Latest news with #JakeGordon
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Tom Lynagh to start at flyhalf for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Tom Lynagh will start at flyhalf for Australia against the Lions in the series-opening test on Saturday, 36 years after his famous father wore the Wallabies No. 10 jersey against the combined British and Irish team. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt announced his squad Thursday to take on the Lions and was forced into some lineup changes after the narrow win over Fiji. The 22-year-old Lynagh will start his fourth test match in a new halves combination with Jake Gordon in the biggest moment of his short international career. '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,' Schmidt said. '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 won the series 2-1 on their last tour to Australia in 2013, avenging a 2-1 series loss to the Wallabies in 2001. Michael Lynagh was part of the Australian team that lost the 1989 series 2-1 to the Lions, and he went on to help guide the Wallabies to a World Cup triumph in 1991. His son was born in Italy, went to school in England and moved in 2021 to Australia, where he has flourished at the Queensland Reds and earned three test caps. There was a vacancy at No. 10 after Noah Lolesio was injured against Fiji. Tom Lynagh will be the first Wallaby to follow in his father's footsteps in playing against the Lions. Nick Champion de Crespigny will make his starting debut as blindside flanker and hooker Matt Faessler has won a spot in the XV in changes to the lineup. Lions coach Andy Farrell was set to unveil his squad later Thursday in a downtown Brisbane hotel. The Lions are 5-0 ahead of the three-test series since a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup in Dublin. They had wins over all of Australia's Super Rugby franchises before Saturday's 48-0 demolition of an AUNZ invitational XV comprising Australians and New Zealanders in Adelaide. The Lions landed in Australia last month and have beaten Western Force in Perth, Queensland Reds in Brisbane, New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney and the Brumbies in Canberra. The second test is set for July 26 in Melbourne, followed by Sydney on Aug. 2. ___ Squads: Australia: Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter, Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (captain), Fraser McReight, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost, Allan Ala'alatoa, Matt Faessler, James Slipper. Reserves: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway. ___ AP rugby:
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Tom Lynagh to start at flyhalf for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Tom Lynagh will start at flyhalf for Australia against the Lions in the series-opening test on Saturday, 36 years after his famous father wore the Wallabies No. 10 jersey against the combined British and Irish team. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt announced his squad Thursday to take on the Lions and was forced into some lineup changes after the narrow win over Fiji. The 22-year-old Lynagh will start his fourth test match in a new halves combination with Jake Gordon in the biggest moment of his short international career. '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,' Schmidt said. '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 won the series 2-1 on their last tour to Australia in 2013, avenging a 2-1 series loss to the Wallabies in 2001. Michael Lynagh was part of the Australian team that lost the 1989 series 2-1 to the Lions, and he went on to help guide the Wallabies to a World Cup triumph in 1991. His son was born in Italy, went to school in England and moved in 2021 to Australia, where he has flourished at the Queensland Reds and earned three test caps. There was a vacancy at No. 10 after Noah Lolesio was injured against Fiji. Tom Lynagh will be the first Wallaby to follow in his father's footsteps in playing against the Lions. Nick Champion de Crespigny will make his starting debut as blindside flanker and hooker Matt Faessler has won a spot in the XV in changes to the lineup. Lions coach Andy Farrell was set to unveil his squad later Thursday in a downtown Brisbane hotel. The Lions are 5-0 ahead of the three-test series since a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup in Dublin. They had wins over all of Australia's Super Rugby franchises before Saturday's 48-0 demolition of an AUNZ invitational XV comprising Australians and New Zealanders in Adelaide. The Lions landed in Australia last month and have beaten Western Force in Perth, Queensland Reds in Brisbane, New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney and the Brumbies in Canberra. The second test is set for July 26 in Melbourne, followed by Sydney on Aug. 2. ___ Squads: Australia: Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter, Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (captain), Fraser McReight, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost, Allan Ala'alatoa, Matt Faessler, James Slipper. Reserves: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway. ___ AP rugby:
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Whingeing Poms: Lions accuse Waratahs of watering pitch
British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has accused the NSW Waratahs of over-watering Allianz Stadium in a sensational postscript to the tourists' sloppy 21-10 escape over the huge underdogs. Farrell was not impressed after watching his Lions fumble and bumble their way to a most unconvincing three-tries-to-two victory over a Waratahs outfit missing several key Wallabies including skipper Jake Gordon and star strike weapons Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Max Jorgensen. While he was critical of the side's lack of accuracy and inability to stick to the game plan, Farrell must have known he was creating bigger headlines for suggesting the hosts had doctored the pitch to catch the Lions out and make things messy as a leveller. Despite enjoying 62 per cent of possession and 70 per cent of territory, the panicky Lions came undone with endless handling errors. Farrell made the claim after running into former Lion-turned-Waratahs attack coach Mike Catt after the match. "The pitch was very wet and I was asking Mike Catt after the game and he was laughing," the Englishman said. "But, I mean, that's good tactics from them, isn't it? The ball's slippery, the breakdown's ferocious enough and the line speed is high-octane stuff as well from them. "And we kept on trying to overplay at times. Certainly around halfway and putting ourselves back under pressure and keeping them in the game." Asked if he really meant what he was alleging, Farrell said: "Catty just laughed and we've seen that done plenty of times. I don't know whether the pitch needed watering." Waratahs captain Hugh Sinclair and coach Dan McKellar both made light of Farrell's moaning. Sinclair reminded the Lions boss that Sydney was hit with near cyclonic winds and storm during the week. "See the weather on Tuesday? It was like a cyclone," Sinclair said, as McKellar also dismissed the accusation. "No, no, no, no, no. Yeah, yeah, no, Andy was probably sunning himself in Brisbane on Tuesday, but it wasn't pleasant in Sydney, that's for sure," McKellar said. Probed further by a British journalist if he had watered the pitch, in more of an Ashes-like allegation, McKellar said: "I've got too much to think about to be worried about watering the pitch". After putting more than 50 points on both the Western Force and Queensland Reds in the past week, the Lions' lacklustre display on Saturday night did not impress Farrell one bit ahead of the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19. "There's a bit of frustration there," Farrell said. "Listen, it's nice to get a win but at this stage we're trying to judge the performance and we are a little bit more so disappointed with the amount of possession and territory that we had and how we dealt with certain situations. "It's (not) adjusting to what's been put in in front of us on the run and making sure that we're playing the game that's happening at that moment in time. "So let's congratulate the Waratahs as well for the type of game that they had, that they played etc, but when you have 70 per cent territory and 20 turnovers, that's by far not clinical enough."
CNA
04-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Schmidt says injured Wallabies trio to be fit for Lions series
MELBOURNE :Australia loose forward Rob Valetini, lock Will Skelton and scrumhalf Jake Gordon will miss Sunday's test against Fiji through injury but should be fit to face the British & Irish Lions, coach Joe Schmidt said. Valetini and Skelton have been nursing calf injuries, while Gordon is recovering from a hamstring strain, Australian media reported. Schmidt declined to confirm the nature of the injuries on Friday but said Valetini and Skelton had trained away from the main group in the lead-up to the Fiji test in Newcastle. Valetini, who was starting blindside flanker against Ireland in the Wallabies' last test in November, has been replaced by Langi Gleeson, while lock Jeremy Williams will partner Nick Frost in the second row. Valetini and Skelton's absence robs the Wallabies of experience and power against Mick Byrne-coached Fiji, who shocked them 22-15 at the World Cup in France and are their last warm-up before the first Lions test in Brisbane on July 19. "I'd be very confident all three of those guys will be ready to train at the start of the week for that first lead-in to the British and Irish Lions first test," Schmidt told a press conference in Newcastle. "But for this week, it was probably a week too soon." Gordon was Schmidt's preferred scrumhalf last season but Tate McDermott will wear the number nine jersey, with 35-year-old Nic White backing up from the bench. Noah Lolesio has been retained at flyhalf. "Jake trained with the side today, so he's very close to being able to (play)," said Schmidt. COHESION The Wallabies' season-opening test sees number eight Harry Wilson retained as captain but the appointment may not hold for the Lions series, Schmidt said. With hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa released from the squad, Dave Porecki starts in the number two jersey in his first test since the 2023 World Cup. He lines up next to veteran props James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa. Rugby league convert Joseph Suaalii and Len Ikitau resume their midfield partnership, with Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter the starting wingers, and Tom Wright at fullback. Schmidt was cagey about whether his match-day squad was a preview of his preferred team for the Lions but suggested whoever he picked would face a huge challenge against Andy Farrell's men. The Lions opened their Australia tour by racking up more than 50 points in tour match victories over the Western Force and Queensland Reds. "They've been pretty impressive. I think two games in the first 20 minutes they haven't really started that well," said Schmidt. "But even saying that ... they've actually missed a few opportunities. "I think the more cohesion they develop, the more they'll be dangerous in finishing some of those opportunities. "I think (their players) are really competing for spots ... They've got incredible strength and depth." 15-Tom Wright, 14-Harry Potter, 13-Joseph Suaalii, 12-Len Ikitau, 11-Max Jorgensen, 10-Noah Lolesio, 9-Tate McDermott, 8-Harry Wilson (capt), 7-Fraser McReight, 6-Langi Gleeson, 5-Jeremy Williams, 4-Nick Frost, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-David Porecki, 1-James Slipper.
Forbes
17-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Noteefy Gets Investment To Add AI Tools To Golf Reservation Platform
Noteefy has secured a multimillion-dollar strategic investment that will allow the company – one of the fastest-growing in the golf business – to expand its core platform capabilities that help both golfers and golf course operators better navigate the increasingly busy world of securing playing times. The funding will fuel the next stage of growth for Noteefy, which has emerged as a profit engine for more than 800 U.S. golf courses, including 80 of Golfweek's Top 200 resorts. With record numbers of rounds played in three of the past four years and demand for tee times and resort play at elevated levels, Noteefy has helped an increasing number of operators refill cancellations, eliminate no-shows, optimize golfer booking behavior, and maximize revenue. The company is now looking to double-down on its operator technology by integrating AI technology into its existing product that helps address the hundreds of phone calls every day to pro shops about information available online. The approach – freeing up staff to help deliver better in-person service – is similar to that within other industries, from restaurants and hotels to auto repair shops. 'We are hearing our customers tell us that up to 60% of pro shop calls are about inquires such as tee time availability, course maintenance schedules, and range hours, that could have been found online,' said Noteefy CEO and co-founder Jake Gordon. 'Our new AI technology should give pro shop staff hours back a day to delight golfers in person at the course.' The new AI-powered tools and automation capabilities will be available to existing Noteefy customers as soon as this summer and seamlessly integrated into the existing product, which has been likened to platforms like OpenTable or Resy, only for golf. Noteefy sends millions of text messages a year to golfers about unused inventory, helping courses recoup significant revenue from late cancellations. Historically, up to 20% of public tee times aren't rebooked after golfers cancel (or no show), a challenge that can be a significant revenue drain for operators. By texting golfers ahead of their tee time – similar to doctor's offices with appointments – and requesting confirmation or cancellation, Noteefy is able to create real-time text notifications for other interested golfers within their database when tee times become available. Noteefy's suite of solutions has helped enable a better guest booking experience and more efficiency at public daily fee and municipal golf courses, as well as high-end destination resort properties such as Bandon Dunes (Oregon) and Sand Valley (Wisconsin). For the latter, Dream Golf Partner Chris Keiser, the son of Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser, said over $500,000 in booking revenue can be directly attributed to the Noteefy platform. 'We are very excited about the future capabilities Noteefy will offer - particularly around AI and lead management,' said Keiser. Noteefy's latest investment round was led by Powerhouse Capital, with participation from Teamworthy Ventures, Phoenix Capital Ventures, PerotJain, and a syndicate of industry veterans across golf, travel, and hospitality. 'The golf industry has experienced historic growth over the past five years, creating a strong need for technological innovation to support both golfers and course operators,' said Powerhouse Capital Managing Partner Salim Mitha. 'This growth comes at a time when technology can improve the user experience for golfers looking to book, and courses look to optimize revenues. The Noteefy team has a clear vision and the operational rigor to execute. We believe their platform will become foundational infrastructure for golf and resort operators globally in the years to come.'
