Latest news with #RichardWigglesworth
Irish Examiner
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Nerves within camp ahead of first Test selection but Lions vetern Conan knows there will be more chances
D-day is fast approaching for the British & Irish Lions players dreaming of pulling on a Test jersey this Saturday and facing Australia at Suncorp Stadium. It is stress inducing just thinking about what those players are going through, particularly with assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth revealing that the starting line-up had been inked in by Andy Farrell ahead of Wednesday's in-house reveal. Those outside the tour party will find out on early on Thursday morning Irish time as the head coach reveals his hand with particular interest on the decisions made at loosehead prop, inside centre and the make-up of the entire back five of the forward pack. Elsewhere in the team there are clear favourites for selection with Maro Itoje inked into the second row as tour captain and Dan Sheehan seemingly nailed on as starting hooker. So to the Lions Test half-backs with scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and fly-half Finn Russell having meshed instantly at nine and 10 in just two starts together, against the Queensland Reds and Brumbies. Others may have had their tickets punched sooner than expected by injury to a selection rival, such as Hugo Keenan at full-back in the likely absence of Blair Kinghorn due to a knee injury, and Tommy Freeman on the right wing now Mack Hansen has been kept out of training for a couple of days due to foot problem sustained in Adelaide last Saturday. So too Huw Jones, whose path to the outside centre pick has been hastened by Garry Ringrose's concussion in Canberra last Wednesday. All three may well have earned their stripes in direct competition with their less fortunate colleagues, it should be said, but the process became more straightforward in light of those injuries. The loosehead prop position seems to be a straight decision between Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter, with both set to feature in the matchday 23, while at inside centre, there is the possibility that Bundee Aki, denied an all-Irish midfield pairing by Ringrose's head knock, may disrupt the all-Scottish 'Huwipulotu' combination of Jones and Sione Tuipulotu by stealing in to take the number 12 jersey. And then there is that back-row selection and the decision to be made about the approach Farrell and his coaches take around their lineout resources. Do they pick an extra lock at blindside flanker to complement the probable second-row selections of Itoje and Joe McCarthy, which means the number six jersey goes to Tadhg Beirne or Ollie Chessum, both of whom have had solid game time there on tour to date. Or will the Lions select a natural number six in the shape of Henry Pollock or Tom Curry and then rely on likely No.8 Jack Conan to augment the lineout jumping options. Then, from the outside looking in at least, the openside flanker selection looks like a minefield with a trio of top-end number sevens competing for the start, Jac Morgan of Wales, England's Curry and Farrell's first-choice Irish openside Josh van der Flier. No-one would be convinced any of those players were enjoying a restful Tuesday night's sleep in Brisbane. Conan. Looking to start his fourth successive Lions Test at No.8 having been Warren Gatland's first choice in South Africa four years ago, suggested as much on Tuesday after training at the superbly appointed facilities of the Anglican Church Grammar School, known in these parts as 'Churchie'. "I think everyone will be a bit nervous but everyone has gone incredibly well, especially in the back row,' Conan said. 'It's tough for the coaches, I'm sure, and hopefully we've given them plenty of headaches over the last while. 'No matter who's been out there, they've taken their opportunity really well. It's about those lads who get to run out at the weekend to do right by the lads who aren't playing. It's going to be unbelievably special to play the first Test here so hopefully everyone can make the most of it. "There's huge amounts of class and talent in the back row. Even Chess and Beirney dropping into the back row as well, who are more traditional second rows but they've been fantastic as well. 'It's been great to get to know the lads, to learn off them, to see how they do things, and to push each other on as well. Because that level of talent pushes everyone on to be your best and I think everyone has been. I don't think anyone can say they've been poor over the last few weeks. Especially in the back row, the standard has been unbelievably high so it's been a joy to play with the lads and get to know with them." As a veteran of the 2021 tour, Conan was able to give advice to those whose names are not called out for action. 'We have another four huge games left and what are the chances that the team named for Saturday is the team for the next two Test matches? 'Obviously there will be changes for that Pasifika game (next Tuesday in Melbourne), but rugby is unbelievably attritional these days and I am sure a lot of lads will get the opportunity. 'So, don't dip the head, keep your chin up and make sure you are training well and if someone goes down you are ready to slot in there and perform. Lads have done that unbelievably well the last few weeks with some lads dropping out lad and having to fill in having played on the Saturday and play again on the Wednesday. 'A lot of lads will get a chance over the next few weeks. It's not as if they won't play. Things will change.'
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Mack Hansen unlikely to make first Lions Test after sitting out training again
Mack Hansen again took no part in the British and Irish Lions ' training session on Tuesday in Brisbane. Just four days out from the first Test against the Wallabies , it appears as if the Connacht the winger has effectively been ruled out of contention. In any event, there was a notably less optimistic outlook for Hansen from the Lions' assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth, who confirmed that the player had incurred a foot injury in the 48-0 win over an Invitational XV in the Adelaide Oval last Saturday. Bracketing him with Blair Kinghorn, whose knee injury in the win over the Brumbies last Wednesday necessitated a call-up for Jamie Osborne, Wigglesworth admitted to having 'a doubt' about Hansen's participation although the player is 'definitely not ruled out'. By their standards, that's Lions-speak for 'crocked'. 'A bit like Blair, we will find out tomorrow, he didn't train fully today so we will know a bit more tomorrow.' READ MORE Wigglesworth confirmed that Hansen's injury, rather than Garry Ringrose's concussion, was the reason behind Darcy Graham linking up with the Lions on Monday ahead of his Scottish team-mates. 'Potentially we needed to make sure we were covered numbers-wise an for the games coming up. That was why he was out a bit quicker, because of Blair and Mack not being on their feet today and potentially tomorrow.' Asked if Hansen was a serious doubt for Saturday, Wigglesworth said: 'Yeah, because as I said it's the same with Blair. If they get on the field tomorrow and they're better, then they're right in contention. We've not finalised anything yet. 'A doubt is anyone who didn't train fully today but he's definitely not ruled out.' Thomas Clarkson arrived bleary-eyed in Brisbane and linked up with the squad on Tuesday and will train with them on Wednesday. 'I think we can definitely get better because there is actually time,' said Wigglesworth. 'What we have had to do is a lot of walk-throughs, low-intensity stuff and a lot of meetings and reviews in prep but there is a game going on. This is a chance to train what you want to get better at, as well as the plans and what we have been doing. So we expect to be better again on Saturday. As to whether the Lions might tighten their approach in the Tests, he said: 'I think every game is different, you don't know where the game is going to played, how it is going to be refereed, where the space is going to be so we will adapt to what that looks like. 'We have been ambitious because that is where we felt the space was and the options at the time, if that presents itself Saturday night then that is what we will want to do, if it doesn't we will need to find a different way of trying to win the Test match.' The assistant coaches have not been given any labels per se, as Wigglesworth, the England attack coach, dovetails with Andrew Goodman, the Ireland attack coach, and Johnny Sexton, who is primarily working with the kickers. Farrell wants it to be 'as collaborative as possible and bounce ideas off each other' according to Wigglesworth 'with everyone feeling like they can contribute and help with what's going on. It helps that I've got on with those two [Sexton and Goodman] really well – they're top coaches and more importantly top men. I've enjoyed working with them and getting to know them.' Wigglesworth admits that the attack is the hardest part of developing a team. 'Naturally, it's going to look a bit clunky at times, but there were reasons for that. We didn't get the breakdown right for a couple of games and there's not a team in world rugby who looks good without a decent breakdown. We were better at that at the weekend and we know we need to be better at that again this weekend.'
The Irish Sun
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Ticket update for opening Lions fixture vs Argentina amid sky-high prices for Aviva Stadium clash
FRIDAY night's game between the Lions and Argentina has sold out. Tickets had still been available overnight as it appeared hefty prices had turned punters off. The cheapest remaining tickets were an eye-watering €148 and if you wanted to buy tickets in pairs in order to sit together, they would set you back a staggering €190 each. But a Lions spokesperson confirmed at the captain's run today that all remaining tickets had been sold for what is the first game the representative side has played on Irish soil. Asked about the ticket prices, Lions assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth said: 'You're asking the wrong man. "I'm a rugby coach, I've got my hands full with that without getting involved in ticket prices Read More On Irish Sport 'All I know is that everyone you talk to, whether they're friends, family or strangers on the street, is incredibly excited about the Lions playing here in Dublin.' 'Cried like a baby didn't ya-' - Watch Andy Farrell embarrass Ireland star over reaction to Lions call-up 1 Players like Joe McCarthy met supporters at this afternoon's captain's run
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
When do the British and Irish Lions play Australia? Full tour schedule, kick-off times and how to watch on TV
The British and Irish Lions tour is almost upon us with Andy Farrell's squad set to be revealed. The quadrennial trip this year heads for Australia for a three-Test series against the Wallabies which forms the jewels in the wider crown of a 10-match itinerary. First formed in 1888, the Lions brings together the best rugby players in Britain and Ireland to take on the three Southern Hemisphere giants (New Zealand, Australia and South Africa) in turn at four year intervals. This summer's business also includes a one-off encounter with Argentina in Dublin as the touring side plays in Ireland for the first time. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the tour. The British and Irish Lions tour begins officially on Friday 20 June, when the Lions face Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. It will conclude after the final Test in Sydney on Saturday 2 August. All matches kick off at 11am BST unless stated Friday 20 June - Lions v Argentina, Dublin (Aviva Stadium) - 8pm BST Saturday 28 June - Lions v Western Force, Perth (Optus Stadium) Wednesday 2 July - Lions v Queensland Reds, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium) Saturday 5 July - Lions v NSW Waratahs, Sydney (Allianz Stadium) Wednesday 9 July - Lions v ACT Brumbies, Canberra (GIO Stadium) Saturday 12 July - Lions v Invitational AU & NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval) Saturday 19 July - Lions v Australia, first Test, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium) Tuesday 22 July - Lions v Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium) Saturday 26 July - Lions v Australia, second Test, Melbourne (Melbourne Cricket Ground/MCG) Saturday 2 August - Lions v Australia, third Test, Sydney (Accor Stadium) Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch all of the action live on Sky Sports, the broadcast partner of the British and Irish Lions. A live stream will be available for subscribers via Sky Go. Ireland head coach Andy Farrell leads a broad group of assistants that are set to work collaboratively on tour rather than have specific duties for one area of the game. Included within this group are England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth and Ireland counterpart Andrew Goodman, as well as former Ireland and Lions fly half Johnny Sexton. Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty and Scotland forwards coach John Dalziel should have responsibility for matters up front, along with Simon Easterby - a tourist in 2005 as a player, the former flanker filled in for Farrell with Ireland during the Six Nations. Aled Walters, head of strength and conditioning, is another key recruit from the Irish staff while David Nucifora - now with the Scottish Rugby Union after a successful stint in Ireland - takes up a performance manager role.
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Thirteen Lions calls Andy Farrell must get right
A shadowy process in which the participants are sworn to secrecy, the papal conclave would do well to learn from the levels of mystery and intrigue surrounding Andy Farrell's final Lions selection meeting at an undisclosed location in London on Wednesday. Telegraph Sport raises 13 topics that will determine the make-up of the squad, to be announced on Thursday afternoon. Rule by debate or dictatorship? As head coach, Farrell will have the final say on squad selection. The question is how much input will his assistants have? While Richard Wigglesworth, Simon Easterby, John Dalziel, Andrew Goodman, Johnny Sexton and John Fogarty are all fine individual coaches, this is not a cabinet of heavyweights like Ian McGeechan assembled in 2009 or Warren Gatland in 2017. Fogarty and Dalziel have been coaching at international level for five years while the others are relative novices and none have coached on a Lions tour before. Certainly Sexton will not be shy in sharing his opinion – see his thoughts on Finn Russell – but how much sway will that have in the final decision? Speaking in March, Farrell suggested none of his thoughts will be set in stone when he walks into a room. 'I am open-minded enough to be persuaded in my opinion, I am not too pig- headed for that,' Farrell said. 'But if it comes down to a 50-50 I'd be happy to make the call. The way I like to do it when you start getting to the point or near the point where you start to play devil's advocate on everyone's opinion and the truth definitely comes out then.' Recency bias vs class is permanent Since the last Lions tour, Ireland have been by far the best-performing home nation – significant World Cup hiccup aside – winning two Six Nations titles as well as three Triple Crowns, reaching world No 1 status as well as securing landmark victories in South Africa and New Zealand. However, their form has dipped significantly with an underwhelming loss to the All Blacks in the autumn followed by a rout at home to France. A Leinster side containing 20 Irish internationals then lost to Northampton in the Champions Cup semi-final. Farrell's selections as Ireland head coach demonstrate that he is loyal – some would say to a fault – to players whose form might be wavering. Can he afford to apply the same principles to Lions selection? Or will he weigh the most recent high-level performances more prominently in that final selection call. 'Some teams are the worst in the world or the best in the world after two rounds and then how they finish they are now the best in the world or the worst in the world,' Farrell said. 'I just have to make sure I am level-headed enough to just see the reality of it.' We need to talk about Sam... On that subject, fly-half Sam Prendergast was conspicuously poor in both Ireland's loss to France loss and against Northampton last Saturday. His defence is simply a liability and one that would be ruthlessly exploited by a master manipulator such as Joe Schmidt. In a way, this should not be a surprise for a young fly-half who has not yet played 50 games of senior rugby and has a few rough edges. With his sumptuous range of passing and kicking you can see why Farrell is so smitten with Prendergast as Ireland's future No 10. Sexton too is a huge admirer. It has been suggested Prendergast would learn a lot from going to Australia but that is anathema to what the Lions should stand for. They are no development vehicle. Prendergast has plenty of attributes to be a successful Test fly-half but the flaws may appear too big to ignore. …. and Owen If Prendergast's selection ahead of, say Fin Smith or Finn Russell, would be incendiary then Owen Farrell going in the same circumstances would trigger a thermonuclear reaction on social media and beyond. Farrell has the experience of three previous tours and through force of personality would set internal standards that are so crucial to the Lions success over the tour, as former team-mate Alex Goode attests to. However, Farrell does not have the crucial commodity of form to merit selection after a rough first season with Racing 92. Farrell senior has said his only criteria is selecting players who give the Lions the best possible chance of success Down Under, but however alien the idea of nepotism might be to him, he has to at the very least consider the optics of selecting his son. The French connection The plus side of selecting Farrell is that barring a late surge Racing should not be involved in the Top 14 play-offs, allowing him to be called up instantly. Same for Courtney Lawes at Brive. For other contenders such as Blair Kinghorn and Jack Willis with Toulouse and Ben White, Kyle Sinckler and David Ribbans with Toulon, who are currently first and third in the Top 14, the situation is more complicated. Should either side reach the Top 14 final on June 28 then they will miss at least the Lions' first three fixtures against Argentina in Dublin on June 22, Western Force in Perth on June 28 and Queensland Reds in Brisbane on July 2. This, needless to say, would be far-from-ideal preparation and while Farrell previously appeared relaxed about it, he may only be able to make one or two rather than four or five exemptions. Witness the fitness The other big factor the coaches will need to consider is the current injury list which sadly now includes Caelan Doris who appears increasingly unlikely to make the tour. Centre Ollie Lawrence, wing Ollie Sleightholme and second row George Martin, who featured in England's Six Nations, are all out. Then comes a list of players who are currently injured but working their way back to fitness such as George Furbank, Mack Hansen, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Blair Kinghorn, Zander Fagerson, Matt Fagerson, Duhan van der Merwe and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Some are due back before the end of the club season but Farrell can only take so many risks in a squad touring the other side of the world. Price of utilities Now if Farrell does intend to take some French-based players as well as some players who might at the very least be far from 100 per cent, this will place an added premium on certain individuals to cover multiple positions, especially in the backline. Elliot Daly and Jamie Obsorne can seamlessly slot between the centres as well as the back three while Blair Murray can feature there and at fly-half. In a specialist role like No 10, where game minutes may be limited, the ability to fill other positions is especially important which may well play into Marcus Smith's hands. 'You need versatility in a Lions squad,' Danny Wilson, the Harlequins head coach, said. 'He can genuinely do that. He's shown it at 10 and 15 internationally.' Then there is Asher Opoku-Fordjour, that rarest of beasts as a prop who can double up at loosehead and tighthead, which was noted by scrum coach John Fogarty. 'Something like that is valuable, isn't it?' While it is valuable, there is also a balance between having Jacks of all trades and too few specialist masters. Combo deals or mix and match? With time so limited on a Lions tour, there will be a strong temptation to pick a couple of flat-pack combinations off the shelf rather than mix and match. Hence picking ready-made centre pairings of Tuipulotu and Jones or Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose. Same with the half-backs where there is an added appeal of picking Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith or Jamison Gibson-Park who play for both club and country. If Maro Itoje is going to be your main lineout target, that counts in the favour of Jamie George who has thrown to Itoje more than any individual. However, there is a danger that if you go down that path then you end up with the entire Ireland team. Can Welsh dragons bring fire? Picking on a combination basis would work against Wales players. So would picking on the basis of Test results. With no Welsh coach in the room, there may not be anyone banging the table on their behalf. The job for Farrell and his team is to separate the individual quality from the team's performances. There are very few backs in world rugby who look like a million dollars behind a retreating pack, but Tomos Williams has given frequent demonstrations with Gloucester how dangerous he can be when given something of a platform. Same with Murray with the Scarlets. Jac Morgan is competing in the most fiendishly competitive position at openside but do you give his consistently excellent performances for Wales extra credit – or does he have more involvements because he is on the back foot so much? But Farrell was brutally clear that he is not going to kowtow to the notion that each nation deserves a set representation. Need for speed Go back through past Lions squads, whether Louis Rees-Zammit in 2021, Anthony Watson in 2017 or Jason Robinson in 2001, and there has always been a gas merchant. Now pace is relative. The majority of the likely backline are by no means slow but by Test standards there is a lack of an out-and-out speedster, with the possible exception of Scotland's Darcy Graham who is as much elusive as electric. How much will this play into the hands of Feyi-Waboso as he slowly recovers from the shoulder surgery which was botched between the Rugby Football Union and Exeter? Or does Farrell have another candidate in mind to inject some raw speed into his backline? Dropping a Pollock At this stage, Henry Pollock can no longer be considered a long shot from left field. Only the astounding depth in the back row prevents him from being a certain selection given his recent performances. Either way it will be a controversial call: overlooking possibly the form player in Europe or selecting a one-cap England flanker ahead of far more established options such as Ben Curry, who was one England's best performers in the Six Nations, or Josh van der Flier. Pollock could still arrive as a call-up from England's tour to Argentina but Farrell must be tempted to unleash that youthful fearlessness that he once possessed in spades for Wigan and Great Britain. Avoiding 'off-tour' adventures Picking a Lions squad is not simply about picking the best of the best, it is also about the blend of personalities and the ability to be a good tourist. This is not to say that anyone will be selected for the quality of their banter or that they will not fight tooth and nail to get a starting shirt, but it is crucial that those players not picked for the first Test do not go 'off tour' as has happened previously. Farrell will have done his homework on those who react well to being overlooked. Several players for instance have commented that George Ford was instrumental in keeping standards high in England's training despite only being selected for the final match. Another factor that needs to be considered is the experience of Lions tours. Even those who went to South Africa in 2021 will not have had a full taste of it behind closed doors. There needs to be at least a cohort of senior players who can relay their experiences, both good and bad, to the rest of the group so the squad are not caught unawares by the intensity of a full-fat tour with fans. About Schmidt Finally, there is he who must not be named. Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has an outsized influence on the coaching careers of five of their coaches from his time in Ireland setting up a fascinating master-v-apprentices dynamic this summer. While Australia lost to Ireland in the autumn, the Wallabies often appeared to be one step ahead of what Farrell's team were doing, which was doubtless a sign of Schmidt's influence. The Lions coaching team want to be unpredictable in how they play Australia; might this also be reflected in a couple of curveball selections?
