Latest news with #WillGreenwood
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Irish rugby legend Ronan O'Gara gets POOED ON live on Sky Sports after Lions' epic comeback win over Australia
RONAN O'GARA was given an unwelcome gift by a bird while LIVE on air. Irish rugby legend O'Gara was working as a pundit for Sky Sports during the Advertisement 5 Ronan O'Gara was pooed on by a viewer flying by 5 Will Greenwood pointed out the new coat decoration on his arm 5 The poo landed on his left arm 5 Fans and the rest of the panel had a laugh at the 48-year-old's expense 5 O'Gara had a stunned reaction as he tried to find the white spot However, a winged viewer flying by decided that the 48-year-old's coat needed some extra decoration. And while he stood alongside colleagues discussing Hugo Keenan's last-gasp winning try, Will Greenwood spotted that O'Gara had been POOED on. He said: "Oh a bird has just pooed on Ronan." The group then shared a laugh at O'Gara's expense as he frantically tried to find where Greenwood had pointed it out. Advertisement READ MORE IN RUGBY A voice can then be heard saying: "That's lucky for some but not for Ronan." Fans behind the panel also poked fun at O'Gara for the unfortunate incident. Greenwood then adds: "La Rochelle are going to win the European Cup." O'Gara eventually laughs off the incident, though we expect his coat to receive some TLC to remove the poo. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union Breaking BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK And while the unusual present might not be seen as too lucky by O'Gara, the Lions certainly did find some luck in their match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They moved 2-0 over Australia in the series, but only after coming back from 26-17 down in the 53rd minute. Australia 26 British and Irish Lions 29- Historic Test series whitewash on the cards as Lions complete epic comeback Keenan's late winner has now set the scene for a potential clean sweep when the sides clash again at the weekend. Advertisement
The Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Irish rugby legend Ronan O'Gara gets POOED ON live on Sky Sports after Lions' epic comeback win over Australia
RONAN O'GARA was given an unwelcome gift by a bird while LIVE on air. Irish rugby legend O'Gara was working as a pundit for Sky Sports during the British and Irish Lions clash with Australia earlier today. 5 5 5 5 5 However, a winged viewer flying by decided that the 48-year-old's coat needed some extra decoration. And while he stood alongside colleagues discussing Hugo Keenan's last-gasp winning try, Will Greenwood spotted that O'Gara had been POOED on. He said: "Oh a bird has just pooed on Ronan." The group then shared a laugh at O'Gara's expense as he frantically tried to find where Greenwood had pointed it out. A voice can then be heard saying: "That's lucky for some but not for Ronan." Fans behind the panel also poked fun at O'Gara for the unfortunate incident. Greenwood then adds: "La Rochelle are going to win the European Cup." O'Gara eventually laughs off the incident, though we expect his coat to receive some TLC to remove the poo. And while the unusual present might not be seen as too lucky by O'Gara, the Lions certainly did find some luck in their match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They moved 2-0 over Australia in the series, but only after coming back from 26-17 down in the 53rd minute. Keenan's late winner has now set the scene for a potential clean sweep when the sides clash again at the weekend.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Live Lions v Australia: Lineups and latest updates before second Test from the MCG
26 July 2025 9:32am 9:31AM Will Greenwood on Sky Sports "Last week there was a tomorrow, tonight there's no tomorrow" 🗣️ Will Greenwood on the pressures for Australia to keep the series alive 🇦🇺 — Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 26, 2025 9:22AM The 'G! What a location to host the second Test! You can see from this image below the scale of this sporting colosseum, which has a capacity of 100,00, and it will be packed to the rafters today. It is also where England's cricketers will be on Boxing Day later this year in the midst of an Ashes series. 9:18AM Telegraph Rugby Podcast Go beyond the back pages and join the Telegraph's rugby experts and big name guests as they tackle the game's most interesting trends, themes and talking points. Our unrivalled rugby coverage, now available on the move! New episodes out after every Lions match this summer. Follow the Rugby Podcast Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. 9:14AM Lions tour schedule Friday 20th June: Lions 24-28 Argentina Saturday 28th June: Western Force 7-54 Lions Wednesday 2nd July: Reds 12-52 Lions Saturday 5th July: Waratahs 10-21 Lions Wednesday 9th July: Brumbies 24-36 Lions Saturday 12th July: Invitational AU 0-48 NZ VS Lions Saturday 19th July: Australia 19-27 Lions (First Test) Tuesday 22nd July: First Nations and Pasifika XV 19-24 Lions Today: Australia vs Lions (Second Test) Saturday 2nd August: Australia vs Lions (Third Test) 9:08AM So much on the line? Australia have to win to keep the series alive and former Wallaby Tim Horan has expressed just how significant today's game is: I reckon this is the most important rugby test match for the @wallabies since the 2015 World Cup final. So much at stake for our game. 90,000 at the MCG. — Tim Horan (@TimHoran12) July 26, 2025 9:05AM Teams Joe Schmidt is boosted by the return of Rob Valetini and Will Skelton in the pack. Despite their impact off the bench a week ago, Tate McDermott, Angus Bell and Carlo Tizzano remain on the bench. Australia starting XV: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Harry Potter, 10 Tom Lynagh, 9 Jake Gordon; 1 James Slipper, 2 David Porecki, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 4 Nick Frost, 5 Will Skelton, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (captain). Replacements: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Tom Robertson, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson 21 Carlo Tizzano, 22 Tate McDermott, 23 Ben Donaldson. Bundee Aki replaces the injured Sione Tuipulotu at inside centre, Andrew Porter comes in for Ellis Genge at loosehead prop and Ollie Chessum replaces the injured Joe McCarthy. Owen Farrell is on the bench. British and Irish Lions starting XV: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje (captain), 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan. Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 James Ryan, 20 Jac Morgan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Blair Kinghorn. 9:01AM Can the Lions seal the series with a game to spare? The British and Irish Lions have the chance to wrap up the series as they head to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground to take on Australia in the second Test. Andy Farrell's men won the first Test 27-19 in Brisbane last weekend, a scoreline that flattered Australia considering the Lions' dominance for the first hour. It has been a chaotic week in the build-up to this second Test. Joe McCarthy, who started in the second row in the first Test, has been ruled out with a foot injury whilst Sione Tuipulotu, in the city of his birth, misses the game due to a hamstring injury. Ollie Chessum replaces McCarthy and Bundee Aki comes in for Tuipulotu. Garry Ringrose was set to start at outside centre but has had a recurrence of a concussion. In a non-injury enforced change, Andrew Porter replaces Ellis Genge at loosehead prop. Owen Farrell has been named on the bench as has Blair Kinghorn. The Lions had their final midweek fixture of the tour on Tuesday, beating a First Nations and Pasifika XV 24-19 in Melbourne. Speaking ahead of the second Test, Andy Farrell has shared his excitement about playing at the MCG and the opportunity for his side to 'create a bit of history'. '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. Everyone saw the quality they have in Brisbane and we know we will have to be a lot better than we were last week. The opportunity to play in front of 100,000 supporters at the MCG, one of the world's most iconic stadia, is what makes Lions tours unique and special. We know our Lions supporters will get behind the team and create a fantastic atmosphere. 'We thoroughly believe that we are way better than what we showed [in the first Test], and we have got another chance to prove that. We are the privileged ones that get the opportunity to do something special and hopefully create a bit of history. There is a determined Australian side that is going to try and stop us doing that, so it is a hell of a test. No other Lions have done back-to-back victories of tours of the same country. So, due to the good work of the 2013 touring party, we get the privilege to be in a position to try and accomplish that.' As Australia look to bounce back from the defeat last weekend and keep the series alive, they are boosted by the returns of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini to their pack. Speaking ahead of the game, Australia head coach Joe Schmidt know his side will need to improve to keep the series alive going into the third Test in Sydney. 'The squad has recovered well after a very physical first test and the week's preparation here in Melbourne has allowed us a bit more time together. We took some confidence from the second half last week, but we know we will need to improve further against a Lions team that will bring plenty of fire to the contest on Saturday night.' Will the Lions wrap up the series or can Australia take it to a decider next weekend? Kick-off from the MCG is at 11am BST.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Are the Lions there to entertain or win?'
Former British and Irish Lion Will Greenwood, speaking on 5 Live Breakfast: "Why didn't the Lions keep up the intensity? Because it's not an aggregate score."You have to get to two. If you've got them beaten, then you start to think about next week."The reality is, they know where they can get to. You don't need to win by 50."You just need to make sure you win. Are they there to entertain or to win? They're there to win another series, which they don't do very often."But they need to put the Aussies away. We were 1–0 up in 2001 and lost."There's a chance, if Rob Valetini is fit and Will Skelton comes back in for the second Test. They lost the gainline."It's a real worry for the series and for Australia hosting the Lions, if they go down with another whimper."
Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
We reunite Will Greenwood with doctor who saved his life on Lions tour
One of the most memorable moments of the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 1997 was a harrowing one. In a tour match against the Free State in Bloemfontein, Will Greenwood was knocked unconscious after his head smashed into the rock-hard ground. It was over to Dr James Robson, a Lions legend in his own right, to treat Greenwood, who had swallowed his tongue and was struggling to breathe. The incident was captured in intimate detail in the Living with Lions documentary, ensuring it has gone down in folklore. 'Gentlemen, thank you so much for making time for this, it is an honour to be able to facilitate this reunion and to relive one of the most poignant moments in the history of the Lions.' 'It's going to be a very one-sided interview because I don't remember too much!' 'James, let's start at the beginning.' 'The 1997 Lions tour was one of the most special. I remember going up to the Highveld, we flew up for the midweek game between the first and second Tests, against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. One of the striking things was the temperature. It was a roasting hot day. 'The other thing is that it appeared we were playing on a ground that was like green concrete. The pitch was so hard. It was one of the fastest games I think I've ever witnessed, the speed from both sides because of the conditions was phenomenal. Will was playing fantastically well.' 'The lads had won the first Test, and we flew up to Bloem knowing that we had to keep winning to keep the tour going. Mum and Dad had flown over from the UK that day. Now the players all have short-sleeved jerseys. In the old days you had a decision to make. They were all long sleeves. You either left them long or cut them off with scissors. I always cut my sleeves off. 'But on that night, Allan Bateman had been out for a warm-up. He told me not to cut my sleeves off because it was a bit dewy and he knew how I liked to carry the ball and thought I might get a bit more purchase with the moisture and fabric of the sleeve. Lo and behold, the sleeves that I did not cut off, were the sleeves with which I was whipped around in the tackle by Jaco Coetzee, the Free State No 8. It was the last thing I remember.' 'In the tackle Will had been whipped around and struck his head on the ground. 'Typically, he had been injured on the furthest side from the medical team, so we had a bit of a trek to run on. Luckily Rob Wainwright was playing. Rob was a medic in the army, and he administered the first aid to Will, putting him into the recovery position.' 'Backy [Neil Back] stood over me and said: 'You should have passed, you greedy t---.' That was how it was reported back to me!' 'The beauty about medics and rugby players is that black humour is entirely acceptable. I remember running on to Will and he was having what looked like a fit, he was shaking and sort of convulsing a little so that was scary for those of us around him. I remember taking him off the pitch on a stretcher and as we approached the touchline, I distinctly remember Will's mum saying: 'William, William, what have you done?'' 'When I am a bit p----d now, my lads take the mickey out of me by saying, 'William, William, what have you done?!'' 'You do feel for parents, you feel for loved ones when they see their loved ones being taken off injured. Will had lost the ability to maintain his airway, so the tongue tends to slip back. I don't like the term 'swallow your tongue'. If you are lying back the tongue can slip back, which is why Rob put you in the recovery position. 'We got into the medical room, and I was struggling to maintain his airway and I kept thinking any minute now a more senior doctor will come and relieve me. It was automatic. My instinct was just to maintain his airway. Get oxygen on him, get him to a place of safety and get help. It is only in the aftermath you think about, 'What if?' 'Fortunately, he decided to wake up. I remember his mum coming to the door of the medical room and vaguely said, 'He's fine', lying through my teeth.' 'I've watched the video, and I wake up when she whispers in my ear. I come around and I don't know whether I was rude to her, but she says, 'He'll be fine now, he'll be fine'.' "Has he broken his neck?" I never knew my Mum had said that until 15 minutes ago and this happened in 1997. I have never brought myself to watch the DVD. When you are shouting and screaming at players just remember they are part of a family who just want their kids to be safe.. — Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) July 30, 2021 'How did you keep the airway open?' 'We can do a jaw-thrust manoeuvre. If you are conscious and someone does it, it is incredibly uncomfortable. When you are unconscious it doesn't matter, you just bring the mandible forwards and that brings the tongue forwards, and it opens the airway. It is a life-saving manoeuvre, there is no doubt about that, because if you lose your airway, you are not going to last too long.' 'How long was I out for?' 'That is difficult to say. It seemed like an eternity. You were out long enough for the time we administered help on the ground, then got you on and off the stretcher the full length of the pitch and into the medical room. So, you are talking for a few minutes there. He ended up in the neurosurgical unit, that's how serious it was.' 'In the old days you didn't leave the field with concussion because it meant you were out for 21 days. My dad is 83 now, and he tells the story of me in the back of the ambulance, and I sat bolt upright on the gurney. 'Dad, dad, tell them it is my hamstring', I said, because I didn't want to miss the second Test. Now I don't know whether to laugh or cry.' 'Fortunately, things have changed now, players will own up to concussion, players around them will say, 'Doc, he is not right, you need to get him off'.' 'I remember waking up in a Bloemfontein hospital, lifting the sheets and wondering why I had a Lions kit on. I couldn't work it out. I also remember calling out, 'Oh, my shoulder' and hearing an Afrikaans accent say, 'Don't worry Mr Greenwood, you banged your head'. It was actually my shoulder that gave me problems next season, not my head. Amid the stress to save my life, I had actually also sprung my AC [acromioclavicular] joint. I also noticed my gumshield was in my sock. Who put it there Robbo?' 'I think it was Rob. Nowadays we would leave it in unless it was causing an obstruction but in those days, we tried to clear the airway.' 'The Lions team went back down to Durban straight away to prepare for the second Test. I stayed on with Will. I remember going back the following morning and they said you had been complaining about your shoulder but that it was quite common for people with head injuries to think they have injured something else. But you actually had injured your shoulder.' 'Did you take me back?' 'Yes, we went down on the plane. Now I think we should have stayed up for another day or two.' 'I can't remember any of that. I spoke to my missus every day for three days. We had only just started going out back then. When I finally came around, at least in my head anyway, I told her I was so sorry I hadn't called her. She said, 'What are you talking about? We have spoken for an hour and half every day'.' 'That shows the gravity of the head injury. I felt more reassured when I saw him the following morning, I must admit, I was still anxious, but I knew it was in a place of safety. You rely on your secondary-care colleagues and when you're abroad, you're relying on people that you've never met before. But medics are medics the world over. We share a close bond. I've got regrets. As I say, I wish that I stayed another day in Bloemfontein and that would have made the plane journey a little bit less worrisome. But Lions tours are special, and these guys that play for the team are extra special.' 'My dad gave me a score for every single game that I played for England and the Lions. I got a double plus for something special, then a plus, a zero for neutral and a minus. My score in the World Cup final in 2003 was 88.6 per cent – I missed one tackle, I made one s--- pass and one knock-on – it still really p----- me off. I say this because we chased the perfect game. 'The irony of ironies, this game was the closest I ever got to the perfect game. I scored 99 per cent. I had one neutral touch, but no negative touches, like Robbo said, we flew out of the blocks and took them apart. Brendan Venter was my opposite man and he sent me his shirt after the game because we hadn't been able to swap it. It was a really nice touch.' 'Did you go back home then?' 'Yes. I remember being in Durban watching Jerry Guscott kick his drop-goal and drinking far too much alcohol after being told to have six months without alcohol. Fran Cotton [the Lions manager] had played with my old man, and he said I could stay. But I was uncapped and didn't really know what the form was. I just felt I was a spare part. Now I would have stayed. It is one of my great regrets. Instead, I went to the Henley festival and watched the third Test on a big screen.' 'Yes, I hadn't watched the incident back until we had a 25 th anniversary of the tour. We did a whole heap of interviews in the build-up to the reunion and they surprised us on a call by showing it to me. It knocked me for six. Not for myself, but I just felt sick watching it for my mum and dad. 'As a rugby player you have to feel you're invincible. You feel invincible. The docs and the medics, they make you feel invincible. I remember thinking it was just a blur, and suddenly I was in Henley watching the third Test and I had not really said goodbye and thinking, 'S---, I should have done'. Hopefully through the years I have said thanks quietly and privately. I am hugely grateful to James for what happened that night.' 'I love the job that I've done. I'm proud to say that I've been there and stood at the pitch-side to look after a lot of these boys. It's a job that I wish I could continue to do, but at some point you've got to hand over the reins. His name crops up every now and again, sometimes he is after tickets, other times he's just asking me how I am. I'm just glad for Will's sake that everything worked out well.'
