Latest news with #summerTour
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gregor Townsend selects Lions-bound duo for Scotland clash with Samoa
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend revealed Rory Sutherland and Ewan Ashman are keen to play a full part against Samoa before heading off on British and Irish Lions duty. Townsend has selected the pair in his front row for Scotland's final summer tour encounter in Auckland on Friday. Advertisement Darcy Graham has already linked up with the Lions and Glasgow prop Sutherland and Edinburgh hooker Ashman will join him with a view to playing in next Tuesday's match against a First Nations & Pasifika XV. Townsend said: 'The fact we're playing Friday night and they can get to Melbourne on Sunday, the same time as the Lions are arriving, as long as they are available to train on Monday and be available for the game on Tuesday, there won't be any real consideration on game time. 'We hope every one of our players come through fit but Ewan and Rory were very keen to play.' Darcy Graham has joined up with the Lions (Jane Barlow/PA) Townsend was delighted with the additional Lions recognition, which took the number of Scots selected to 12, including the injured Zander Fagerson. Advertisement 'Especially for Darcy to go there now and be part of the Lions squad, building up to the first Test and then getting a really good run at potentially being involved in that midweek game,' he added. 'And the other two guys, they were buzzing when I passed on the news to them that they were going to be getting a phone call from the Lions and the players were really pleased for them as well. 'Maybe it's not in the front of their minds because they've been preparing for a Test match this week but I'm sure their focus will turn to the Lions as soon as Friday night is over.' Townsend has made five personnel changes following the 29-14 defeat by Fiji. Gregor Brown returns from injury to start in the second row while Andy Onyeama-Christie is drafted into the back row after Jamie Ritchie dropped out with a foot injury. Advertisement Rory Hutchinson and Stafford McDowall form a new centre partnership in place of Cameron Redpath and Tom Jordan, who suffered a fractured hand against Fiji. Arron Reed replaces Graham with Kyle Steyn swapping wings. Ben Muncaster is back from injury but has to settle for a place on the bench alongside uncapped Glasgow prop Fin Richardson. 'While there's a lot of changes, some of them were outwith our control,' Townsend said. 'But we've looked to put our strongest team out. We were disappointed with the result at the weekend and we want to finish this tour with a real strong performance and finish on a high from a playing point of view because off the field it's been excellent. Eden Park will host Scotland's Test against Samoa (David Davies/PA) 'We feel very privileged to be playing in such an iconic and historic stadium, Eden Park. It will be a great atmosphere, a noisy crowd, you'd mainly imagine supporting Samoa. It's one of the most iconic stadiums in world rugby. Advertisement 'A great opportunity for us to play a proper Test match in that stadium and finish the tour on a real high.' Townsend earmarked two main areas of improvement. 'The contact area,' he said. 'Just being more ruthless in that area, quicker in support, ball-carrying, working harder on the floor, just not allowing the opposition any opportunities to get the ball back. 'And our discipline. Discipline can be a number of things that the referee can call you up on, but not being offside, just giving them a bit of space, that would be the first one that we can fix.'
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wales aim to change Leitch opinion after heat comments
Summer tour second Test: Japan v Wales Venue: Noevir (Misaki Park) Stadium, Kobe Date: Saturday, 12 July Kick-off: 06:50 BST Coverage: Watch live on S4C and BBC iPlayer; listen live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sounds; text commentary and highlights on BBC Sport website and app. Advertisement Wales are hoping Japan captain Michael Leitch will not see the tourists struggling in the Kobe heat on Saturday. Leitch said the Wales players were "blowing" and "the guys in the red shirts were feeling it more than us" during the latter stages of Japan's 24-19 victory in Kitakyushu. Conditions are expected to be very humid in Kobe in the second Test match with with the Noevir Stadium having a retractable roof that is expected to be closed as Japan look to complete a first series victory against Wales. "Their captain came out after the game and said a few things," said Wales scrum coach Adam Jones. Advertisement "So hopefully we'll pay heed to that and hopefully he'll have a different opinion of us after the game on Saturday." The match kicked off at 14:00 local time in the mid-afternoon session with this weekend's start time 50 minutes later. The extreme conditions resulted in three-minute water breaks being introduced in each half and an extended half-time interval of 20 minutes, with players wearing ice caps to keep cool. "It was sensible around World Rugby, giving the water breaks," said Jones. "It was touch-and-go whether that was going to be the case but there was enough stoppages and ball-in-play time wasn't massive." Advertisement The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) lobbied to change the kick-off time but Japan and head coach Eddie Jones had their wish of when the game started. "A lot of it was made around Eddie having the time [he wanted]," said Jones. "If I remember correctly, Wales played the same sort of time in the last summer tour when we were in Japan. So I am sure Eddie was not up to his old tricks." Before arriving in Japan, Wales tried to prepare the players with sessions in a special heat chamber. "It was hot for both sides, we've done as much as we can, being in Wales, it's not as if we're living in Dubai," said Jones. Advertisement "You can put the boys in the heated chamber, have them wearing extra layers of stuff, but it doesn't replicate that." Seeking scrum clarity The Welsh set-piece struggled in the Japan heat as the visitors' scrum initially had the upper hand before the hosts took control. Jones says he has sought clarity of some of the interpretations of referee Damian Schneider, with the more experienced English official Luke Pearce taking charge in Kobe on Saturday. "It was frustrating I didn't pick up on what they [Japan] were doing, it's hard when you're not in there," said Jones. Advertisement "I've had a few positive phone calls and chats with the people we need to speak to around this type of stuff, so hopefully it'll be a bit different on the weekend and looked at in a different way. "We need to be better ourselves, we'll change a few bits around and hopefully we put a better performance on the field. "I'm pretty analytical. I won't be ranting or raving. I'll make sure we get back to what we need to do and get the process that gives us the best chance of being dominant." Japan kept their front-row trio on for 80 minutes in the searing sunshine. Advertisement "They were technically good," said Jones. "We were bigger, as in bigger men, heavier men, but certainly across the back five of the scrum, there was a lot of weight constantly through the whole course of the game."
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
What did we learn from Scotland's win over Maori All Blacks?
Head coach Gregor Townsend was delighted to see Scotland's summer tour "start on a positive" with a 29-26 win over Maori All Blacks in New a hard-fought non-cap international, the visitors' tries came from Harry Paterson, Arron Reed and two either side of the interval from George lead dwindled to three points with 10 minutes to go but a largely callow team held on under some fierce pressure."The Maori are a quality side and we decided to put a team out that wasn't as experienced knowing that it'll be a great development and learning experience for them," said Townsend."But we also wanted to win this game and we're so pleased that we did and how we set that win up in the first half – how clinical we were. "And then the pressure around set-piece and our defensive effort at the end saw us through. So, we're really pleased that the tour starts on a positive."So what were the key takeaways for Scotland from a bruising contest in Whangarei? Smith shows best on Scotland return It was hard to pick a player of the match given the gladiatorial efforts in defence, but it was Ollie Smith's contribution in attack that means he was the cream of the first assist came at a time where Scotland were struggling to break down the Maoris blitz defence, but his perfectly weighted kick put Paterson second, another stab in behind, was another great grubber and set up Reed. He managed both of these feats despite being lined up for several terrifying this after 21 months in absentia through injury. Scotland aren't blessed with depth in the back three right now, making his return timely. Onyeama-Christie adds weight to starting argument It almost seems cruel that at the age of 26 Andy Onyeama-Christie only has eight Scotland his best, there is very little to choose between him and Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge, or any of the plethora of Scotland's back-row Smith, this was his return to the international stage after a horrendous injury and, also like Smith, he made a faultless transition back to the big matched the Maoris ferocious physicality, noised up his opposition and was busier than an ant at a picnic. The kind of player fans take to instantly. Missed chances to put the game to bed The stats at half-time showed that the Maoris had dominated ball possession, territory on the field, metres made - yet it was the Scots who led were, for the first 40 minutes, clinical. Reminiscent of the attacking accuracy of the Six Nations, back-line moves were carried out with precision and Horne's second try will go down as one of Scotland's knew they couldn't truck it up the middle, instead they waited to pick holes in behind the home defence and used their kicking game expertly. That's where Smith, Adam Hastings and Horne all had other opportunities to score, though. More points should have been taken when the Maoris were down to 13 men at the start of the second half, while the red-zone entry in the final 10 minutes lacked are up next and might not let the Scots off so easy, and those World Rugby ranking points are so crucially important if they want to progress out of the World Cup pool stage.
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Maori All Blacks 26-29 Scotland: What Townsend said
Gregor Townsend thinks his side's win over the Maori All Blacks put "a marker down" for the rest of the summer tour, as they prepare to take on Fiji and Scots were pushed all the way in the uncapped international, dragging victory out of the fire with a huge defensive set to deny their hosts a late score."It's a marker put down from a group of players," Townsend said. "I was just so proud of the effort tonight, especially at the end of the game."That effort at the end - 28 or 29 phases in defence, a man down, defending your goal line... the players showed what playing for Scotland means for them."Although they didn't win caps, Townsend handed debuts to three players - tighthead prop Fin Richardson, number eight Alex Masibaka, and Kiwi-born stand-off Fergus Burke."[Alex] has lit up our training sessions, he's got a real point of difference. I loved how confident he was today, taking quick taps, being physical in defence."[Fergus] was excellent when he came on, from a defensive point of view. Him and Jamie Dobie were two people really involved in that counter ruck that got us the ball back."Even though [Fin] is not getting a cap, that was a Test match today, up against a quality side. The front row did a really good job, grew in confidence as the job went on."Up next for the Scots is Fiji in Suva, before a return to New Zealand where they play Samoa at Eden Park in Auckland."We know next week is a tougher challenge, we're playing a team ranked in the top 10 in the world, who've got unbelievable individuals throughout their side, playing at home in a lot warmer conditions than we had today," the head coach added."But it's a great way to start the tour and if we can see that effort, that physicality from the players next week, that alignment in how we want to play on this tour, then it should set us up."
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Rock legend is unrecognizable as he enjoys a rare outing in LA... can you guess who it is?
A rock legend was seen embarking on a rare excursion in Los Angeles last week while enjoying the hot summer weather. The star is known as the lead vocalist for an iconic hard rock band that jumped to fame in the 70s and 80s. In 1985, the performer decided to focus on a solo career and temporarily left the group - and has released six studio albums on his own. The music artist reached a milestone when he was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. He is also set to kick off a summer tour later this month which will come to an end in mid-September. But can you guess who it is? The star is known as the lead vocalist for an iconic hard rock band that jumped to fame in the 70s and 80s - who is he? It is David Lee Roth, 70 - the former lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen, which has dropped hits such as Jump and Why Can't This Be Love. The star was seen on an errand run last week on Thursday while sporting a pair of dark brown overalls as well as a jacket layered on top. He added a black shirt underneath and slipped into a pair of brown boots to complete the overall outfit. Roth additionally wore a light green cap on top of his head and loosely tied a colorful handkerchief around his neck. David was born on October 1954 in the city of Bloomington, Indiana - but later moved to Pasadena, California with his family when he was a teenager. In his later teen years, the star had begun to follow his passion for performing on stage with solo gigs and was also in a band at the time called Red Ball Jets. While attending Pasadena City College, Roth first crossed paths with brothers and fellow musicians Eddie and Alex Van Halen. The siblings were part of their own band called Mammoth - which David eventually became the lead singer for. The group was officially formed in 1973 under the changed name of Van Halen. The star was seen on an errand run last week on Thursday while sporting a pair of dark brown overalls as well as a jacket layered on top The star was seen stepping out of a sleek black SUV as he enjoyed his solo outing in Los Angeles During a past interview with Howard Stern, Roth opened up about choosing the name Van Halen - and also revealed that another potential name had been Rat Salad, per American Songwriter. 'Let's make something that's going to have some longevity to it, that has a little bit of shadow, and a little mystery,' he had expressed to the group at the time. 'You're not sure what a Van Halen is. It's like Santana. That could be the name of a place, it could be the name of a person.' The original members of the rock band had included David, drummer Alex Van Halen, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony. In 1978, the group released its debut studio album Van Halen which landed the number 19 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. The following year, their second LP Van Halen II was dropped and contained other hits such as Dance The Night Away. The band continued to create albums over the next four years including Women And Children First (1980), Fair Warning (1981), Diver Down (1982) and 1984 (1984). 1984 was a critical and commercial success for Van Halen, and the LP peaked at the number two spot on the billboard 200 - where it stayed for five weeks. Some tracks on the album included Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher. The next year, Roth left the band following creative differences with other members and wanting to pursue a solo career. His debut solo studio album Eat 'Em And Smile was released in 1986 - and was a success for Roth. When he left Van Halen, Sammy Hagar replaced Roth as the lead vocalist for the band. But in 2007, Roth reunited with Van Halen for a tour which came to an end the following year and reportedly raked in $93 million. Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen had also been a part of the performances. In 2012, the band later went on tour once again which was called A Different Kind Of Truth Tour - and was also in support of the group's LP of the same name. Roth previously revealed that his favorite album that the band released was the first LP that dropped in 1978. 'That's the one that came "no mind"; it happened because we played for years in the clubs and the bars. That's where you really sharpen that without thinking,' David explained, per Far Out Magazine. 'You know, you're playing to make the mortgage, the rent for the apartment, so to speak. When you go into the studio, it is so completely familiar.' He continued, 'You're, what's the term in theatre? You're "off-book." You are so "off-book" that you know it better than your home phone number.' The singer later added, 'When you are so "off-book," it means you don't have to read the script. You know every syllable, and you don't think about it at all. 'Your mind is somewhere else entirely, "no mind." You become the studio, and you play the music. Your whole mind is on where the music is going to be, where it's going to sound, etc...' Eddie Van Halen - the band's original guitarist - passed away in 2020 following a battle with cancer. At the time, his son Wolfgang said in a tweet: 'I can't believe I'm having to write this but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. 'He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a heart is broken and I don't think I will ever fully recover from this loss.' Roth also paid tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen by penning, 'What a Long Great Trip It's Been..' KISS member Gene Simmons also shared, 'My heart is broken. Eddie was not only a Guitar God, but a genuinely beautiful soul. Rest in peace, Eddie!' Back in 2021, Roth announced his retirement - but revealed this year that he is going on a summer tour beginning on July 22 in Paso Robles, California. He shared the dates to his Instagram page back in May - and will take to the stage in other cities throughout the U.S. such as Tampa, Atlantic City, Kansas City and San Diego. The concerts will officially conclude on September 14 in Napa, California.
