Latest news with #Lonergan
The 42
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Waterford overcome Cork to move up to seventh
Waterford 2 Cork City 0 Adrian Flanagan reports from the RSC FIRST-HALF goals from Sam Glenfield and Tommy Lonergan steered Waterford FC to bragging rights over Cork City in their SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division Munster derby clash at a sun-drenched RSC. Goalkeeper Stephen McMullan returned to the starting team with a man-of-the-match display, producing a couple of outstanding saves to keep the bottom side in the division at bay. The Waterford stopper denied Kitt Nelson and Cathal O'Sullivan as Glenfield's stunner and Lonergan's super header moved the Blues up to seventh spot in the division. After Ryan Burke went close when heading Conan Noonan's right-wing corner inches wide, the Blues were celebrating striking the front eight minutes later. Advertisement Defender Fiacre Kelleher tried to play a short clearance to Evan McLaughlin, who looked to have been fouled when dispossessed by Sam Glenfield, and he arrowed an unstoppable right-footed shot from 20 yards past David Odumosu. Malik Dijksteel ghosted past three tackles out on the left with considerable ease moments later, only to see his effort trickle inches wide of McMullan's far post. Tommy Lonergan then should have had a penalty when replays showed he was onside when hacked down by Odumosu. The striker was celebrating doubling the Blues' lead three minutes later. Padraig Amond laid the ball back to Grant Horton, who put in a superb ball. Lonergan produced an instinctive header that saw it loop over the head of the Cork netminder. McMullan maintained his side's two-goal cushion with a brilliant double save just before the break. He first got down low to save a 25-yarder from Nelson before getting the faintest of touches to turn an Evan McLaughlin effort onto the crossbar. McMullan had to be at his best again on the hour mark for the Blues when Nelson turned provider for O'Sullivan, but the teenager's left-footed strike was tipped over the crossbar. Charlie Lutz was also denied by the Blues' netminder after cutting in from the left. But from that point on, the expected late Cork rally never materialised, as the hosts saw the game out with ease. Waterford FC: McMullan; Horton, Boyle, Leahy, Burke; White (Dempsey 58), McDonald (McMenamy 83), Glenfield (Olayinka 45); Lonergan, Amond, Noonan (McCormack 83). Cork City: Odumosu; Crowley, Feely (Murray 76), Kelleher, Kieran; Bolger (Anderson 28), O'Sullivan, Dijksteel, McLaughlin; Nelson, Maguire (Lutz 64). Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin). Attendance: 3,043
RTÉ News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Waterford find their spark to put Cork deeper in mire
First-half goals from Sam Glenfield and Tommy Lonergan steered Waterford FC to bragging rights over Cork City in their SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division Munster derby clash at a sun-drenched RSC in a game where goalkeeper Stephen McMullan returned to the starting team with a man-of the-match display. McMullan produced a couple of outstandings saves to keep the bottom side in the division at bay as he denied Kitt Nelson and Cathal O'Sullivan. Glenfield's stunner and Lonergan's super header moved the Blues up to seventh spot in the table. After Ryan Burke went close with a brilliant header on 13 minutes when heading Conan Noonan's right-wing corner inches wide, the Blues were celebrating striking the front eight minutes later. Defender Fiacre Kelleher tried to play a short clearance to Evan McLaughlin, who looked to have been fouled when dispossessed by Glenfield, who arrowed an unstoppable right-footed shot from 20 yards past David Odumosu. Malik Dijksteel ghosted past three tackles out on the left with considerable ease 60 seconds later only to see his effort trickled inches wide of McMullan's far post before Lonergan should have had penalty on 34 minutes when replays showed that he was onside when hacked down by keeper Odumosu. The striker was celebrating doubling the Blues' lead three minutes with a header of quality. Padraig Amond laid the ball back to Grant Horton, who put in a superb ball that saw Lonergan get in an instinctive header that looped over the head of the Cork netminder. It was the brilliance of keeper McMullan that maintained his side's two-goal cushion with a smashing double save on 44 minutes. He firstly got down low to save a 25-yarder from Nelson before getting the faintest of touches to turn an Evan McLaughlin effort onto the crossbar. McMullan was the hero on the hour mark for the Blues when Nelson turned provider for O'Sullivan, but his left-footed strike was tipped over the crossbar before Charlie Lutz was also denied by the home stopper after cutting in from the left on 75 minutes as the hosts saw the game out with ease. Waterford FC: McMullan; Horton, Boyle, Leahy, Burke; White (Dempsey 58), McDonald (McMenamy 83), Glenfield (Olayinka 45); Lonergan, Amond, Noonan (McCormack 83).
The Advertiser
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
The biggest crowd in 20 years watched the Brumbies play the Lions. Is it a rugby revival?
Ryan Lonergan hopes the biggest Brumbies crowd in almost two decades can kickstart a rugby revival in the ACT, wondering if the legacy of a British and Irish Lions tour is the shot "rugby in Canberra has been waiting for". Because you only had to close your eyes for the briefest of moments to believe. The noise. The vibration. The unbridled joy that comes with hope. Rugby union was back to its glory days in Canberra on Wednesday night, even if that belief and hope faded in the second half as the all-star British and Irish Lions beat the ACT Brumbies 36-24 in front of 23,116 fans. It was the biggest rugby crowd in Canberra since since more than 27,000 watched the ACT play the NSW Waratahs in 2005 - the year after the Brumbies' last title with the greats still lacing up the boots. The Brumbies and rugby was at its peak back then, but it's been a lean decade since the Lions were last in town. So crowd and hype aside the result was sweet revenge for the Lions, who were stunned by the Brumbies when they last came to Canberra in 2013, and pushed to the brink 12 years prior. Rugby in the capital - and in Australia more broadly - has struggled since then. But the sight of grown men bouncing out of their seats for a cuddle and the look in their eyes when Corey Toole flew over the line before half-time told a different story. There is a soul there, hidden away and only emerging occasionally. The hope is that the excitement was enough to convince people to come back next year when the Brumbies return to the field. That's obviously easier said than done, given the fanfare that comes with the Lions and the tourists that follow. The reality is the afterglow of the Lions will wear off, and Super Rugby crowds won't dramatically increase. But at some point there has to be a step in the right direction, and Lonergan hopes Canberra moved that way on Wednesday. "Running out in front of all of those people is something I will never forget," Brumbies captain Lonergan said. "I hope everyone enjoyed it in the stands. Disappointed we couldn't get the result but it was a quality game. Maybe it's something rugby in Canberra has been waiting for, you know? Maybe it's going to kickstart us back up, and hopefully our numbers grow next year. "I can say it was just one of the most enjoyable games I've played here in Canberra, purely because of the atmosphere." Perhaps the surprising part was that some touring journalists felt the game lacked atmosphere and was "flat" in energy from the crowd. Imagine had they been at some of the Super Rugby contests over the past decade or so. Rugby was alive for this game. Granted, with a crowd of event-goers as well as rusted-on rugby fans, but it was alive. And for a couple of moments in the first half, the fans genuinely believed lightning could strike twice. But it couldn't, could it? Not when Lions coach Andy Farrell had wheeled out a squad expected to mirror that for the opening Test against the Wallabies on July 19, while Stephen Larkham was missing eight front-line stars. But the Brumbies weren't going to die wondering. Tuaina Taii Tualima crashed over for the opening try inside the opening five minutes. Toole picked as good a time as any to answer a question about his defensive nous and sent a reminder to Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt that he is waiting in the wings, while the red jersey to Tom Hooper and Lachie Lonergan might as well have been a red rag to a bull. The class of the Lions would eventually shine through. Ollie Chessum levelled the ledger before James Lowe put the tourists ahead in front of a small sea of red at the southern end, one that will grow by thousands by the time rugby's greatest roadshow arrives in Brisbane. But their cheers for tries and chants of 'Lions' paled in comparison to the roar reverberating around Canberra Stadium when Toole returned serve at the other end of the ground. Toole's try just before the break gave everyone hope, and made the Lions a little nervous. But an error from the drop-out moments later came back to haunt the Brumbies - and what should have been a 12-10 half-time scoreline became 19-10 in the blink of an eye. The Brumbies were never seriously within striking distance, and coach Stephen Larkham felt his side spent "80 per cent of the game" in their defensive half. That was probably an accurate reflection of what happened, but every time the game threatened to blow out, the Brumbies answered and restored respect. Toole scored a second try in the second half and hooker Liam Bowron burrowed over from close range late in the game when the Brumbies' finally got an attacking chance. In the end, the Lions scored five tries to the Brumbies' four, the major difference being the 11 points from the boot of Finn Russell. In fact, the Lions took a penalty shot at goal in the second half to make sure they smothered any chance of a Brumbies comeback. Why was that moment important? Because it was the first penalty attempt the Lions had taken after four games on tour. Talk about respect, even though the Wallaby-less Brumbies were severely under-strength. "Coming out of the game without the win is disappointing, it's not about playing against the Lions, it's the opportunity to beat the Lions, and we didn't do that," Larkham said. "But there were some really good performances out there, I think the guys stepped up exceptionally well. "If you look back 12 years ago and even further back to 2001, guys come out of this game and this experience a better player and I'm hoping it leads to opportunities down the track for players such as Ryan [Lonergan]." It says a lot about Larkham and the Brumbies that they walked away disappointed rather than buzzing from the experience, even though they played in front of the sort of crowd that evokes memories of the Brumbies heyday. The crowd figure marked the biggest turnout for a Brumbies home game since their stunning upset of the Lions 12 years ago. Forget lightning striking twice for a second, rugby bosses were wondering how they could catch lightning in a bottle. Brumbies crowds have hovered around the 8000 mark for years. Their biggest home crowd of the Super Rugby season - which saw them reach a fourth consecutive semi-final - was boosted by the Ilona Maher factor during a double-header with the Wallaroos and USA. Finding a way to reconnect with rugby fans will be high on Roff's agenda after being appointed Brumbies chairman, with chief executive Phil Thomson poised to leave his post at the end of the week and bring down the curtain on an association with the club which dates back to its inception. As for winning back the crowds? The Lions game could be enough to convince at least a few onlookers to come back again next year. Maybe you'll have to forgive the die-hards for dreaming, but this week felt like people were excited about rugby in Canberra again. You can't help but be swept up in the hype of a Lions tour. Lington Ieli would go unnoticed by some Brumbies fans in the street, but he went toe-to-toe with the Lions. Cameron Orr flew in from Seattle last week. Lachie Hooper hadn't played Super Rugby. But he played against the Lions - and did it alongside his brother. They'll be telling that story out in Bathurst for years. Who said romance in rugby was dead? AT A GLANCE British and Irish Lions tour game: BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS 36 (Ollie Chessum, James Lowe, Marcus Smith, Garry Ringrose, Josh van der Flier tries; Finn Russell 4 conversions; Russell penalty) bt ACT BRUMBIES 24 (Tuaina Taii Tualima, Corey Toole, Hudson Creighton, Liam Bowron tries; Ryan Lonergan, Jack Debreczeni conversions) at Canberra Stadium. Crowd: 23,116. Man of the match: Jamison Gibson-Park. Ryan Lonergan hopes the biggest Brumbies crowd in almost two decades can kickstart a rugby revival in the ACT, wondering if the legacy of a British and Irish Lions tour is the shot "rugby in Canberra has been waiting for". Because you only had to close your eyes for the briefest of moments to believe. The noise. The vibration. The unbridled joy that comes with hope. Rugby union was back to its glory days in Canberra on Wednesday night, even if that belief and hope faded in the second half as the all-star British and Irish Lions beat the ACT Brumbies 36-24 in front of 23,116 fans. It was the biggest rugby crowd in Canberra since since more than 27,000 watched the ACT play the NSW Waratahs in 2005 - the year after the Brumbies' last title with the greats still lacing up the boots. The Brumbies and rugby was at its peak back then, but it's been a lean decade since the Lions were last in town. So crowd and hype aside the result was sweet revenge for the Lions, who were stunned by the Brumbies when they last came to Canberra in 2013, and pushed to the brink 12 years prior. Rugby in the capital - and in Australia more broadly - has struggled since then. But the sight of grown men bouncing out of their seats for a cuddle and the look in their eyes when Corey Toole flew over the line before half-time told a different story. There is a soul there, hidden away and only emerging occasionally. The hope is that the excitement was enough to convince people to come back next year when the Brumbies return to the field. That's obviously easier said than done, given the fanfare that comes with the Lions and the tourists that follow. The reality is the afterglow of the Lions will wear off, and Super Rugby crowds won't dramatically increase. But at some point there has to be a step in the right direction, and Lonergan hopes Canberra moved that way on Wednesday. "Running out in front of all of those people is something I will never forget," Brumbies captain Lonergan said. "I hope everyone enjoyed it in the stands. Disappointed we couldn't get the result but it was a quality game. Maybe it's something rugby in Canberra has been waiting for, you know? Maybe it's going to kickstart us back up, and hopefully our numbers grow next year. "I can say it was just one of the most enjoyable games I've played here in Canberra, purely because of the atmosphere." Perhaps the surprising part was that some touring journalists felt the game lacked atmosphere and was "flat" in energy from the crowd. Imagine had they been at some of the Super Rugby contests over the past decade or so. Rugby was alive for this game. Granted, with a crowd of event-goers as well as rusted-on rugby fans, but it was alive. And for a couple of moments in the first half, the fans genuinely believed lightning could strike twice. But it couldn't, could it? Not when Lions coach Andy Farrell had wheeled out a squad expected to mirror that for the opening Test against the Wallabies on July 19, while Stephen Larkham was missing eight front-line stars. But the Brumbies weren't going to die wondering. Tuaina Taii Tualima crashed over for the opening try inside the opening five minutes. Toole picked as good a time as any to answer a question about his defensive nous and sent a reminder to Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt that he is waiting in the wings, while the red jersey to Tom Hooper and Lachie Lonergan might as well have been a red rag to a bull. The class of the Lions would eventually shine through. Ollie Chessum levelled the ledger before James Lowe put the tourists ahead in front of a small sea of red at the southern end, one that will grow by thousands by the time rugby's greatest roadshow arrives in Brisbane. But their cheers for tries and chants of 'Lions' paled in comparison to the roar reverberating around Canberra Stadium when Toole returned serve at the other end of the ground. Toole's try just before the break gave everyone hope, and made the Lions a little nervous. But an error from the drop-out moments later came back to haunt the Brumbies - and what should have been a 12-10 half-time scoreline became 19-10 in the blink of an eye. The Brumbies were never seriously within striking distance, and coach Stephen Larkham felt his side spent "80 per cent of the game" in their defensive half. That was probably an accurate reflection of what happened, but every time the game threatened to blow out, the Brumbies answered and restored respect. Toole scored a second try in the second half and hooker Liam Bowron burrowed over from close range late in the game when the Brumbies' finally got an attacking chance. In the end, the Lions scored five tries to the Brumbies' four, the major difference being the 11 points from the boot of Finn Russell. In fact, the Lions took a penalty shot at goal in the second half to make sure they smothered any chance of a Brumbies comeback. Why was that moment important? Because it was the first penalty attempt the Lions had taken after four games on tour. Talk about respect, even though the Wallaby-less Brumbies were severely under-strength. "Coming out of the game without the win is disappointing, it's not about playing against the Lions, it's the opportunity to beat the Lions, and we didn't do that," Larkham said. "But there were some really good performances out there, I think the guys stepped up exceptionally well. "If you look back 12 years ago and even further back to 2001, guys come out of this game and this experience a better player and I'm hoping it leads to opportunities down the track for players such as Ryan [Lonergan]." It says a lot about Larkham and the Brumbies that they walked away disappointed rather than buzzing from the experience, even though they played in front of the sort of crowd that evokes memories of the Brumbies heyday. The crowd figure marked the biggest turnout for a Brumbies home game since their stunning upset of the Lions 12 years ago. Forget lightning striking twice for a second, rugby bosses were wondering how they could catch lightning in a bottle. Brumbies crowds have hovered around the 8000 mark for years. Their biggest home crowd of the Super Rugby season - which saw them reach a fourth consecutive semi-final - was boosted by the Ilona Maher factor during a double-header with the Wallaroos and USA. Finding a way to reconnect with rugby fans will be high on Roff's agenda after being appointed Brumbies chairman, with chief executive Phil Thomson poised to leave his post at the end of the week and bring down the curtain on an association with the club which dates back to its inception. As for winning back the crowds? The Lions game could be enough to convince at least a few onlookers to come back again next year. Maybe you'll have to forgive the die-hards for dreaming, but this week felt like people were excited about rugby in Canberra again. You can't help but be swept up in the hype of a Lions tour. Lington Ieli would go unnoticed by some Brumbies fans in the street, but he went toe-to-toe with the Lions. Cameron Orr flew in from Seattle last week. Lachie Hooper hadn't played Super Rugby. But he played against the Lions - and did it alongside his brother. They'll be telling that story out in Bathurst for years. Who said romance in rugby was dead? AT A GLANCE British and Irish Lions tour game: BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS 36 (Ollie Chessum, James Lowe, Marcus Smith, Garry Ringrose, Josh van der Flier tries; Finn Russell 4 conversions; Russell penalty) bt ACT BRUMBIES 24 (Tuaina Taii Tualima, Corey Toole, Hudson Creighton, Liam Bowron tries; Ryan Lonergan, Jack Debreczeni conversions) at Canberra Stadium. Crowd: 23,116. Man of the match: Jamison Gibson-Park. Ryan Lonergan hopes the biggest Brumbies crowd in almost two decades can kickstart a rugby revival in the ACT, wondering if the legacy of a British and Irish Lions tour is the shot "rugby in Canberra has been waiting for". Because you only had to close your eyes for the briefest of moments to believe. The noise. The vibration. The unbridled joy that comes with hope. Rugby union was back to its glory days in Canberra on Wednesday night, even if that belief and hope faded in the second half as the all-star British and Irish Lions beat the ACT Brumbies 36-24 in front of 23,116 fans. It was the biggest rugby crowd in Canberra since since more than 27,000 watched the ACT play the NSW Waratahs in 2005 - the year after the Brumbies' last title with the greats still lacing up the boots. The Brumbies and rugby was at its peak back then, but it's been a lean decade since the Lions were last in town. So crowd and hype aside the result was sweet revenge for the Lions, who were stunned by the Brumbies when they last came to Canberra in 2013, and pushed to the brink 12 years prior. Rugby in the capital - and in Australia more broadly - has struggled since then. But the sight of grown men bouncing out of their seats for a cuddle and the look in their eyes when Corey Toole flew over the line before half-time told a different story. There is a soul there, hidden away and only emerging occasionally. The hope is that the excitement was enough to convince people to come back next year when the Brumbies return to the field. That's obviously easier said than done, given the fanfare that comes with the Lions and the tourists that follow. The reality is the afterglow of the Lions will wear off, and Super Rugby crowds won't dramatically increase. But at some point there has to be a step in the right direction, and Lonergan hopes Canberra moved that way on Wednesday. "Running out in front of all of those people is something I will never forget," Brumbies captain Lonergan said. "I hope everyone enjoyed it in the stands. Disappointed we couldn't get the result but it was a quality game. Maybe it's something rugby in Canberra has been waiting for, you know? Maybe it's going to kickstart us back up, and hopefully our numbers grow next year. "I can say it was just one of the most enjoyable games I've played here in Canberra, purely because of the atmosphere." Perhaps the surprising part was that some touring journalists felt the game lacked atmosphere and was "flat" in energy from the crowd. Imagine had they been at some of the Super Rugby contests over the past decade or so. Rugby was alive for this game. Granted, with a crowd of event-goers as well as rusted-on rugby fans, but it was alive. And for a couple of moments in the first half, the fans genuinely believed lightning could strike twice. But it couldn't, could it? Not when Lions coach Andy Farrell had wheeled out a squad expected to mirror that for the opening Test against the Wallabies on July 19, while Stephen Larkham was missing eight front-line stars. But the Brumbies weren't going to die wondering. Tuaina Taii Tualima crashed over for the opening try inside the opening five minutes. Toole picked as good a time as any to answer a question about his defensive nous and sent a reminder to Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt that he is waiting in the wings, while the red jersey to Tom Hooper and Lachie Lonergan might as well have been a red rag to a bull. The class of the Lions would eventually shine through. Ollie Chessum levelled the ledger before James Lowe put the tourists ahead in front of a small sea of red at the southern end, one that will grow by thousands by the time rugby's greatest roadshow arrives in Brisbane. But their cheers for tries and chants of 'Lions' paled in comparison to the roar reverberating around Canberra Stadium when Toole returned serve at the other end of the ground. Toole's try just before the break gave everyone hope, and made the Lions a little nervous. But an error from the drop-out moments later came back to haunt the Brumbies - and what should have been a 12-10 half-time scoreline became 19-10 in the blink of an eye. The Brumbies were never seriously within striking distance, and coach Stephen Larkham felt his side spent "80 per cent of the game" in their defensive half. That was probably an accurate reflection of what happened, but every time the game threatened to blow out, the Brumbies answered and restored respect. Toole scored a second try in the second half and hooker Liam Bowron burrowed over from close range late in the game when the Brumbies' finally got an attacking chance. In the end, the Lions scored five tries to the Brumbies' four, the major difference being the 11 points from the boot of Finn Russell. In fact, the Lions took a penalty shot at goal in the second half to make sure they smothered any chance of a Brumbies comeback. Why was that moment important? Because it was the first penalty attempt the Lions had taken after four games on tour. Talk about respect, even though the Wallaby-less Brumbies were severely under-strength. "Coming out of the game without the win is disappointing, it's not about playing against the Lions, it's the opportunity to beat the Lions, and we didn't do that," Larkham said. "But there were some really good performances out there, I think the guys stepped up exceptionally well. "If you look back 12 years ago and even further back to 2001, guys come out of this game and this experience a better player and I'm hoping it leads to opportunities down the track for players such as Ryan [Lonergan]." It says a lot about Larkham and the Brumbies that they walked away disappointed rather than buzzing from the experience, even though they played in front of the sort of crowd that evokes memories of the Brumbies heyday. The crowd figure marked the biggest turnout for a Brumbies home game since their stunning upset of the Lions 12 years ago. Forget lightning striking twice for a second, rugby bosses were wondering how they could catch lightning in a bottle. Brumbies crowds have hovered around the 8000 mark for years. Their biggest home crowd of the Super Rugby season - which saw them reach a fourth consecutive semi-final - was boosted by the Ilona Maher factor during a double-header with the Wallaroos and USA. Finding a way to reconnect with rugby fans will be high on Roff's agenda after being appointed Brumbies chairman, with chief executive Phil Thomson poised to leave his post at the end of the week and bring down the curtain on an association with the club which dates back to its inception. As for winning back the crowds? The Lions game could be enough to convince at least a few onlookers to come back again next year. Maybe you'll have to forgive the die-hards for dreaming, but this week felt like people were excited about rugby in Canberra again. You can't help but be swept up in the hype of a Lions tour. Lington Ieli would go unnoticed by some Brumbies fans in the street, but he went toe-to-toe with the Lions. Cameron Orr flew in from Seattle last week. Lachie Hooper hadn't played Super Rugby. But he played against the Lions - and did it alongside his brother. They'll be telling that story out in Bathurst for years. Who said romance in rugby was dead? AT A GLANCE British and Irish Lions tour game: BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS 36 (Ollie Chessum, James Lowe, Marcus Smith, Garry Ringrose, Josh van der Flier tries; Finn Russell 4 conversions; Russell penalty) bt ACT BRUMBIES 24 (Tuaina Taii Tualima, Corey Toole, Hudson Creighton, Liam Bowron tries; Ryan Lonergan, Jack Debreczeni conversions) at Canberra Stadium. Crowd: 23,116. Man of the match: Jamison Gibson-Park. Ryan Lonergan hopes the biggest Brumbies crowd in almost two decades can kickstart a rugby revival in the ACT, wondering if the legacy of a British and Irish Lions tour is the shot "rugby in Canberra has been waiting for". Because you only had to close your eyes for the briefest of moments to believe. The noise. The vibration. The unbridled joy that comes with hope. Rugby union was back to its glory days in Canberra on Wednesday night, even if that belief and hope faded in the second half as the all-star British and Irish Lions beat the ACT Brumbies 36-24 in front of 23,116 fans. It was the biggest rugby crowd in Canberra since since more than 27,000 watched the ACT play the NSW Waratahs in 2005 - the year after the Brumbies' last title with the greats still lacing up the boots. The Brumbies and rugby was at its peak back then, but it's been a lean decade since the Lions were last in town. So crowd and hype aside the result was sweet revenge for the Lions, who were stunned by the Brumbies when they last came to Canberra in 2013, and pushed to the brink 12 years prior. Rugby in the capital - and in Australia more broadly - has struggled since then. But the sight of grown men bouncing out of their seats for a cuddle and the look in their eyes when Corey Toole flew over the line before half-time told a different story. There is a soul there, hidden away and only emerging occasionally. The hope is that the excitement was enough to convince people to come back next year when the Brumbies return to the field. That's obviously easier said than done, given the fanfare that comes with the Lions and the tourists that follow. The reality is the afterglow of the Lions will wear off, and Super Rugby crowds won't dramatically increase. But at some point there has to be a step in the right direction, and Lonergan hopes Canberra moved that way on Wednesday. "Running out in front of all of those people is something I will never forget," Brumbies captain Lonergan said. "I hope everyone enjoyed it in the stands. Disappointed we couldn't get the result but it was a quality game. Maybe it's something rugby in Canberra has been waiting for, you know? Maybe it's going to kickstart us back up, and hopefully our numbers grow next year. "I can say it was just one of the most enjoyable games I've played here in Canberra, purely because of the atmosphere." Perhaps the surprising part was that some touring journalists felt the game lacked atmosphere and was "flat" in energy from the crowd. Imagine had they been at some of the Super Rugby contests over the past decade or so. Rugby was alive for this game. Granted, with a crowd of event-goers as well as rusted-on rugby fans, but it was alive. And for a couple of moments in the first half, the fans genuinely believed lightning could strike twice. But it couldn't, could it? Not when Lions coach Andy Farrell had wheeled out a squad expected to mirror that for the opening Test against the Wallabies on July 19, while Stephen Larkham was missing eight front-line stars. But the Brumbies weren't going to die wondering. Tuaina Taii Tualima crashed over for the opening try inside the opening five minutes. Toole picked as good a time as any to answer a question about his defensive nous and sent a reminder to Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt that he is waiting in the wings, while the red jersey to Tom Hooper and Lachie Lonergan might as well have been a red rag to a bull. The class of the Lions would eventually shine through. Ollie Chessum levelled the ledger before James Lowe put the tourists ahead in front of a small sea of red at the southern end, one that will grow by thousands by the time rugby's greatest roadshow arrives in Brisbane. But their cheers for tries and chants of 'Lions' paled in comparison to the roar reverberating around Canberra Stadium when Toole returned serve at the other end of the ground. Toole's try just before the break gave everyone hope, and made the Lions a little nervous. But an error from the drop-out moments later came back to haunt the Brumbies - and what should have been a 12-10 half-time scoreline became 19-10 in the blink of an eye. The Brumbies were never seriously within striking distance, and coach Stephen Larkham felt his side spent "80 per cent of the game" in their defensive half. That was probably an accurate reflection of what happened, but every time the game threatened to blow out, the Brumbies answered and restored respect. Toole scored a second try in the second half and hooker Liam Bowron burrowed over from close range late in the game when the Brumbies' finally got an attacking chance. In the end, the Lions scored five tries to the Brumbies' four, the major difference being the 11 points from the boot of Finn Russell. In fact, the Lions took a penalty shot at goal in the second half to make sure they smothered any chance of a Brumbies comeback. Why was that moment important? Because it was the first penalty attempt the Lions had taken after four games on tour. Talk about respect, even though the Wallaby-less Brumbies were severely under-strength. "Coming out of the game without the win is disappointing, it's not about playing against the Lions, it's the opportunity to beat the Lions, and we didn't do that," Larkham said. "But there were some really good performances out there, I think the guys stepped up exceptionally well. "If you look back 12 years ago and even further back to 2001, guys come out of this game and this experience a better player and I'm hoping it leads to opportunities down the track for players such as Ryan [Lonergan]." It says a lot about Larkham and the Brumbies that they walked away disappointed rather than buzzing from the experience, even though they played in front of the sort of crowd that evokes memories of the Brumbies heyday. The crowd figure marked the biggest turnout for a Brumbies home game since their stunning upset of the Lions 12 years ago. Forget lightning striking twice for a second, rugby bosses were wondering how they could catch lightning in a bottle. Brumbies crowds have hovered around the 8000 mark for years. Their biggest home crowd of the Super Rugby season - which saw them reach a fourth consecutive semi-final - was boosted by the Ilona Maher factor during a double-header with the Wallaroos and USA. Finding a way to reconnect with rugby fans will be high on Roff's agenda after being appointed Brumbies chairman, with chief executive Phil Thomson poised to leave his post at the end of the week and bring down the curtain on an association with the club which dates back to its inception. As for winning back the crowds? The Lions game could be enough to convince at least a few onlookers to come back again next year. Maybe you'll have to forgive the die-hards for dreaming, but this week felt like people were excited about rugby in Canberra again. You can't help but be swept up in the hype of a Lions tour. Lington Ieli would go unnoticed by some Brumbies fans in the street, but he went toe-to-toe with the Lions. Cameron Orr flew in from Seattle last week. Lachie Hooper hadn't played Super Rugby. But he played against the Lions - and did it alongside his brother. They'll be telling that story out in Bathurst for years. Who said romance in rugby was dead? AT A GLANCE British and Irish Lions tour game: BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS 36 (Ollie Chessum, James Lowe, Marcus Smith, Garry Ringrose, Josh van der Flier tries; Finn Russell 4 conversions; Russell penalty) bt ACT BRUMBIES 24 (Tuaina Taii Tualima, Corey Toole, Hudson Creighton, Liam Bowron tries; Ryan Lonergan, Jack Debreczeni conversions) at Canberra Stadium. Crowd: 23,116. Man of the match: Jamison Gibson-Park.
The Star
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Brumbies brothers eye another famous Lions upset
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - International - Wales v Australia - Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Britain - November 26, 2022 Australia's Lachlan Lonergan scores their fourth try Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo MELBOURNE (Reuters) -The Lonergan brothers will look to help the ACT Brumbies pull off another improbable win over the British & Irish Lions on Wednesday, 12 years after cheering from the terraces as the Super Rugby team stunned the touring side in Canberra. Scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, 27, captains the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium while his 25-year-old brother Lachlan, capped eight times for Australia, starts at hooker against Andy Farrell's men. The Brumbies became the first provincial team to beat the Lions in 16 years when World Cup-winning coach Jake White orchestrated a 14-12 win over Warren Gatland's side in 2013. "I still remember it. I think I was sitting over there somewhere when I was a little fella," Ryan Lonergan told reporters on Tuesday, gesturing at the southern end of Canberra Stadium. "Pretty sure (Lachlan) was probably eating a pie or something. "When we got up over the Lions, (it was) such a memorable moment even as a fan. "So to be able to do it tomorrow as a player (would be) super special and the boys are really excited." The Brumbies draw pride from their record against the Lions. In 2001, they came close to beating Graham Henry's side with only a late Matt Dawson conversion lifting the Lions to a 30-28 win. Stephen Larkham was assistant coach to White during the 2013 upset and as the Brumbies' current head coach will guide a similarly understrength team on Wednesday. Most of their best players are at the Wallabies camp with Joe Schmidt, preparing for the July 19 series-opener against the Lions in Brisbane. One Wallaby will be starting for the Brumbies, though, just three days after coming off the bench in the 21-18 win over Fiji in Newcastle. The abrasive Tom Hooper will be starting blindside flanker, while his 21-year-old brother Lachlan, also a loose forward, has a chance to make his Brumbies debut off the bench. "Hoops, he's a machine," Lonergan said of the 24-year-old Wallaby. "So I'm sure he probably would have played 80 (minutes) and he would have been keen to come back and play. "Special night for him as well to be able to play alongside his brother." Long Australia's best-performing team in Super Rugby, the Brumbies will be tasked with softening up a Lions selection that may be the closest to Farrell's side for the first test. On paper, the Brumbies are massively outgunned but their players have taken note of how the lightly-regarded New South Wales Waratahs proved disruptive in a 21-10 defeat by the Lions in Sydney on Saturday. "Nobody gave them a shot and they made it a really uncomfortable night for the lads," said Lonergan. "They went really hard at the breakdown .... sort of made a mess of it there and if you can do that and disrupt their game a bit, I think it goes a long way to putting yourself in the fight." (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Brumbies brothers eye another famous Lions upset
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox MELBOURNE - The Lonergan brothers will look to help the ACT Brumbies pull off another improbable win over the British & Irish Lions on Wednesday, 12 years after cheering from the terraces as the Super Rugby team stunned the touring side in Canberra. Scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, 27, captains the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium while his 25-year-old brother Lachlan, capped eight times for Australia, starts at hooker against Andy Farrell's men. The Brumbies became the first provincial team to beat the Lions in 16 years when World Cup-winning coach Jake White orchestrated a 14-12 win over Warren Gatland's side in 2013. "I still remember it. I think I was sitting over there somewhere when I was a little fella," Ryan Lonergan told reporters on Tuesday, gesturing at the southern end of Canberra Stadium. "Pretty sure (Lachlan) was probably eating a pie or something. "When we got up over the Lions, (it was) such a memorable moment even as a fan. "So to be able to do it tomorrow as a player (would be) super special and the boys are really excited." The Brumbies draw pride from their record against the Lions. In 2001, they came close to beating Graham Henry's side with only a late Matt Dawson conversion lifting the Lions to a 30-28 win. Stephen Larkham was assistant coach to White during the 2013 upset and as the Brumbies' current head coach will guide a similarly understrength team on Wednesday. Most of their best players are at the Wallabies camp with Joe Schmidt, preparing for the July 19 series-opener against the Lions in Brisbane. One Wallaby will be starting for the Brumbies, though, just three days after coming off the bench in the 21-18 win over Fiji in Newcastle. The abrasive Tom Hooper will be starting blindside flanker, while his 21-year-old brother Lachlan, also a loose forward, has a chance to make his Brumbies debut off the bench. "Hoops, he's a machine," Lonergan said of the 24-year-old Wallaby. "So I'm sure he probably would have played 80 (minutes) and he would have been keen to come back and play. "Special night for him as well to be able to play alongside his brother." Long Australia's best-performing team in Super Rugby, the Brumbies will be tasked with softening up a Lions selection that may be the closest to Farrell's side for the first test. On paper, the Brumbies are massively outgunned but their players have taken note of how the lightly-regarded New South Wales Waratahs proved disruptive in a 21-10 defeat by the Lions in Sydney on Saturday. "Nobody gave them a shot and they made it a really uncomfortable night for the lads," said Lonergan. "They went really hard at the breakdown .... sort of made a mess of it there and if you can do that and disrupt their game a bit, I think it goes a long way to putting yourself in the fight." REUTERS
