Latest news with #Tuipulotu
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Sione Tuipulotu fitness update as one player left ‘devastated' by missing out on Test selection
Tourists seeking rare whitewash in series in Australia 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... The British and Irish Lions' quest to whitewash Australia has been reinforced by the return from injury of Joe McCarthy, Sione Tuipulotu and Mack Hansen, but Garry Ringrose will play no part in Saturday's final Test. McCarthy, Tuipulotu and Hansen are in contention for the Sydney showdown after missing Saturday's 29-26 victory over the Wallabies that clinched the series with a game to spare. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad All three have completed their rehab for their respective foot, hamstring and foot injuries and took part in Tuesday's low-key training session. Sione Tuipulotu, right, celebrates with head coach Andy Farrell and Bundee Aki (L) after the British & Irish Lions beat Australia in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to clinch the series. Tuipulotu missed the match through injury. (Photo by) However, Ringrose has been left 'devastated' as the 12-day minimum return-to-play protocol for concussion means he will miss the entirety of a series which he entered as first choice outside centre. The Ireland star self-reported his concussion symptoms shortly before the team for the second Test was named last Thursday, resulting in his withdrawal from the starting XV. 'Garry was playing some amazing rugby throughout this tour,' attack coach Andrew Goodman said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's been a dream of his for so long to represent the Lions and he's managed to do that, but he wanted to be a Test-match Lion so it's been devastating for him. Sione Tuipulotu of British and Irish Lions goes over for the first try of the match despite the efforts of Harry Potter of Australia the Lions' win in the first Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. (Photo by) 'He's disappointed for himself, but he's getting around everyone and making sure he helps prepare everyone as much as he can.' Tuipulotu, the Scotland centre, scored a try in the Lions' victory over the Wallabies in Brisbane in the first Test but missed out on the Melbourne match through injury, with Bundee Aki taking his place. Andy Farrell announces his team for the third Test on Thursday and must decide to what extent he should freshen up his matchday 23 given they went toe to toe with the Wallabies for 80 gripping minutes at the MCG. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is also the question of whether to rotate in players as reward for those who have missed out so far in the series, but Goodman has discounted this approach. 'It will be the best team available to win the series. That might look like some changes, that might look like consistency,' he said. 'You've got to reward form when guys have been playing well and are match-hardened in those Test matches. It is a balance.' The Lions celebrated their success with friends and family for two days but have now hardened their resolve to become the first side to record a whitewash since the 1927 visit to Argentina and first side to go unbeaten in the Tests since the 1974 expedition to South Africa. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's huge. It's everything for us as a group to get excited about,' Goodman said. 'It was 1974 the last time a Lions team went through the Test series unbeaten, so there's huge motivation for the group. 'Andy has been massive on that since the start, his expectation not just of the players but us as management and coaches to be the most successful team. 'It has been driving us not just as players, but as a management group every day to get better every day and push each other forward.
7NEWS
24-07-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Sione Tuipulotu ruled out of ‘crazy' Wallabies-Lions homecoming in Melbourne with hamstring injury
The absence of Melbourne product Sione Tuipulotu and the return of veteran Owen Farrell are two of the changes to the British and Irish Lions squad to face the Wallabies in the second Test. Tuipulotu, who started in the centres in Brisbane, has been left out of match-day 23 altogether, with Irishman Bundee Aki preferred at No.12, as the Lions try to wrap up the series in Melbourne on Saturday. Tuipulotu, who grew up in Melbourne before shifting to Scotland where he captains the national side, reportedly has a hamstring injury. 'It is kind of crazy,' the 28-year-old said just days earlier. 'To go back to Melbourne this week and hopefully play in front of my family ... the stars have aligned for me.' Four days after captaining the Lions in the midweek win over the First Nations and Pasifika, Farrell, the son of coach Andy Farrell, will make his first Test appearance since the 2023 World Cup after being named on the bench. Farrell made three changes to the starting line-up that won the first Test 27-19, with lock Joe McCarthy unable to overcome a foot injury, with Olli Chessum the new face. Andrew Porter will start at loosehead ahead of Ellis Genge, forming an all-Irish front row. Aki will partner Scotsman Huw Jones in midfield, while the back three of Hugo Keenan, James Lowe and Tommy Freeman is unchanged from the first Test. Coach Farrell said they were expecting a 'massive reaction' from the Wallabies after their disappointment at the 27-19 loss in the opening match in Brisbane. 'We have put ourselves in a good position after the first Test, but we know there will be a massive reaction from this Wallaby team,' Farrell said in a statement. 'Everyone saw the quality they have in Brisbane and we know we will have to be a lot better than we were last week.
Scotsman
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scotland's 28-year Lions wait is over as talisman provides Hollywood moment in Lions win
Sione Tuipulotu of the British and Irish Lions celebrates his try against Australia in the first Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. | Getty Images Tourists one win away from first series win since 2013 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... When Sione Tuipulotu sat down with a handful of journalists after Glasgow Warriors' first home game of the season last September he made clear his ambitions for the campaign ahead. Being selected for the Lions' tour of Australia would, in his words, 'be the biggest thing ever'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I would love to have an opportunity to go over there and play them with a bit of unfinished business,' said the centre from Victoria who turned out for the Junior Wallabies but had to leave his homeland to fulfil his full international ambitions. Sione Tuipulotu of the British and Irish Lions celebrates his try against Australia in the first Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. | Getty Images On Saturday in Brisbane, Tuipulotu realised his goal and became the first Scotland player to score a try for the Lions in a Test match in 28 years. In doing so, he set the tourists on the path to a 27-19 victory over Australia at Suncorp Stadium, a result that makes them overwhelming favourites to win a series for the first time in 12 years. The Glasgow Warriors player emulates Alan Tait, the last Scot to score a Test try for the Lions on June 21, 1997, the year Tuipulotu was born. It has been a long wait but the mantle has passed from one world class centre to another. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tait had Gregor Townsend inside him during the series triumph in South Africa; for Tuipulotu, it was Finn Russell pulling the strings, and he did it superbly. Having got the Lions up and running with a nerve-settling penalty in the second minute, the Scotland stand-off then brought the game to life. He firstly put Dan Sheehan into space with a delightful flick of the wrists. From the next phase, he took control, crabbing his way into space before delivering a Hollywood pass to Tuipulotu which missed out at least three Lions team-mates. Tuipulotu gathered gratefully, scored and celebrated in the same way he did after his try against the Wallabies at Murrayfield in November, arms stretched out ahead of him. Point proven. Opening try-scorer Sione Tuipulotu of the British and Irish Lions celebrates with team-mate Finn Russell. | Getty Images Huw Jones, the third member of the Lions' all-Scottish midfield axis, might have been feeling left out but he made his presence felt in the 19th minute. Unfortunately, for Jones his 'try' was disallowed. The outside centre had been tackled by Max Jorgensen a yard short but managed to recover and get over the line. He had not released the ball, though, and although the try was awarded initially, it was chalked off after a TMO check. Lead didn't reflect Lions' dominance Jorgensen, one of the few bright sparks for a hugely disappointing Australian team, dragged the home side back into the game with a try from nowhere when he beat Hugo Keenan in the air and surged for the line. That cut the Lions' lead to 10-6 but Tom Curry increased their advantage before half-time with a score from close range after a period of sustained pressure. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Russell, who converted Tuipulotu's try, was on target again and the Lions went into the changing rooms 17-5 ahead. It was a lead that didn't truly reflect the tourists' first-half dominance. Australia were hanging in there but they were clearly second best, and their rookie fly-half Tom Lynagh was struggling. At one point, he tried to tackle Tuipulotu and just bounced off him. Huw Jones of the British and Irish Lions dives over to score, only for the try to be disallowed on review. | Getty Images By contrast, Russell and Jamison Gibson-Park were running the show for the Lions. Their kicking game was excellent, pinning the Wallabies back in their own half. Special mention too for the back row of Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan who more than justified their selection. Russell nailed it from the touchline The Lions scored their third - and final - try a minute into the second half and effectively killed the game. Russell and Jones were both involved as Curry stole an Aussie lineout which went over the back. Jones made good yardage and when the ball was recycled he passed it on to Curry who played in Dan Sheehan to score in the corner. Russell nailed the conversion from out on the touchline to push the visitors 24-5 ahead and leave Australia with a mountain to climb. To their credit, they found fresh impetus from the bench and came good in the last quarter, scoring tries through Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott. By that point both Tuipulotu and Russell had departed, replaced by Bundee Aki and Marcus Smith, respectively. The Lions lost some of their cohesion and were grateful for the breathing space Smith's penalty gave them in between the two Aussie tries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The winning margin in the end was only eight points but the Lions will head to Melbourne next weekend with the wind in their sails as they look to clinch the series. Teams and scorers Scorers: Australia: Tries: Jorgensen, Tizzano, McDermott. Con: Donaldson 2. Lions: Tries: Tuipulotu, Curry, Sheehan. Cons: Russell 3. Pens: Russell, M Smith. Australia: T Wright; M Jorgensen, J-A Suaalii, L Ikitau (A Kellaway 68), H Potter; T Lynagh (B Donaldson 61), J Gordon (T McDermott 59); J Slipper (A Bell 49), M Faessler (B Pollard 49), A Alaalatoa (T Robertson 64), N Frost, J Williams (T Hooper, 59), N Champion de Crespigny (C Tizzano 66), F McReight, H Wilson (capt). Lions: H Keenan; T Freeman, H Jones, S Tuipulotu (B Aki 58), J Lowe; F Russell (M Smith 66), J Gibson-Park ( A Mitchell 74); E Genge (A Porter 48), D Sheehan (R Kelleher 62), T Furlong (W Stuart 58), M Itoje (capt), J McCarthy (O Chessum 43), T Beirne, T Curry (B Earl 58), J Conan.
Scotsman
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Sione Tuipulotu opens up on Australia rejection, debt to Scottish rugby and rooming with Finn Russell
Glasgow centre fuelled by 'chip on shoulder' as he returns to Melbourne 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... 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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. Sione Tuipulotu celebrates after scoring the first try for British and Irish Lions in the first Test win over Australia at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. (Photo by) 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad '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.' Scotland trio (from left) Huw Jones, Finn Russell and Sione Tuipulotu celebrate after the British & Irish Lions victory over Australia in the first Test match of the series. (Photo by) 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad '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.
The Age
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘There is still a chip on my shoulder': Tuipulotu ready to seal the series in Melbourne
The last time the British and Irish Lions played a Test in Melbourne twelve years ago, a 16-year-old Sione Tuipulotu watched his younger brother Mosese as a proud flag bearer at Docklands Stadium, before cheering on the Wallabies as they squared the series. Next Saturday, Sione will return to Melbourne for the first time in at least three years with the chance to win a Test series against the country he grew up in. But he's keen to stress, it's not personal. 'I think if you asked me when I first moved from Melbourne I would say 'yeah, it is personal and I think there is still a chip on my shoulder',' Tuipulotu said. 'I feel like that's what has got me to this point is having that chip on my shoulder, but in terms of being bitter about Australian rugby I feel like not at all, mate. 'I always say I wasn't good enough to play for the Wallabies when I was in Melbourne, it wasn't a selection problem, I wasn't good enough. 'That's plain and simple but I owe everything to Scottish rugby and now I get a chance to go back to Melbourne and play in my home city and hopefully close out a Test series.' Tuipulotu will have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family at the MCG, including his Scottish grandmother Jaqueline Thomson who famously travelled back to her homeland to catch up with Sione and Mosese ahead of the Wallabies' Test against Scotland last November. In Brisbane, Tuipulotu was reunited with Wallabies centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii whom he tussled with last year in Edinburgh, after the former Roosters star was injured making a tackle.
