Latest news with #JoshBayliss
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
'Fiji will be a different challenge,' warns Josh Bayliss after Scots open tour with hard-fought victory
Scotland back-rower Josh Bayliss has warned they will take nothing for granted next weekend when they continue their summer tour against Fiji in Suva. The Scots began their tour with a hard-fought 29-26 victory over the Maori All Blacks in Whangarei on Saturday. Bayliss was one of the standout performers, with George Horne and Ollie Smith also among those to have impressed for Gregor Townsend 's side. Scrum-half Horne scored two of Scotland's four tries, with Arron Reed and Harry Paterson getting the others. They have now travelled to Suva where they will face a Fijian team who beat them on their last visit. That was back in 2017 on Townsend's first tour as head coach. Bayliss, who won the Premiership with Bath prior to linking up with Scotland, insists Townsend's side will need to raise their game further still. 'Fiji will be mid-20s or 30 degrees,' he said. 'So that's another challenge for us just in terms of the conditions. 'But I think everyone's really excited to go over there and rip into another Test week and then see what we can do. 'All our focus was on the first game, so we haven't looked too far ahead to Fiji yet. But we're well aware of what happened last time (defeat in 2017). 'We're well aware of the potential pitfalls of going over there and playing in a new place, new conditions, new environment, so hopefully we'll go there and go one better than last time. 'It's going to be probably another game where we maybe go to the set-piece to try and get a foothold in the game and then see where we go from there. 'It was a really tough, physical game to start the tour on Saturday. We saw what the Māoris did to Japan the previous week with a big win, so we knew it would be tough. 'We were under no illusions this would be like a Test match - and it was. They pushed us right to the end, but we got through it. 'All credit to the Maori All Blacks. They stuck in and they came right back at us and had a chance to win it at the end. 'I'm just so proud of the boys that we could get it over the line and finish the game off.' Scotland led 29-12 at one point during the second half and looked good value to go on and secure a commanding victory. But, with both teams throwing the ball around and playing some excellent attacking rugby, the Maori All Blacks fought back to tee up a nail-biting finale. They went through 27 phases right at the death as the clock went deep into overtime, pummelling away at Scotland's defensive line. But the visitors held firm to secure a first-ever win over the Māoris, ensuring that their summer tour started in a positive fashion. Full-back Smith was excellent on his first Scotland appearance since the World Cup in 2023 and his kicking was pivotal in the creation of a couple of tries. Horne was also razor-sharp with his distribution at scrum-half and, with Ben White now away with the British and Irish Lions, this is a big chance for Horne to finally get a run of Scotland starts under his belt. In truth, the whole of Scotland's backline played well as a collective unit, with the likes of Rory Hutchinson, Arron Reed and Stafford McDowall also having fine games. Townsend was pleased that his team managed to see it through despite the nervy finish and is now looking forward to landing in Fiji. Scotland plan to spend part of the week getting out into the community and reaching out to local schools as a way of giving something back. 'There were a lot of good performances,' said Townsend. 'Stafford was excellent in a leadership role as captain, Josh Bayliss was also outstanding. 'George Horne, too. He had great finishes for his tries, but his box-kicking was at a really high level as well and allowed us to win the ball back. 'It was great to see Ollie back in a Scotland jersey as well. We rate him really highly and he had an excellent game. 'Going to Fiji will be a new experience for the majority of the players. 'There was a couple that were there eight years ago but for the majority it will be the first time they've gone to Fiji and it's a very friendly culture. 'Fijian people are very welcoming and then as rugby players, to see people playing in fields, to see the knowledge they have for the game and the joy they'll have seeing us being over there taking on their team, will be brilliant. 'We really want to get out into the community and go to schools and maybe do some coaching sessions with the kids. 'It is a unique place. There's a huge rugby culture here in New Zealand but Fiji is different. 'They just love the sport so much and they're obviously very skilful because they've played it since a young age and continue to play sevens and fifteens all the way through to Test level.'
The Herald Scotland
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Four Scots named in Bath vs Leicester Premiership final squads
The English sides will compete for the crown on Saturday, June 14 with a 3pm kick-off at Twickenham. Bath's XV features two Scots with Finn Russell and Cameron Redpath both in from the start for the club. Josh Bayliss is listed as a replacement for Bath Rugby for the final. Meanwhile, Cameron Henderson is in the XV for Leicester on Saturday. Read more: Bath will be aiming to go one step better than last year when they lost the final to Northampton Saints. They are vying to complete a treble having already won the Premiership Cup and Challenge Cup. Their talisman Russell will be aiming to lift a second league title of his career after his Pro12 win with Glasgow Warriors a decade ago. Leicester Tigers, meanwhile, will be bidding for a perfect send-off for retiring club legends Dan Cole and Ben Youngs. The inclusion of veteran tighthead Cole among the replacements means there is no place in the matchday squad for Scotland squad member Will Hurd. Gallagher Premiership final - the teams Bath: Tom de Glanville, Joe Cokanasiga, Max Ojomoh, Cam Redpath, Will Muir, Finn Russell, Ben Spencer (captain); Beno Obano, Tom Dunn, Thomas du Toit, Quinn Roux, Charlie Ewels, Ted Hill, Guy Pepper, Miles Reid Replacements: Niall Annett, Francois van Wyk, Will Stuart, Ross Molony, Josh Bayliss, Tom Carr-Smith, Ciaran Donoghue, Alfie Barbeary Leicester Tigers: Freddie Steward, Adam Radwan, Solomone Kata, Joseph Woodward, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Handre Pollard, Jack van Poortvliet; Nicky Smith, Julian Montoya (captain), Joe Heyes, Cameron Henderson, Ollie Chessum, Hanro Liebenberg, Tommy Reffell, Olly Cracknell Replacements: Charlie Clare, James Cronin, Dan Cole, Matt Rogerson, Emeka Ilione, Ben Youngs, Ben Volavolva, Izaia Perese
Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Virgin ponders rebirth of the Megastore in central London
Few high street stores were as iconic as the Virgin Megastore — until their demise at the end of the 2000s. But the listening rooms, record displays and in-store gigs could be set for a return to at least one central London site, with Virgin Group chief executive, Josh Bayliss, viewing a potential space as a chance to bring back the 'human connection' to the brand. The stores became a fixture on the high street in the decades after Sir Richard Branson opened his first, on Oxford Street, almost 50 years ago. After a combination of online and supermarket competitors, plus acquisitions that failed to pay off, the struggling business became Zavvi in 2007 before they closed for good in 2009. Now, 16 years later,
