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Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Five things you need to know after Australia narrowly avoid disaster against Fiji
Australia scraped past Fiji 21-18 in a performance that suggests the British and Irish Lions have little to fear heading into their Test series. It took a try by Harry Wilson in the 78th minute that was converted by Ben Donaldson to rescue the Wallabies from an embarrassing defeat in their only match before taking on Andy Farrell's tourists. Australia escape with a win but at a cost So complete disaster was averted thanks to the efforts of Harry Wilson and the officials who did their utmost to favour the Wallabies with their interventions. But this was still a wretched performance for Australia made exponentially worse by losing Noah Lolesio to a serious-looking injury. Lolesio was put in a neck brace before being carried off on a stretcher in the 60th minute following another crunching Fijian collision, which was later reported to be whiplash rather than a concussion. Nevertheless this leaves the Wallabies' fly-half stocks looking perilously thin entering the three-Test series against the Lions on July 19. Ben Donaldson replaced Lolesio at the McDonald Jones Stadium while Tom Lynagh, son of Wallabies great Michael, and veteran James O'Connor, who played in the 2013 series, represent alternative options for Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt, who will have much to chew over after a wretched performance against their World Cup conquerors. Having built a 14-0 lead late in the first half, Fiji, who came into this match off the back of two training sessions, snatched a try just before half-time through Salesi Rayasi. They went on to dominate the second half with Lekima Tagitagivalu crossing after a sensational Jiuta Wainiqolo run and two penalties from Caleb Muntz giving them a fully deserved 18-14 lead. They could – and should – have been further ahead before captain Wilson saved their bacon with just a minute remaining to secure a 21-18 victory. Television Match Official could ruin this series The TMO has had a pernicious influence on the Lions tour so far – their intervention in the Waratahs game led to some loud booing at the Allianz Stadium – but in Newcastle it reached new levels of petty meddling. With Fiji leading 15-14, Harry Potter threw a hospital pass to Nick Frost who was duly turned over and the Pacific Islanders immediately worked the ball to Sireli Maqala in the corner. The TMO, Eric Gauzins, initially looked for obstruction but then went back further and spotted Potter's boot had brushed the touchline. Meanwhile, Gauzins took an absolute age to confirm that Tom Wright had thrown a ball forward that looked like an American football pass in the stands. 'The Brumbies had a try taken off them this year and I think they went back 19 phases,' Fiji head coach Mick Byrne said. 'I understand that you can back as many phases as you can in your possession. I didn't know that you can go back to opposition possession as well. So maybe next year, we will be able to go back 10 minutes. Maybe I am wrong. I'll get clarity on it because I thought you could only go back on your frustration.' In Super Rugby Pacific, the TMO only has a limited mandate to interfere, unless it is serious foul play or the act of grounding the ball. The Australian public are none-too impressed by the busy body nature of the TMOs in the Lions tour. Come the series, that impatience could reach boiling point. Joseph Sua'ali'i – the world's most expensive decoy This was the home debut for Australia's most high-profile player. After setting the world alight in the autumn internationals, the rugby-league convert was a lot quieter here, although he demonstrated his fabulous catch-pass skills: first in setting up Dave Porecki's seventh-minute try and then for Max Jorgensen's disallowed try. However, as a whole, he played a peripheral role in the influence of the match, only passing six times, which was as many as loose forwards Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson and Fraser McReight. He was often used as a decoy runner with centre partner Len Ikitau pulling passes behind his run to wings Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter. The Wallabies may well be keeping their powder dry with Sua'ali'i but it was still surprising that he did not stamp his mark in his first Test on Australian soil. Fraser McReight will be a problem McReight did a big old number on both England and Ireland at the breakdown in the autumn and he was a menace here, coming up with two big turnovers and winning a further two penalties. From my vantage point – both behind the goal in the first half and then high up in the main stand in the second – he did not always seem to be supporting his bodyweight and it will be interesting to see if there is a different interpretation between Ben O'Keeffe in the first Test and the two Europeans in the second and third. For all McReight's efforts, Fiji ended up dominating the contact area in the second half with their muscular backs operating like auxiliary flankers. Wallabies set-piece looks solid Head coach Joe Schmidt was satisfied with how the line-out functioned and felt the scrum was not sufficiently rewarded for its dominance. Again it was not helped by the officiating and number of resets,k but with Allan Alaalatoa, they have a wily loosehead, while Angus Bell offers an explosive tighthead. Add in the heft of Will Skelton in the second row and what has traditionally been an area of vulnerability for Australia in Lions series can become a weapon.
News.com.au
27-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Rugby internationals: Wallabies vs Fiji, Tom Wright on 2023 World Cup loss
He was controversially left out of the squad two years ago, so Tom Wright wasn't there when the Wallabies suffered two of the worst defeats in their history at the 2023 World Cup, including a 22-15 loss to Fiji. Back in the green and gold now though, the classy fullback says there are no lingering emotional scars from that upset, as the Wallabies prepare to play Fiji in Newcastle next weekend. Australia will play a rare Test at McDonald Jones Stadium in the first meeting between the sides since the French disaster, and in preparation for the British and Irish Lions tour. That excruciating seven-point loss at St Etienne spelled the beginning of the end of Eddie Jones' tumultuous tenure, before a 40-6 belting by Wales a week later all but confirmed it. Wright preferred to focus on next weekend's first Test of the year rather than dwell on the past after training in Newcastle on Friday. 'It hasn't been mentioned (as) being an avenging game, but our first hitout is going to be super exciting,' Wright said. 'The talent the Fijians have got — we see it in Super Rugby with the Drua – and to drip feed in that European talent they've got, what a challenge for us.' Despite being snubbed by Jones, Wright re-signed with the Brumbies and Rugby Australia and has since become one of the first names Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt writes on the team sheet. Having missed out on the opportunity to play in a World Cup though, he has no doubt the Lions Tour will be the highlight of his career. 'The Lions tour is probably second to none in terms of that 12-year gap,' he said. 'You get a lick and it goes away for 12 years. 'Someone like Slip (James Slipper) he's someone I can get a little bit of advice around it. We've seen some of that dribble into Perth over the last couple of days. 'It's probably bolted in there at number one in terms of the spectacle and how exciting is.' Wright can also lean on former Brumbies teammates, who claimed a 14-12 boilover win against the Lions 12 years ago. 'I was pretty lucky to cross paths with some of them,' he said. 'I played with K-Train – Tevita Kuridrani – he had a pretty decent night out that evening and I played with him down at the Brumbies. 'He's a man of not many words, but when he reflected on that game, he mentioned how cool the opportunity it was, and the crowd that rolled into Canberra when it's freezing, it was second to none.'
News.com.au
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘I'm a bit hurt': Knights coach slams his own fans over boos
Knights coach Adam O'Brien has slammed the club's supporters who booed his side at halftime against the Sea Eagles on Thursday night. Newcastle were terrible in the opening 40 minutes to trail 16-0 at the break and as they walked off McDonald Jones Stadium the boos rang out. But they returned a different side in the second half to score four tries and send the game to golden point before Kalyn Ponga crossed for the winner in the 83rd minute. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer > O'Brien was animated throughout the game in the coach's box and he was still fired up at his post-match press conference, where the first question was about the boos. 'It's disappointing, truly disappointing,' O'Brien said. 'I know the scoreline is not what they want but to boo the effort that went into that first half from a really young team, the people that booed don't know anything about rugby league. They were probably the ones that cheered at the end too. 'It disappoints me that they'd do that because I thought the first half we defended our hearts out. You've got to remember there's a really, really young footy team in there against a very good opposition. 'I thought we were excellent in the first half. We made a few errors leading into halftime which gassed us a little bit which led to the last try. I thought we could have been going into the sheds at 12-0 down, but tremendous effort in the second half. 'With the booing, I know people are disappointed with us but they're trying their backsides off, we don't have a front-rower available and to lose Friz straight away, booing is a bit harsh. 'That's up there with one of the best wins I've been involved in here. To have those kids out there, I know there's only the one debutant tonight but there were a heap of guys with less than five or six games. 'I'm a bit hurt by the booing, we don't want to let people down but I didn't think I'd see that. I've seen bigger losses here over the years and I'm not sure they were booed, but anyway. 'I reckon this is the hardest time that I've been involved in at the club in terms of injuries and suspensions, like, it's hard. But how we react and respond will see us through.' Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga also said it was one of the best wins of his career in Newcastle. 'If you take everything into consideration, young squad, debutant, fair bit of fight in that second half, fair bit of belief and trust in our processes,' he said. 'We tweaked a couple of things after halftime that obviously worked. 'It's been a tough season… so it's nice. There's been some tough lessons this year but it's good for the young guys to feel this feeling, footy is fun and joyful at times. I see how hard they worked, so now we just have to keep working hard.'
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Booed off at halftime, Knights claim shock win
Newcastle have gone from booed off at halftime to pulling off their biggest comeback victory in 18 years, after claiming a 26-22 golden-point win over Manly. Booed by their own fans after their seventh scoreless first half of the season, the Knights came back to life after falling 16-0 down at McDonald Jones Stadium. Dane Gagai turned back the clock, Fletcher Sharpe and Kai Pearce Paul were immense and Kalyn Ponga claimed the match-winner early in extra time. Ponga with the match-winner! 🔥#NRLKnightsManly — NRL (@NRL) June 5, 2025 The hosts' revival came despite Newcastle having the worst attack in the competition, and showing no signs of turning that around in the opening 40 minutes. Knights great Andrew Johns labelled it "hard to watch" in the Nine Network's commentary, as Newcastle coughed up error after error and looked out of the contest. But the match swung dramatically early in the second half, as the Knights began to shift the ball more and caught Manly out on their makeshift edges. With Lehi Hopoate concussed early and Tommy Talau also spending time off for a HIA, Newcastle got at a Sea Eagles side that had second-rowers Ben Trbojevic and Corey Waddell in the centres. The home side went from 16-0 down to 16-16 in the space of 18 second-half minutes, with two of the tries coming from long distance and another a Jack Cogger bomb. Manly appeared to have control of the game back when Clayton Faulalo burst through the middle of the field and fellow winger Tommy Talau crossed next play. But Newcastle levelled the scores with five minutes to play when Pearce Paul found space on the right edge and Sharpe had his second. Sharpe gets a double to draw the game! 👊 #NRLKnightsManly — NRL (@NRL) June 5, 2025 Ponga then had the match winner in the Knights' first set of golden point when he put up a bomb, Fletcher Hunt batted it back and the Knights No.1 followed the play to score. The win will at least alleviate pressure on under-fire coach Adam O'Brien, after his side had dropped eight of their past 10 games. Manly had earlier looked like they were going to cruise home in the first half, with their forwards dominating and makeshift fullback Tolu Koula causing havoc. Haumole Olakau'atu was again powerful in the first half, brushing off three defenders to score one try on the play after Koula had beaten five. Toff Sipley also scored through the middle after Koula had Manly's first, with Newcastle's forward pack weakened by a concussion to Tyson Frizell. But after the second-half collapse, the Sea Eagles' halves missed a chance to win the match in the final minute of regulation time. With Daly Cherry-Evans set up for the field-goal shot, Newcastle's kick pressure prompted him to pass off to Luke Brooks who sent his effort wide from 40 metres out. A Cherry-Evans field goal would have been something of a statement, with questions still surrounding his spot in Queensland's team for State of Origin II. But instead it was kick pressure from Ponga on Brooks that proved the difference, before the Knights star's winning play.
News.com.au
16-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Not in a good place': Ponga's blunt Origin response as O'Brien admits ‘we're in a funk'
Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga has admitted he's 'definitely not happy' with how his team are travelling, when asked whether Newcastle's poor form could cost him at the Queensland selection table. The Knights suffered a 28-6 loss to Parramatta at McDonald Jones Stadium, which was their fourth straight defeat at home. Newcastle's attacking woes continued - they didn't trouble the scorers until the 74th minute when winger James Schiller went over. When asked whether the Knights' woeful form could count against him when it came to Maroons selection, Ponga was blunt about how his team are travelling. 'I'm definitely not happy with the way we're going here,' Ponga admitted in the post-game press conference, which you can watch in the video above. But he made it clear that he wanted to be picked, and his chances of earning Queensland selection are improved given that Broncos flyer Reece Walsh is sidelined with a knee injury. 'I want to be there obviously. It's a prestigious jersey. It's an honour to wear (the Queensland) jersey,' Ponga added. 'I would love to be in that arena again.' Knights coach Adam O'Brien was blunt in his assessment of his team's performance. 'Clearly disappointed with the result,' O'Brien said. 'We understand that (we're) not in a good place. 'We're in a bit of a funk, for lack of a better term.' Ponga conceded the Knights were learning the hard way. 'People are learning some harsh lessons, that's for sure,' Ponga said.
