Latest news with #HunterPaisami
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paisami hunting a Test recall and a Bundee encore
Hunter Paisami hopes it's not the last he'll see of Bundee Aki as the Wallabies wrecking ball dusts himself off from a Lions mauling and returns to camp. The Queensland Reds No.12 was immense in the opening stages of Wednesday clash with the tourists, his barging runs and clever kicking helping the hosts to a 12-7 lead. But the Lions stirred, their defence stiffening and attack clicking in a 52-12 win that followed a 54-7 defeat of the Western Force on Saturday. He lined up against Irish star Aki who, like Samoa-born Paisami, grew up in Auckland. Aki, 35, left the Chiefs for Connacht in 2014 and has been in Ireland ever since. The pair were deep in conversation post-game, catching up for the first time since squaring off on the 2022 Spring Tour. "I'm a big fan of Bundee," Paisami, who moved to Melbourne as a teenager, said. "He's been in the game for years and what he's done ... it's always special, always a good challenge to face him. "I was living in Auckland, watching the Chiefs ... his journey from the Chiefs to where he is now; I've always been a fan." Paisami, 27, exited Wallabies camp ahead of Sunday's Test against Fiji to instead face the Lions and will return on Thursday to submit his 'homework' to coach Joe Schmidt. All heart at home 🐨 — Queensland Reds (@Reds_Rugby) July 2, 2025 Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii shape as the likely midfield pairing against Fiji but Paisami, who has 31 caps, gave Schmidt plenty to ponder. "For me, coming back to where I love and am happy, it's at Ballymore. So for me it was a bonus," he said of playing for the Reds instead of potentially earning a cap against Fiji. "For sure (I want to play for the Wallabies against the Lions) and that game there, I got a good taste. "Joe will be asking questions, where I felt the pressure from. "So I'll do my homework so when those questions come I know how to answer them. "Joe's just asking me to be myself. Try and bring that same energy from here." Reds coach Les Kiss, who will take over from Schmidt at the Wallabies later next year, said he "expected nothing less from Hunter". The Bundee Aki Welcome Committee 🤝#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 2, 2025 "Both of them (Aki and Paisami) were relishing the contest and Hunter was quality," he said. "Got us on the front foot. that's how we created the momentum. ... he was pretty good." Lions skipper Maro Itoje, rested against the Force, celebrated his first game in charge with a try while No.7 Jac Morgan was a deserving man of the match. The Lions will shift camp to Sydney ahead of Saturday's clash with the NSW Waratahs, coach Andy Farrell confident he has enough depth at fullback after Elliot Daly (forearm) was sent for scans in Brisbane. The tourists have already lost star Welsh halfback Tomos Williams for the series with a hamstring complaint while Hugo Keenan (illness) was a late withdrawal but is expected to be fit to face the Waratahs.
Perth Now
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
British Lions hit straps to sprint past plucky Reds
Hunter Paisami barged back into Wallabies calculations before the British & Irish Lions swallowed up the fast-starting Queensland Reds in Brisbane. The tourists were made to work for Wednesday's 52-12 victory in front of 46,435 fans at Suncorp Stadium after the hosts scored first and then lead 12-7 midway through the first half. Spots in the Wallabies midfield are at a premium with Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii set to combine in the centres against Fiji on Sunday. But bustling centre Paisami, after being pulled from Australia's camp to instead front up against the Lions, gave Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt plenty to ponder ahead of the first Test in Brisbane on July 19. His first touch was a rampaging run that set up Jeffery Toomaga-Allen's first try and he kept the Lions guessing with short kicking and stoic defence. When Kalani Thomas's grubber was brilliantly swept up on the half-volley by Josh Flook to score, the Reds looked a chance of joining their 1899 and 1971 side in knocking off the visitors. The Lions, who beat the Force 54-7 with 14 different starters on Saturday, were clunky early but found their groove approaching halftime. Andrew Porter burrowed over to put them ahead before No.10 Finn Russell, who booted four-of-four conversions before exiting after 50 minutes, straightened the attack and Duhan van der Merwe soared to score inside the left corner post. A wicked bounce denied Lachie Anderson an incredible try when the Lions didn't collect the restart and the ball dribbled dead. Lock Maro Itoje made an impact in his first outing as Lions captain and cashed in with a try after Bundee Aki's storming run and scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park darted from the ruck. The Reds got desperate as the match opened up, Huw Jones plucking Tim Ryan's ambitious chip and racing 60 metres to score. Substitute Gary Ringrose iced the contest with an 85th-minute try as the tourists again passed 50. Hooker Matt Faessler, another Wallabies squad member, was solid in a 50-minute stint in his return from a hamstring injury while Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (shoulder) put his case forward after being a regular in Schmidt's teams last year. Russell, the only Lion to start in both games, looked dangerous in his first partnership with Gibson-Park while flanker Jac Morgan earned man-of-the-match honours for his damage around the ruck. Coach Andy Farrell will have a chance to shuffle his deck again when the Lions play the NSW Waratahs on Saturday. They'll also play the Brumbies, who beat the tourists in 2013, and a combined Australia-New Zealand outfit coached by Reds coach Les Kiss, before Brisbane's first Test.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Australia release two Reds players to face Lions
Western Force v British and Irish LionsDate: Saturday, 28 June Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth Time: 11:00 BST Coverage: Live text commentary on BBC Sport website Centre Hunter Paisami and hooker Matt Faessler have been released by Australia to play for Queensland Reds against the British and Irish Lions in their match next six other Reds players - including Wallabies captain Harry Wilson and key back row Fraser McReight - have instead stayed with Australia to prepare for their warm-up Test against Fiji on 6 coach Joe Schmidt's decision to allow Paisami and Faessler to return to the Reds for the match on 2 July follows tension over whether the hosts' big names will be allowed to play against the Lions for their Super Rugby sides. Lions chief executive Ben Calveley had warned holding back Test players for the fixtures was contrary to an agreement with Rugby Australia and risked devaluing the Schmidt has argued it is counterproductive to release all Wallabies back to their provincial sides as he attempts to prepare for the three-Test also pointed out the Lions will not put out a first-choice line-up for every match, with a Test team and midweek side made up of more fringe squad members invariably and Rugby Australia counterpart Phil Waugh met on Wednesday to discuss the issue, before Schmidt opted to release Faessler and Ben Donaldson, who will stay in the Wallabies camp instead, admitted it would have been "awesome" to play for Western Force on Saturday in the Lions' first match on Australian soil. "Yes and no," he said when asked if he regretted not being able to turn out for the Perth-based side."Obviously it is out of the players' control - we do what the coaches want, we get the schedule and we come into camp."There are four Force boys here [retained by the Wallabies], five back there, so there is a good share back there ready to rip in this weekend."It would have been awesome to play - any game you get to play against the Lions is pretty cool - but we are in camp, preparing for Fiji next week and we are really excited to watch the Force boys play at the weekend."Donaldson is one of three fly-halves in the Wallabies squad, competing with Tom Lynagh to back up first-choice Noah Lolesio. If selection goes against him, he could miss out on facing the Lions at finished ninth in this season's Super Rugby Pacific table, the lowest of any of the Australian sides."Yeah, they will win I reckon," Donaldson said with a smile when asked about the outcome of Saturday's match."It is an awesome experience for them and a great challenge, you saw the Brumbies win 12 years ago so it is not impossible."Lions assistant coach Andrew Goodman said he expects all the Super Rugby sides to raise their game considerably for a meeting with the Lions that only comes around once every 12 years."If you watch a Force team or a Reds team during Super Rugby, it's not an indication of what you're going to get against a Lions team," he said."It's a once-in-a-life opportunity for most of those guys, so the level of intensity is going to be through the roof."
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
British & Irish Lions demands pay off amid player availability row as Australia release more stars for tour matches
The Lions' demand for more Australia players to be released for tour matches has paid off, with two members of the Wallabies squad dispatched to bolster Queensland Reds. Following a meeting between Lions chief executive Ben Calveley and his Rugby Australia counterpart here on the west coast on Tuesday morning, it was confirmed that hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami are returning to Brisbane to represent their Super Rugby franchise. The duo will bolster the Reds for their showdown with the Lions at Suncorp Stadium on July 2. This will be perceived as a climb-down by Australia and a coup for Calveley, who had suggested the hosts could be in breach of the tour agreement if they didn't make their stars available for fixtures involving the state sides. 'The agreement is very clear; it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series,' said Calveley. 'That is our expectation. It's very important that these games are competitive.' The addition of Faessler and Paisami – who have been training with the Wallabies squad in Sydney ahead of a warm-up Test against Fiji in Newcastle – will ensure that the Reds should be competitive in Queensland's state capital next Wednesday. It means that the Lions should be aided by another meaningful match, after facing a Western Force side featuring five Wallabies at Optus Stadium here in Perth on Saturday. Joe Schmidt, Australia's head coach, had responded to Calveley's comments by claiming that more players could be released after all – despite previously indicating that he would keep some 25 of his leading lights in camp, to avoid the spectre of untimely injuries prior to the Test series. Now, his Lions counterpart, Andy Farrell, will wait to discover if the Waratahs and Brumbies will be similarly bolstered for clashes with the tourists on July 5 and July 9 respectively, in Sydney and Canberra. News of the Reds reinforcements was welcomed by the Lions, as attack coach Andrew Goodman said: 'Oh lovely. It's exciting. Hunter is a great player. 'If you look at the Force players who've been released, I've watched a lot of their rugby this year and they've got an exciting group. If you watch a Force team or a Reds team during Super Rugby, it's not an indication of what you're going to get against a Lions team. It's a once-in-a-life opportunity for most of those guys so the level of intensity is going to be through the roof.' Meanwhile, the Lions will name their team on Thursday for the encounter with the Force and Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan is unlikely to be considered while he continues his recovery from injury, while compatriot James Ryan is also a doubt. However, scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park – another of the large Leinster and Irish contingent – is set to be available for selection. Asked for an update on the recent casualties, Goodman said: 'Jamison trained pretty much fully today, Hugo continued on with a bit of rehab and James Ryan was out there doing some bits and pieces as well. It's all tracking well. 'A couple of them are still in return-to-play and we'll see how they pull up after today. We've got another training session on Friday. Hugo is still in that return-to-play process but the rest of them took part in training today.' Andy Farrell will name his team on Thursday for the match against Western Force this weekend Pierre Schoeman defended the presence of imports into the Lions squad from outside the UK Reflecting on the pre-tour defeat against Argentina, which saw the Lions punished for some loose and overly-ambitious handling, Goodman insisted that the British and Irish squad won't opt to 'tighten up' as a result. They are intent on winning the series against the Wallabies, but also winning hearts and minds in the process. 'We want to play good rugby. The group we've got here want to come over to Australia and play a nice, attractive brand of rugby. It will help grow the game if there are two teams attacking. When it comes to a Test match it's about winning, but we are going to develop our game so we can play at speed and give something to the fans who, as we've talked about, have paid a lot of money to come over here and watch us.' Meanwhile, Scotland's South African prop, Pierre Schoeman, has become the latest player born outside the UK and Ireland to defend the presence of so many foreign imports in the Lions ranks. It has been a contentious issue since Farrell named his tour squad on May 8, but the 31-year-old loosehead said: 'If you're good enough to play for your country, then you're good enough to play for the Lions and you're selected, obviously you're going to do that. 'Scotland is home for us; my wife and myself. I know other players, like Mack Hansen (Australia-born wing) has made Ireland home. You embrace that. It's like the movie Outlander. You move to a different country, and now that's your house. You live there. '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. Not your past, not the future. It's about the now. Yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow might never come, so now is the time to live. That's what we do as Lions. It's about the now; this tour. This is what really matters.'
Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Two Wallabies released to face British Lions in Queensland tour match
SYDNEY - The Wallabies released hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami from camp on Wednesday, allowing the pair to return to the Queensland Reds ahead of a match against the British & Irish Lions in Brisbane next week. The release of test players to play tour matches for their Super Rugby teams has been the subject of some disagreement between Lions management and Rugby Australia. Although Faessler and Paisami are experienced internationals with 14 and 31 caps respectively, six other Queensland Reds players will stay in camp preparing for Australia's only warm-up test against Fiji on July 6. Lions chief executive Ben Calveley on his arrival in Australia this week said that it was tourists' expectation that Wallabies would be released to ensure the tour matches were competitive. Australia coach Joe Schmidt responded by pointing out that the Lions traditionally put out a team of "dirt-trackers" made up of players who are unlikely to feature in the tests for some tour matches. The New Zealander also said there were plenty of players at the Reds who still might make the Wallabies squad for the test series. "You've got a lot of guys there who played for the Wallabies last year and some of them are returning from injury and we wanted them to play anyway," Schmidt told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Lukhan Salakaia-Loto played a lot for us last year. Josh Flook and Josh Canham played. Seru Uru played for us. Angus Blyth played. "Just about every player who will play against the Lions was in our wider squad." The Lions face Western Force in Perth on Saturday and play four other tour matches before the first of three tests against the Wallabies on July 19. Force flyhalf Ben Donaldson, who has been retained in the Wallabies camp, said he would have liked to face the Lions on Saturday. "We just do what the coaches want. We got the schedule, we come into camp. So there's four of us Force boys who are here, five still back there," he told reporters in Sydney. "Would have been awesome to play, any game you get to play against the Lions team is pretty cool. But like I said, we're in camp now." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
