Latest news with #PierreSchoeman
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Overseas-born players ‘fully submerged' in Lions culture
Pierre Schoeman insists the British and Irish Lions' overseas-born contingent have earned the right to be in Australia and have fully immersed themselves in the tourists' culture. The Scotland prop is one of eight Lions players who were born, raised and educated in South Africa, New Zealand or Australia but qualify for their home unions through residency or family lineage. Advertisement Players who hail from the southern hemisphere representing the Lions is nothing new, but the number of them present in Andy Farrell's squad has caused a stir. Lions great Willie John McBride said it 'bothered' him, while former England scrum-half Danny Care declared that 'it doesn't sit that well with me'. But Schoeman insists they are ready to give everything in the quest to complete a series victory over the Wallabies, with Saturday's fixture against Western Force their first assignment on Australian soil. 'If you're good enough to play for your country, you're good enough to play for the Lions and you're selected, then obviously you're going to do that,' said Schoeman, who made five appearances for South Africa Under-20s in 2014. Advertisement 'Playing for the Lions is massive. Scotland is home for us, my wife and myself. I know that's for the other players as well, like Mack Hansen has made Ireland home. 'You embrace that. You fully take that on. It's like the series Outlander – you move to a different country and now that's your house. You live there. 'If you work for one of the big four in finance, you get the opportunity, you're going to go for it. And you can really make that home. 'But this is much different. To represent the British and Irish Lions, you fully buy into that and its culture. You fully submerge into that. Nothing else matters. Not your past, not the future. It's about the now. Advertisement 'Yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow might never come, now is the time to live. That's what we do as Lions. It's about the now, this tour. This is what really matters.' The Lions arrived in Perth on the back of a 28-24 defeat by Argentina in Dublin, where they were given a taster of the support to come in Australia. A sold-out Aviva Stadium was swamped in red for the tour send-off and Schoeman insists it is essential to deliver for the hoards of fans who will make the journey Down Under. The Lions will be well backed by travelling fans in Australia (Niall Carson/PA). 'It was an amazing experience in Dublin to see the red army. It was incredible,' he said. 'You have to feel the responsibility of 50,000 or more fans coming to Australia. So you have a massive obligation and responsibility. Advertisement 'We as the selected guys, management and players in this team have to make it happen. 'There's no space for dead weight on this team. Everyone has to push in the same direction. 'It's about driving this whole team towards a collective goal of going beyond and being back-to-back winners against Australia.'
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Schoeman trying to add value to 'Viking ship'
Players laying down a marker and encouraging others in their position to raise their game is exactly what Lions had coach Andy Farrell will be hoping for on this was certainly true of loose-head prop Ellis Genge with his standout performance against Argentina in Dublin, and Pierre Schoeman off the bench too.''Genge had an amazing game," said Schoeman."He's an amazing bloke - but we're competitive with everything. 'We're competitive in the gym. Even jokes and banter... who can stay in the ice bath the longest? Andrew Porter as well. "That can really rub off; you're sharpening your swords or your axes together. You have to be the best version of yourself and add value to the Viking ship going to its destination.''
Irish Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Lions embrace ‘Fazball' in attempt to seize the moment with expansive play
In mid-November, cricket's Ashes series will commence in the same Optus Stadium where the British & Irish Lions will kick off their tour of Australia on Saturday. There are some keen cricket fans within the Lions squad who stayed up late to watch England's compelling final-day win at Headingley on Tuesday, but out on the training pitch the collective priority is not so much Bazball as its oval-shaped cousin, Fazball. Andy Farrell , the Lions head coach, has been at pains since his squad's arrival here to make two things clear. The first is that preparation time is of the essence and should not be wasted by endlessly second-guessing what might lie ahead. The second is that the touring side cannot afford to retreat into their tactical shells after their loss to Argentina in Dublin last Friday. Those two themes are neatly entwined in a catchy aphorism often attributed to Mother Teresa and cheerfully recycled by the prop Pierre Schoeman after a full-bore practice session in warm sunshine at Hale School in Perth's suburbs. 'Yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow might never come, now is the time to live.' Schoeman says: 'That's what we do as Lions. It's about the here and now. That's what's really matters.' That means focusing on what the Lions can control rather than continuing to dwell on their costly errors and missed opportunities against the Pumas. 'It's definitely not about pointing the finger and tightening up,' says attack coach Andrew Goodman. 'We've just talked a bit about how you turn those offloads which went to ground into successful offloads. When we were successful it was because we won the collisions and sighted our targets.' READ MORE In other words, the Lions are still looking to be positive with ball in hand, rather than instantly reverting to the kind of restrictive game plan favoured by Warren Gatland against the Springboks on their last tour in 2021. On that trip, the Lions managed two tries in three Tests and ended up losing the series and, to some extent, eroding the faith of even their most loyal fans. The stats from last Friday – the Lions made 16 entries into their opponents' 22 compared to the victorious Pumas' five – certainly supported the theory that the squad has plenty of potential but, as ever, that needs to be paired with more consistent execution. Or, as Goodman put it: 'Ultimately, when it comes to a Test match, it's about winning, but we are going to develop our game so we can play at speed and give something to the fans who have paid a lot of money to come over here and watch us. Bundee Aki gets ready for a Lions training session at Hale School in Perth. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho 'We want to give them something to be proud of. But that's also the way we want to play as a team, to excite the group. It will help grow the game if there are two teams attacking.' That mission statement has been further bolstered by the latest injury bulletins. Jamison Gibson-Park missed the Argentina game and the URC final with a glute muscle injury, but is running again while his Ireland team-mate Hugo Keenan is recovering from a calf strain. 'Jamison trained pretty much fully today, Hugo continued on with a bit of rehab and James Ryan was out there doing some bits and pieces as well,' said Goodman. 'It's all tracking well.' Goodman, whose brother Chris is the general manager of Saturday's opponents, Western Force, was also encouraged by the news that the Reds, the Lions' first midweek opponents in Brisbane next Wednesday, will be bolstered by the release of two players from the Wallaby squad preparing to face Fiji on Sunday week. The centre Hunter Paisami, who has 31 caps, and prop Matt Faessler, capped 14 times, will be involved, although six other Queensland-based players – Tate McDermott, Tom Lynagh, Filipo Daugunu, Harry Wilson, Zane Nonggorr and Fraser McReight – will remain with the main Wallabies squad. This follows the polite but firm reminders this week about the terms of the tour agreement with the Lions hoping to encounter the strongest possible opposition in the build-up to the best-of-three Test series. That said, the former Leinster assistant coach expects every opponent to be pawing the turf regardless of who plays. 'If you watch a Force team or a Reds team during Super Rugby it's not an indication of what you're going to get against a Lions team,' Goodman said. 'It's a once-in-a-life opportunity for most of those guys so the level of intensity is going to be through the roof.' – Guardian
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Like Outlander' - Schoeman all in with Scotland & Lions
The television show Outlander, writer and artist Kahlil Gibran and Perth's mining heritage don't often all get mentioned in the same media Schoeman certainly comes across as one of the more philosophical interviewees in the British and Irish Lions camp touring South Africa-born Scotland prop, 31, is one of eight players born outside the British Isles and Ireland in Andy Farrell's squad."If you're good enough to play for your country and then you're good enough to play for the Lions and you're selected, obviously you're going to do that," said Schoeman, who has 42 Scotland caps after qualifying through residency."Scotland is home for us, my wife and myself and other players as well. You embrace that, you fully take that on."It's like Outlander. You move to a different country and now that's your house. You live there. You buy into the culture and now to represent the British and Irish Lions, you fully buy into that, you fully submerge into that."Nothing else matters, not your past, not the future, it's about the now."Kahlil Gibran says it in one of his books quite well and that is, 'Yesterday's gone forever, tomorrow might never come, now is the time to live'."That's what you do as Lions. It's about the now, this tour that's what really matters." Saturday's second warm-up match for the Lions has a Scottish connection of its own, taking place in Perth."It was massive for gold mining so we know all about Perth now," added Schoeman."We love Perth. Perth is actually from the Scottish Perth town. We know some great stats about it. It's the most isolated city in the world."We respect the Western Force, we know they're going to up the ante. It's a once in a lifetime for most of those blokes. They're going want to prove they're good enough to go against the British and Irish Lions, so we have to go beyond and prove why we're the British and Irish Lions."It's going to be a brilliant spectacle. It's going to be enjoyable."Schoeman featured for the final 21 minutes as the Lions lost 28-24 to Argentina in Dublin on the focus turns to tour matches in Australia and, alluding to Gibran's philosophy again, Schoeman is giving no thought to the first Test on 19 July."It's not focusing on what's ahead, it's about now," he said."You have to feel the responsibility of, what's it like, 50,000 fans or more coming to Australia, so you have a massive obligation, a responsibility."And if you're not pulling together, there's no space for dead weight on this team. Everybody needs to push in the same direction."
Scotsman
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scotland star defends his British and Irish Lions selection as overseas contingent cause a stir
Eight Lions born and raised in southern hemisphere Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Pierre Schoeman insists the British and Irish Lions' overseas-born contingent have earned the right to be in Australia and have fully immersed themselves in the tourists' culture. The Scotland prop is one of eight Lions players who were born, raised and educated in South Africa, New Zealand or Australia but qualify for their home unions through residency or family lineage. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Players who hail from the southern hemisphere representing the Lions is nothing new, but the number of them present in Andy Farrell's squad has caused a stir. Getty Images Lions great Willie John McBride said it 'bothered' him, while former England scrum-half Danny Care declared that 'it doesn't sit that well with me'. Australia head coach Joe Schmidt also took a swipe at the Lions team selection by describing Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu as a 'southern-hemisphere centre partnership'. But Schoeman insists he and his teammates who have switched nationality are ready to give everything in the quest to complete a series victory over the Wallabies, with Saturday's fixture against Western Force their first assignment on Australian soil. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'If you're good enough to play for your country, you're good enough to play for the Lions and you're selected, then obviously you're going to do that,' said Schoeman, who made five appearances for South Africa Under-20s in 2014. 'Playing for the Lions is massive. Scotland is home for us, my wife and myself. I know that's for the other players as well, like Mack Hansen has made Ireland home. 'You embrace that. You fully take that on. It's like the series Outlander – you move to a different country and now that's your house. You live there. 'If you work for one of the big four in finance, you get the opportunity, you're going to go for it. And you can really make that home. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Getty Images 'But this is much different. To represent the British and Irish Lions, you fully buy into that and its culture. You fully submerge into that. Nothing else matters. Not your past, not the future. It's about the now. 'Yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow might never come, now is the time to live. That's what we do as Lions. It's about the now, this tour. This is what really matters.' The Lions arrived in Perth on the back of a 28-24 defeat by Argentina in Dublin, where they were given a taster of the support to come in Australia. A sold-out Aviva Stadium was swamped in red for the tour send-off and Schoeman insists it is essential to deliver for the hoards of fans who will make the journey Down Under. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It was an amazing experience in Dublin to see the red army. It was incredible,' he said. 'You have to feel the responsibility of 50,000 or more fans coming to Australia. So you have a massive obligation and responsibility. 'We as the selected guys, management and players in this team have to make it happen. There's no space for dead weight on this team. Everyone has to push in the same direction.
