 and boasting just three caps off the bench before Saturday, copped plenty of attention in an examination of the highest order. On the stroke of half time he was hammered in mid-air while taking a bomb, before dusting himself off and continuing. With two Lions Test and back-to-back games in South Africa in the next five weeks it gets no easier for the man parachuted in to replace the injured Noah Lolesio. "For Tom when it was so hard to get access, he was forever reacting, not a lot of front foot ball," Schmidt said. "There's no way he lacks for courage. Made tackles, carried when called on, kicked pretty well. "Very good from him."
