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Glasgow Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Lions have to battle for win over First Nations and Pasifika team in Melbourne
For the first time in seven matches Down Under there was a sense of jeopardy as scratch opponents comprising players with First Nations or Pacific Island heritage threatened to cause an upset at Marvel Stadium. A 64th minute try by Duhan van der Merwe propelled the Lions 10 points clear in what appeared to be the decisive moment, but big-hitting FNP refused to concede and struck again through Rob Leota to set up a tense finish. The closing exchanges belonged to FNP, who replaced Melbourne Rebels after the Super Rugby franchise went into administration, and when they pinched a late line-out the Lions had to weather one last storm. Owen Farrell was captain for the first time in his four Lions tours and while he was solid enough, few players put their hands up for selection for Saturday's second Test against the Wallabies. Jac Morgan and James Ryan were replaced early in the second half, suggesting they might be involved in the Melbourne Cricket Ground showdown in some capacity, but in performance terms all the stars wore white – and none more than their brilliant openside Charlie Gamble. If the Lions were lulled into a false sense of security by running in early tries through Jamie Osborne and Darcy Graham, they soon woke up. Graham, one of nine late call-ups in the matchday 23, experienced 16 eventful minutes after being presented with two-half chances, finishing an easier third and being on the receiving end of a dangerous tackle from Triston Reilly. Reilly was sin-binned and soon after Graham limped off with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Darcy Graham received treatment before leaving the field with an apparent ankle injury (PA) The Lions were too frantic and the tide turned quickly when Reilly – whose yellow card was not upgraded on review – picked off a poor pass by Blair Kinghorn to touch down. Van der Merwe's work in defence has been exposed all tour and his hesitation in dealing with a kick was the prelude to FNP drawing level when a series of forward drives ended with Seru Uru powering over. All the small wins were coming from the underdogs as they won a scrum penalty, defended their line manfully and then pickpocketed a Lions line-out. Seeking a reaction, Farrell barked 'let's go, let's go' at his players, but instead Kinghorn threw another loose pass and this time van der Merwe came to the rescue as FNP threatened to score. The Lions' conviction returned early in the second half and was evident as Farrell, Fin Smith and Kinghorn threw passes that provided Osborne with a simple run in. Jamie Osborne crossed for the tourists' third try at Marvel Stadium (David Davies/PA) They continued to be met with thunderous defending but eventually struck for the fourth time with Farrell sending van der Merwe over. FNP were not done, however, as they advanced downfield to win a line-out through their determined harrying before Rob Leota found a way through. And the Lions were waiting for the final whistle to blow as they faced down a series of late attacks.
Rhyl Journal
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Sione Tuipulotu fuelled by ‘chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne
Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. 'I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. Finn 🤝 Sione Sione gets the first try of the match in Brisbane 👊 — Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 19, 2025 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. 'His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any 10 in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard. 'We expect them to be desperate but not more desperate than us because we're trying to close out a series next Saturday,' Tuipulotu said. 'We were pretty dominant in the first Test but the good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance.'
STV News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- STV News
Sione Tuipulotu fuelled by 'chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne
Sione Tuipulotu returns to Melbourne carrying the chip on his shoulder that has driven his rise to becoming a British and Irish Lion. Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. 'I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' PA Media Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. PA Media 'His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any ten in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard. 'We expect them to be desperate but not more desperate than us because we're trying to close out a series next Saturday,' Tuipulotu said. 'We were pretty dominant in the first Test but the good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
South Wales Guardian
20-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Sione Tuipulotu fuelled by ‘chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne
Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. 'I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. Finn 🤝 Sione Sione gets the first try of the match in Brisbane 👊 — Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 19, 2025 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. 'His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any 10 in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard. 'We expect them to be desperate but not more desperate than us because we're trying to close out a series next Saturday,' Tuipulotu said. 'We were pretty dominant in the first Test but the good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance.'
Leader Live
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Sione Tuipulotu fuelled by ‘chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne
Tuipulotu has touched down in the city where he was born and raised for what he hopes will become a glorious homecoming given a series triumph over Australia is the prize at stake following Saturday's 27-19 victory in the first Test. Six years ago he left for Japan, angry that his time at the Melbourne Rebels had failed to produce international recognition beyond the Junior Wallabies and having taken up an offer to play for Glasgow, he qualified for Scotland through his grandmother. The 28-year-old has never looked back, going on to captain his adopted homeland while becoming one of the game's finest centres. No longer bitter at being rejected by Australia, he realises the scars have served him well. 'If you had asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say yeah, it's personal,' Tuipulotu said. 'There's still a chip on my shoulder. What has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder. But in terms of me being bitter about Australian rugby, not at all. 'I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne. It wasn't a selector problem, I wasn't good enough, that's plain and simple. 'I owe everything to Scottish rugby because they've made me the player that I am today. 'Now I get the chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series. The stars have aligned for me and I feel very grateful.' Tuipulotu was installed at inside centre ahead of Bundee Aki for the series opener in Brisbane and Andy Farrell's decision was rewarded with the Scotland captain's best performance on tour. Recovery from the damaged pectoral muscle that forced him to miss the Six Nations has proved challenging and it is only now that the hard-running, ball-playing midfielder is finding his stride. A first-half try decorated his evening's work at Suncorp Stadium, which was made easier by the presence of his Scotland team-mates Finn Russell and Huw Jones. 'It was such a huge occasion but having Finn inside me and Huw outside me made it pretty special. I'm so familiar with those boys,' he said. 'I've been rooming with Finn this whole week and being around him made me not overreact to the occasion. Finn 🤝 Sione Sione gets the first try of the match in Brisbane 👊 — Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 19, 2025 'It felt like we were playing a Scotland game together because we room together back with Scotland. 'His nature helps everyone and calms everyone. Then you add to that that he's got one of the best skill sets of any 10 in the world and it's a joy to play with. 'Everyone knows what I think about Huw Jones. It just feels like he's bigger and faster than everyone.' The Lions know Australia will throw everything at them at Melbourne Cricket Ground – and intend hitting back hard. 'We expect them to be desperate but not more desperate than us because we're trying to close out a series next Saturday,' Tuipulotu said. 'We were pretty dominant in the first Test but the good thing for us is that it was nowhere near our best performance.'
