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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dual burning purpose fires AUSNZ against British Lions
The Australian and New Zealand invitational team carry dual burning motivations against the British and Irish Lions, assistant coach Simon Cron says. The combined AUSNZ outfit, firstly, hope to put a dent in the pre-Test plans of the unbeaten tourists on Saturday night at Adelaide Oval. And secondly, many Australians and New Zealanders are hellbent on pushing their Test selection cases in a high-stakes audition -the first AUSNZ fixture against the Lions in 36 years. "Every time you cross the white line, those boys are driven to be successful," Cron told reporters at Adelaide Oval on Friday. "There will be some on the fringe of the All Blacks and some on the fringe of the Wallabies so they will be driving their cases. "And for other boys, this is a really big life experience and the opportunity to drive themselves to a higher level." Lions coach Andy Farrell has named his son and ex-England captain Owen Farrell on the bench for their last tune-up ahead of the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19. Farrell hasn't played a Test since 2023 and is coming off an injury-troubled season in France, but was summoned to the squad to replace the injured Elliot Daly. His inclusion on his fourth Lions tour has been defended by Andy Farrell, who says his son is no different to other teammates in needing to rapidly revise the playbook. "He's the same as everyone else who has had to get up to speed pretty quickly," Farrell told reporters in Adelaide. "Everyone had to at the start and a few have come in since. "The art of this stage of the tour is mentally being as switched on as you possibly can, there's not that much training that you can do." The Lions camp was relieved at scan results clearing Scotland fullback Blair Kinghorn of a serious knee injury suffered early in Wednesday night's win over the Brumbies. With Daly's broken arm and patchy form of Ireland's Hugo Keenan, Irish fullback Jamie Osborne will join the Lions as training cover. Farrell also recalled winger Mack Hansen and loose forward Henry Pollock to meet an AUSNZ team boasting 17 internationals. "As a unit, how they gel together, there's a little bit of unknown there," Farrell said of their hosts. "It looks like a formidable side that is going to be hard to stop."
Times
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Times
Lions must fix shoddy restarts or Joseph Suaalii will run them ragged
Australia's players sat together in their Newcastle hotel, where they are preparing for a warm-up Test against Fiji next Sunday, and watched the British & Irish Lions open their tour with a 54-7 victory over Western Force. One Wallaby in particular would have loved what he saw. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Australia's star signing from the NRL, ravaged England's restarts on his senior rugby union debut at Twickenham in November, soaring four times to win the ball above Maro Itoje. Suaalii's command of the air led directly to Australia scoring the match-winning try. Suaalii, who has a background in Australian rules football, managed to repeatedly get his hand to the ball and bat it backwards. Western Force did not have Suaalii in their ranks but they targeted weaknesses they had identified in the Lions' restart drill. Nic White lofted his short kicks to come down behind Scott Cummings, the Lions lock who was unable to correctly judge the flight of the ball. The Lions lost four of eight restarts, the same ratio England managed against the Wallabies in November, when the success rate should be well beyond 90 per cent. 'We decided we could get in behind that pod and put Dylan Pietsch there and try to catch it over the pod,' Simon Cron, the Force forwards coach, said. Andy Farrell, the Lions head coach, was frustrated by his side's early defensive discipline and their woeful restarts, aware that the scheming Wallabies coach, Joe Schmidt, will have been watching intently. 'We need to catch them,' Farrell said. 'It was a good warning.' Restarts have become the game's third set piece. They are the critical 'next job' that players will often shout in encouragement after they have scored a try, a command to retain focus. Securing the restart consolidates the points that have just been scored and ensures the opposition cannot reclaim the immediate initiative. The Lions missed their first restart after Dan Sheehan's opening try and the Force capitalised on the error to score. Rapid improvement is required by the Lions. The personnel will be different on Wednesday when they face Queensland Reds in Brisbane. James Ryan and Ollie Chessum are due a start, while Itoje is in line for a return to the side after sitting out the win in Perth. Chessum insisted the restarts issue could be solved in time. 'We went seven points up against the Force but conceded within two minutes [after losing the restart]. We made errors off the restarts pretty much all night. We will get together in Brisbane and have a look,' he said. 'The restart is a proper unit skill. People don't realise that. We will just have to pay some due diligence to that and try to work in those mini units to get it right. I am sure we will, when you look at the calibre of players that we have got in the squad. Individually they are all unbelievable in that area but it is about coming together.' It is not an easy skill. A team's pre-match analysis will examine the typical trajectory and hang time of a player's kick-off. The receiver will try to position themselves under the flight of the ball. Once in line, they will then communicate in simple terms — forwards or backwards — so that their lifters can hoist them up to claim the ball at height. The two lifters with Cummings were the Irish front-row forwards Tadhg Furlong and Sheehan. Teams will usually station a back behind that pod of three just in case the ball is missed. Mack Hansen was in that role but he was also beaten to the ball at times by Pietsch, who did no harm to his chances of playing in the Test series. 'The real test is what we can do as a group in this short turnaround time. We'll be on it as a group. I'm sure the coaches will, in terms of feeding us that detail so that we can try to keep backing up,' Chessum said. 'We made a few errors as a group in the set piece but largely we were much better across the board than we were against Argentina. So we'll keep just kept stepping forward. We do have time.' It will be instructive to learn in the early hours of Monday in which position Chessum is selected to play against the Reds. The Lions have four matches before the first Test. As The Times first outlined last week, there is a growing theory that Farrell is angling towards the midweek team eventually being his strongest outfit, hence the absence of Itoje at the weekend. Farrell will be measured in how he does it, anxious not to create a Wednesday/Saturday split in the squad too early in the tour. He remains open for players to emulate Liam Williams and Elliot Daly in 2017 and earn a Test place with their performances in the final midweek game. But making the Wednesday team stronger would give the bulk of the Test side ten days to prepare for the opening clash with Australia and pitch them against better opposition. The Lions play the Reds this week and the ACT Brumbies next week, Australia's best two Super Rugby teams. The Saturday games are against the NSW Waratahs and a scratch invitational team of Australians and New Zealanders. It will be fascinating to watch how the back five of the Lions pack evolves around Itoje. Joe McCarthy's dominant performance against Western Force has put him in pole position for the other second-row berth. The Irishman is a physical, abrasive character who would relish going up against Australia's Will Skelton. Ryan is due a first tour start on Wednesday and is expected to get his chance to stake a second-row claim. Chessum and Jack Conan are also slated to start in Brisbane, potentially in the same back row with Itoje in at lock alongside Ryan. The presence of Chessum and Tadhg Beirne in the touring squad, in addition to four specialist locks, has always indicated a desire for the Lions to field a hefty, lineout-jumping blind-side flanker. Chessum made a big impact as a second-row replacement on Saturday and Conan, the Lions Test No8 four years ago, came on at blind-side flanker in Perth. Repeating that dynamic on Wednesday would mean a bench return for Itoje but also allow the Lions to field Ben Earl as a dynamic No8. Options. Options. 'I am hungry for a start,' Chessum said. 'To play on Saturday, in whatever position, I was over the moon with. But that's why we are all here — to push for a starting shirt and then push for a Test shirt. You wouldn't be a professional or a Lion if you weren't.' Chessum and McCarthy have been rooming together; Leicester and Leinster, two players who excel in the physical side of the game. Chessum, 24, is also an emerging leader, a likely eventual successor to Itoje as England captain. He was thrilled to see McCarthy dominate. 'We are a team. I am never thinking negatively when someone in my position has had a great game,' he said. 'We've spoken all week that our aim is just to be the best team-mate that we can possibly be and if everyone's the best team-mate we can be, then we'll be the best team that we can be. 'It's performances like that from Joe that we need — 80 minutes in a game like that in the second row is a serious effort. He came up with some crucial turnovers and some big plays. I am buzzing for him, over the moon.' The Lions contributed to a fast game. At the heart of it all was Henry Pollock, who started at No8. We almost had the full house on Pollock bingo: a searing line break, a skilful try assist, a scrap, and a chip and chase that led to another try. All that was missing was a touchdown of his own. Pollock was a dynamo, involving himself in almost everything positive they did with some obvious highlights. An interchange of passes with Josh van der Flier set him clear and the intelligent way he sucked in two defenders and kept the ball alive allowed him to pop the scoring pass off the floor for Tomos Williams to score. There were shades of his brilliant try for Northampton Saints against Sale Sharks, when he regathered his own chip ahead. This time, Pollock was dragged to the turf but the Lions were surging forward on his tail and they scored again. The Australian television coverage is enraptured by Pollock, just as English audiences were wowed by Suaalii last autumn. Farrell is clearly a big fan of the 20-year-old Northampton flanker, having first seen him play a full game live when he tore Leinster apart in the Champions Cup semi-final last month. When McCarthy got into camp and saw the Northampton contingent, his first reaction was: 'Oh for f*** sake, it's these fellas again'. But he has played golf with Alex Mitchell and has been paired with Tommy Freeman to deliver a thought for the day on the team bus, so barriers are being broken down. And on Pollock? 'He's actually a good fella. He's proper high-energy and he's been very sound,' McCarthy said. 'He can be a bit much at times but he is himself and I've probably got on with him way better than I thought I would. We've seen today, he's class to have in your team as well.'
The Independent
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Dan Sheehan wants ‘passion' from British and Irish Lions teammates
The British and Irish Lions kick-off their nine match tour of Australia at HBF Park in Perth against Western Force, looking to hit the ground running after defeat by Argentina in Dublin last Friday. Only two players, Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne, will line up against the Australian team from last week's beaten Lions side and their captain is clear that he wants passion from his players. Speaking to the BBC, the Ireland hooker said: "I'm sure the Force will be 150% of what they usually are. They will be flying into it and that bit of extra hunger can produce some powerful things. "They would have been eyeing this game up since they probably first stepped into that Western Force change room. It'll mean an awful lot to them. But I don't want them to think that they're going to be hungrier than us. We have to demonstrate back our own mindset." Head coach Simon Cron says he's been trying to convey to his players what a great opportunity this is for his Western Force squad, which finished as the lowest-ranked Australian team from this year's Super Rugby Pacific. Among their starting XV is former Exeter scrum-half Nic White. Ben Donaldson also comes in at full-back after Kurtley Beale picked up a hamstring injury in training. Sheehan is expecting an easier time of things in terms of captaincy having taken over for this match from Maro Itoje who led the Lions during their defeat to Argentina. "You look around the room and [see] so many individuals who are more than capable of captaining this team, and that is something that probably eases the nerves a little bit," he said, "I don't have to make it too difficult, I just need to be myself.' Sheehan added: "I am quite a chill person, I feel like I have a good understanding of who I am and what excites me. I just sort of let these things happen in a weird way. I know that sounds like I am almost sat back, but I just don't over-think it really." The tourists will head to Brisbane after this opener, where they'll play Queensland Reds next Wednesday. They'll also take on Waratahs, Brumbies and an invitational team made up of Australian and New Zealand players before the first Test against Australia on 19th July.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sheehan challenges Lions to match hosts' passion
Western Force v British and Irish Lions Date: Saturday, 28 June Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth Time: 11:00 BST Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website Dan Sheehan has challenged his British and Irish Lions team-mates to match the passion of the Western Force underdogs in Saturday's tour opener in Australia. Sheehan will captain a Lions team with only two starters - Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne - who were in the XV for the defeat by Argentina on Friday. Advertisement "I'm sure the Force will be 150% of what they usually are," said the 26-year-old Ireland hooker. "They will be flying into it and that bit of extra hunger can produce some powerful things. "They would have been eyeing this game up since they probably first stepped into that Western Force change room. It'll mean an awful lot to them. "But I don't want them to think that they're going to be hungrier than us. We have to demonstrate back our own mindset." Western Force were the lowest-ranked Australian side in this year's Super Rugby Pacific, but their head coach Simon Cron said much of their preparation had involved impressing on the players the magnitude of the opportunity. Advertisement "It's a once-in-a-lifetime for a lot of these guys," said Cron. "We sat as a group and had a bit of a yarn about how old were you 12 years ago [when the Lions last toured Australia], how old will you be 12 years from now. "That's the importance of this game and the special type of game that it is. They are under no illusion around that." Western Force's XV includes former Exeter scrum-half Nic White, while Ben Donaldson, who had originally been kept back with the Wallabies, has been brought in at full-back after veteran Kurtley Beale suffered a hamstring strain in training. Advertisement Sheehan, who led Ireland for the first time against Wales in this year's Six Nations, says that the quality in the Lions dressing room will make his job easier, rather than more intimidating. "You look around the room and [see] so many individuals who are more than capable of captaining this team, and that is something that probably eases the nerves a little bit," he said. "I don't have to make it too difficult, I just need to be myself. "I am quite a chill person, I feel like I have a good understanding of who I am and what excites me. I just sort of let these things happen in a weird way. I know that sounds like I am almost sat back, but I just don't over-think it really." Advertisement The Lions' schedule ramps up after Saturday's match, with the tourists playing the Queensland Reds on Wednesday. Fixtures against the Waratahs, Brumbies and an invitational Australian/New Zealand team follow before the first Test against the Wallabies on 19 July.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sheehan challenges Lions to match hosts' passion
Western Force v British and Irish LionsDate: Saturday, 28 June Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth Time: 11:00 BST Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website Dan Sheehan has challenged his British and Irish Lions team-mates to match the passion of the Western Force underdogs in Saturday's tour opener in will captain a Lions team with only two starters - Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne - who were in the XV for the defeat by Argentina on Friday."I'm sure the Force will be 150 percent of what they usually are," said the 26-year-old Ireland hooker."They will be flying into it and that bit of extra hunger can produce some powerful things."They would have been eyeing this game up since they probably first stepped into that Western Force change room. It'll mean an awful lot to them."But I don't want them to think that they're going to be hungrier than us. We have to demonstrate back our own mindset."Western Force were the lowest-ranked Australian side in this year's Super Rugby Pacific, but their head coach Simon Cron said much of their preparation had involved impressing on the players the magnitude of the opportunity."It's a once-in-a-lifetime for a lot of these guys," said Cron"We sat as a group and had a bit of a yarn about how old were you 12 years ago, how old will you be 12 years from now."That's the importance of this game and the special type of game that it is. They are under no illusion around that." Western Force's XV includes former Exeter scrum-half Nic White, while Ben Donaldson, who had originally kept back with the Wallabies, has been brought in at full-back after veteran Kurtley Beale suffered a hamstring strain in who led Ireland for the first time against Wales in this year's Six Nations, says that the quality in the Lions dressing room will make his job easier, rather than more intimidating."You look around the room and so many individuals who are more than capable of captaining this team and, that is something that probably eases the nerves a little bit," he added."I don't have to make it too difficult, I just need to be myself."I am quite a chill person, I feel like I have a good understanding of who I am and what excites me. I just sort of let these things happen in a weird way, I know that sounds like I am almost sat back, but I just don't over-think it really."The Lions schedule ramps up after Saturday's match, with the tourists playing the Queensland Reds on against the Waratahs, Brumbies and an invitational Australian/New Zealand team follow before the first Test against the Wallabies on 19 July.
