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Wales Online
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as All Blacks called in to face Lions and Feyi-Waboso picked despite ban
Tonight's rugby news as All Blacks called in to face Lions and Feyi-Waboso picked despite ban The latest headlines from Wales and around the world Tele'a (right) is set to be called in to face the Lions, according to reports Down Under These are your evening rugby headlines on Monday, June 23. All Blacks called in to face Lions - reports New Zealand internationals Hoskins Sotutu and Mark Tele'a are set to be among the players who will join up with the AusNZ invitational team that will face the British & Irish Lions next month, according to reports. The team, led by Queensland Reds boss Les Kiss and former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster, take on Andy Farrell's men in Adelaide on July 12 and are set to have some major firepower among their ranks. Up to half a dozen players are set to be released by New Zealand Rugby for the clash, including Blues duo Sotutu and Tele'a, according to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald. The publication says it believes the number eight and wing are "very good chances" to be involved against the Lions, while they "will be joined by players of similar calibre". Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Neither Sotutu nor Tele'a were named in Scott Robertson's All Blacks squad on Monday, with some of those not included in the Māori All Blacks squad - which be unveiled on Tuesday - also set to join up with the AusNZ side. It comes after Rugby Australia - who have scrambled to assemble a squad in time to face the Lions - reportedly made a number of requests to their counterparts in New Zealand, submitting preferences by position as well as individual players. Article continues below They previously tried to land the 56-cap All Black Richie Mo'unga to take part in the match, only for a broken hand he suffered while playing in Japan to end those hopes. Aside from Sotutu and Japan-bound Tele'a, other players that could feature include Xavier Numia, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Folau Fakatava, Josh Jacomb, AJ Lam and Naitoa Ah Kuoi. Asked ahead of announcing his squad whether he would be open to releasing players for the fixture, Robertson said: 'If it works, yes. 'We've had a couple of requests, and of course we'll work with them on it. I'm all about opportunities to play.' Feyi-Waboso picked despite ban By PA Sport staff Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been included in England's 36-man summer tour squad, despite being suspended for the first two matches. Hooker Jamie George and fly-half George Ford will co-captain the group, which contains 10 uncapped players, for two Tests against Argentina and one against the United States. Exeter wing Feyi-Waboso was sent off for a high tackle on Antoine Hastoy in the first half of Saturday's 26-24 loss to a France XV on his first appearance since suffering a dislocated shoulder in December. Due to his ban, the 22-year-old will been unavailable for the matches against Los Pumas on July 5 and 12 in La Plata and San Juan respectively. Subject to completing a tackle course, Feyi-Waboso, who has scored five tries in eight international caps, will return to contention for the clash with the USA on July 19 in Washington DC. Joe Carpenter, Seb Atkinson, Guy Pepper and Oscar Beard, who were involved in the non-capped contest with France, are joined in the squad by fellow potential Test debutants Charlie Atkinson, Arthur Clark, Emmanuel Iyogun, Will Muir, Luke Northmore and Max Ojomoh. The squad will train at England's base in Surrey on Tuesday before flying to Buenos Aires later in the day. In addition to the 13 players away with the British and Irish Lions, Joe Batley, Fraser Dingwall, George Furbank, Ollie Lawrence, Alex Lozowski, George Martin and Ollie Sleightholme were not considered for selection. Head coach Steve Borthwick said: 'The three-Test series is a huge challenge and a valuable opportunity for the continued development of this squad. 'For some of the younger players, this will be their first experience of touring overseas with England. Travelling together helps strengthen team bonds and offers a valuable chance for new players to integrate into our environment. 'It's an exciting test for us and we're looking forward to seeing how we continue to evolve as a team.' England squad: Forwards (20): F Baxter (Harlequins), A Clark (Gloucester), A Coles (Northampton), C Cunningham-South (Harlequins), B Curry (Sale), T Dan (Saracens), T Davison (Northampton), A Dombrandt (Harlequins), C Ewels (Bath), J George (Saracens, co-capt), J Heyes (Leicester), T Hill (Bath), N Isiekwe (Saracens), E Iyogun (Northampton) C Langdon (Northampton), A Opoku-Fordjour (Sale), G Pepper (Bath), B Rodd (Sale), S Underhill (Bath), T Willis (Saracens). Backs (16): C Atkinson (Gloucester), S Atkinson (Gloucester), O Beard (Harlequins), J Carpenter (Sale), I Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), G Ford (Sale, co-capt), W Muir (Bath), C Murley (Harlequins), L Northmore (Harlequins), M Ojomoh (Bath), H Randall (Bristol), T Roebuck (Sale), H Slade (Exeter), B Spencer (Bath), F Steward (Leicester), J van Poortvliet (Leicester). Easterby: We need to get on same page British and Irish Lions assistant coach Simon Easterby has urged his players to get on "the same page" after kicking off their summer with a disappointing defeat to Argentina. The squad arrived in Perth less than 48 hours after they were beaten 28-24 by the Pumas in Dublin on Friday evening, with an error-strewn performance seeing them head Down Under on a losing note. Head coach Andy Farrell laid down the law after the defeat at the Aviva Stadium, as he labelled his side's mistakes as "unacceptable". While Easterby says it will take time for the familarity to grow within the squad, he agreed that they needed to "fix things very quickly", with the Lions facing Western Force on Saturday. 'We probably just didn't quite impose ourselves as much as we would have liked,' the former Ireland captain told reporters in Perth. Article continues below 'It just takes a little bit of time to build cohesion, different combinations. We've had some pretty good time together, but we know that we're going to have to fix things very quickly and move on.' He added: 'It's important that the team has a clear understanding of how we want to defend as a Lions team,' said Easterby, who managed Ireland in Farrell's absence during the Six Nations earlier this year. 'So we need to make sure that we allow those players to express themselves defensively within a system that allows them to have a framework."
1News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- 1News
Blues wing Tele'a cops three week suspension
Blues winger Mark Tele'a has been suspended for three weeks after being red carded for a lifting tackle in his side's loss to the Queensland Reds last Friday. Tele'a's tackle on Tim Ryan in the 31st minute earned him a yellow card which was later upgraded to red. The Super Rugby Pacific foul play review committee found Tele'a guilty of a lifting tackle in contravention of Law 9.18. The review committee found the act merited a mid-range entry point of six weeks/matches. In a statement today, the committee added: "In light of the player accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as mitigating factors such as his prior disciplinary record, the FPRC applied the full 50% reduction in sanction." He was suspended from all forms of the game for three weeks which applies to the following Super Rugby Pacific matches: Blues v Western Force (May 2) Fijian Drua v Blues (May 9) Moana Pasifika v Blues (May 17) Tele'a, who has scored 13 tries in 19 Tests for the All Blacks, announced earlier this month he will play in Japan next year.
RNZ News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Rugby: Blues winger Mark Tele'a hit with three-match suspension
Mark Tele'a tackles Tim Ryan during the Reds v Blues Super Rugby Pacific match. Photo: Patrick Hoelscher/ActionPress Blues winger Mark Tele'a has been suspended for three Super Rugby Pacific matches for a tip tackle against the Reds on Friday. It is a big blow for the Blues, as they will be without Tele'a for three of their last four regular season matches as they try to resurrect their season and make the playoffs. Tele'a was initially given a yellow card after he picked up Reds winger Tim Ryan in a tip tackle 31 minutes into the game , with Ryan landing on his head. He was initially given a yellow card, but it was upgraded to red on review. Super Rugby Pacific's Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) found Tele'a guilty of a lifting tackle in contravention of Law 9.18. The committee determined "the low-range entry point of six weeks/matches" was appropriate for the incident. "In light of the player accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as mitigating factors such as his prior disciplinary record, the FPRC applied the full 50 percent reduction in sanction. Tele'a will miss matches against the Force this Friday, the Fijian Drua on 9 May and Moana Pasifika on 17 May. He will be available to be selected against Waratahs on 31 May, which is the Blues' last match of the regular season. They have to win all four games to make the playoffs. The 28-year-old has taken up a Japanese club contract , believed to be a three-year deal with Toyota Verblitz, coached by his former All Blacks mentor Ian Foster. The move also puts the 19-test All Black's future for the national team in some doubt. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
25-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Super Rugby Pacific: Blues slump to loss against Reds, leaving title defence in tatters
The Blues have hope yet but after continuing New Zealand's staggering collective inability to win in Australia this season – stretching that barren run to six attempts – they have officially entered must-win territory. With their season on the line, the Blues' 35-21 loss to the Reds ranks as one of their worst performances of the year. From the malfunctioning lineout that lost four throws, to Mark Tele'a's moment of madness, indecision under the high ball, turnovers, blown chances and brittle defence, the Blues seem bereft of confidence. Vern Cotter could clutch for excuses. The Blues were without Dalton Papali'i and Caleb Clarke, and Beauden Barrett started on the bench after battling illness this week. But their basic skills and inaccuracy were alarming for a team that should be title contenders. One of the great frustrations is how the Blues can switch from losing to a match-winning James O'Connor penalty against the Crusaders in Christchurch last week to a performance that suggests they deserve to slip to ninth place. Having suffered their most single-season losses since 2019, the Blues must now claim their four winnable remaining games – against the Force (home), Drua (away), Moana (away) and Waratahs (home) – to scrape into the playoffs. Their failure to secure a losing bonus point in Brisbane could yet prove costly. The Blues will almost certainly be without Japan-bound All Blacks wing Tele'a for the next couple of weeks after he took a solid shot too far. In the 30th minute, with the Blues trailing 14-0, frustrations boiled over when Tele'a hit his opposite wing Tim Ryan hard but then tipped him into an unnecessarily dangerous position, leaving referee Jordan Way no choice but to brandish a yellow card that was soon upgraded to red. While the Blues eventually replaced Tele'a, his actions left them one man short for 20 minutes, and he now faces suspension for the incident. The Reds, down on troops, emerging from the bye and successive defeats to the Brumbies and Chiefs, rode their luck and goal line defence to a first-half lead. They then made the most of their one-man advantage, with Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott delivering the telling blow to expose the Blues' ruck defence. Five-tries-to-three was a fair reflection of the Reds' first win over the Blues in six years, although Cotter's men will rue blowing many chances to strike. After enduring a poor start by allowing Reds playmaker Tom Lynagh to waltz through for two tries in as many minutes, the Blues had ample chances to convert. Four times they crossed the Reds' line without converting, with a mixture of gallant Reds defence and inaccuracy costing the Blues. Finally, just before half time, the Blues defied their numerical disadvantage to break the deadlock with Kurt Eklund barging over after being twice previously denied. Late tries to Sam Nock and Anton Segner merely mitigated the damage, with the Blues returning home empty-handed. With New Zealand teams suffering five losses (three from the Highlanders), the Chiefs' defeat to the Waratahs in Sydney, the Hurricanes drawing with the Force and now the Blues slumping against the Reds, Australia is becoming something of a 2025 graveyard for Kiwi sides.
Japan Times
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
All Black wing Tele'a announces Japan switch
All Blacks wing Mark Tele'a said Tuesday that he will play in Japan next year, depriving New Zealand of a key player ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Tele'a, who has scored 13 tries in 19 Tests and was named World Rugby's breakthrough player of the year in 2023, confirmed the move on social media but did not say which club he will play for or the length of his contract. Media reports have suggested that the 28-year-old will join Toyota Verblitz, led by former All Blacks head coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster. "It's been an amazing ride so many fantastic memories and amazing people. ... But after much thought I have decided from next year I will play my rugby in Japan," Tele'a wrote on Instagram. "Thanks to fellow players, coaches, administrators and fans! for making the past years so special for me, always been grateful and blessed for the journey. "But on to the next chapter for myself much love," he added. Tele'a is the latest All Black to make the switch to Japan's Rugby League One. New Zealand has barred national selection for players if they are not contracted domestically, a rule aimed at preventing an exodus of players and weakening local competitions. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has called for a policy change. A New Zealand Rugby official was reported as saying that Tele'a would be available to play in the three home Tests against France in July. Tele'a made his All Blacks debut in 2022 and started their World Cup final defeat to South Africa a year later. He was part of the Auckland Blues side that won the 2024 Super Rugby title. "A devastating character on the field, Mark's presence in the locker room is just as immense," the Blues wrote on social media.
