More than a decade after he took on the British and Irish Lions as a rising young star, veteran fly-half James O’Connor is going to get another crack after being recalled to coach Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies squad ahead of the series opener at Suncorp Stadium.
Australia 21-18 Fiji: international rugby union Test – as it happened
Wallabies survive scare from surging Fiji at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle
Out stride the two teams, side by side, accompanied by mascots. The visitors are wearing white jerseys and black shorts, the hosts are wearing their First Nations jersey, which is predominately gold, with green accents to match the green shorts.
Angus Fontaine puts it all into context for the Wallabies.
Adventurous attack. Bone-rattling defence. Mistakes punished and opportunities seized. Get in the enemy’s faces and bring the crowd into the contest from the get-go. A ragtag NSW Waratahs gave Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies a bold blueprint for how to dismantle the British & Irish Lions in the first Test on 19 July.
Continue reading...Wallabies pull off epic, last-gasp escape act in big boost ahead of Lions series
A 79th minute try from captain Harry Wilson handed the Wallabies a 21-18 victory against Fiji in front of 28,122 fans at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
Scrappy Lions limp past undermanned Tahs in promising Wallabies signs
Scotland centre Huw Jones crossed twice as a scrappy British and Irish Lions were forced to battle hard in grinding past a second-string NSW Waratahs 21-10 on Saturday, offering the Wallabies a glimmer of hope.
All Blacks hold off depleted France in thriller and Wales slump again in Japan
Wales capitulate to their 18th successive Test defeat
Scotland beat Māori All Blacks; Georgia 5-34 Ireland
Will Jordan scored a try in each half and Beauden Barrett kicked to perfection as New Zealand overcame three cancelled tries to claim a nervous 31-27 win over France in the series-opener in Dunedin.
Fielding only three players from the Six Nations title-deciding win over Scotland, the depleted France side gave Scott Robertson’s team a huge scare in an entertaining match at a sold-out Forsyth-Barr stadium. However, a late Barrett penalty proved enough for the All Blacks to hold on, ending a three-match losing streak against Les Bleus.
Continue reading...Sports quiz of the week: Wimbledon, Euro 2025, Club World Cup and Lions
Have you been watching the football, cycling, cricket, tennis, rugby union, basketball and Formula One?
Continue reading...Star’s 643-day Wallabies exile finally over as Aussies handed big Suaalii boost
Former captain David Porecki will wear the Wallabies jersey for the first time in 643 days on Sunday after being named to take on Fiji in Newcastle as calf injuries ruled out a couple of star Australians.
David Porecki returns to Wallabies team to face Fiji after 643-day international absence
Hooker to partner James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa in front row
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii returns after recovering from broken jaw
The Wallabies have opted for experience in their front row to face Fiji this weekend, with former captain David Porecki called back into the team, 643 days since he last pulled on a gold jersey.
Porecki, 32, was named on Friday in the starting XV for Sunday’s Test in Newcastle, alongside all-time cap record holder James Slipper and 80-Test tighthead Allan Alaalatoa, in a forward pack missing big guns Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, who both have calf injuries.
Continue reading...Massive headache for Lions after star injured during acrobatic try in commanding win over Force
British and Irish Lions face an anxious wait over the fitness of Tomos Williams after the scrum-half suffered a hamstring injury in their commanding 54-7 win over Western Force in Perth on Saturday.
Sports quiz of the week: England v India, Euros, Wimbledon and Club World Cup
Have you been following the big stories in golf, basketball, football, cricket, rugby union and tennis?
Continue reading...Spear and loathing: 20 years since tackle on Brian O’Driscoll that changed rugby
Mealamu and Umaga’s slam-dunking of the Lions captain was typical of the game’s wild west years but it proved a watershed – and the hurt still lingers
Brian O’Driscoll is sick of talking about it. Tana Umaga says anyone still asking needs to put it behind them. But here we are, 20 years to the day since the tackle that ties them together – and people do still want to talk about it.
That moment – in the first minute of the first Test of the Lions series against New Zealand – still pops up on TikTok and YouTube feeds, still sparks arguments on Reddit threads, still leads hour-long podcasts when players reminisce about how they saw it. And it still inspires articles like this one, long after the men involved have made up and moved on.
Continue reading...Immanuel Feyi-Waboso picked for England tour despite two-match ban
Wing shown red card in defeat by France
England play three Tests in Argentina and US
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been included in England’s squad for the summer tour of Argentina and the US despite a suspension that rules him out of two of the three fixtures.
Feyi-Waboso was sent off after 33 minutes of his first appearance in six months during an England XV’s 26-24 defeat by France at Twickenham on Saturday. He endured a torrid comeback, twice dropping the ball before he was sent to the sin-bin for his clothesline tackle on the French fly-half Antoine Hastoy, his yellow card subsequently upgraded to red.
Continue reading...‘If we can be within a score…’: Wallabies coach sets expectations for Lions Tests
Australia coach Joe Schmidt is confident the Wallabies can be competitive against the British and Irish Lions, but he will be wary of a side wounded by defeat to Argentina in a Dublin warm-up.
Ian McLauchlan, Scotland and British & Irish Lions ‘Mighty Mouse’, dies at 83
‘Mighty Mouse’ led his country 19 times, winning 43 caps
Part of successful Lions tours in 1971 and 1974
The former Scotland and British & Irish Lions prop Ian McLauchlan has died at the age of 83. The Ayrshire-born McLauchlan, who was known throughout the rugby world as Mighty Mouse, won 43 caps for Scotland between 1969 and 1979, captaining the side 19 times.
McLauchlan’s legacy was cemented on the victorious Lions tours of New Zealand and South Africa in 1971 and 1974, being one of only five players to feature in all eight Test matches.
Continue reading...Crusaders pile more misery on Chiefs to win 13th Super Rugby title
Crusaders win 16-12 for 32 straight play-off victories in Christchurch
Chiefs were minor premiers but lose third consecutive decider
The Crusaders are again the kings of Super Rugby Pacific after consigning the Chiefs to a third-straight loss in the title decider.
Playing in Christchurch, the Crusaders claimed a 32nd successive play-off home match victory over three decades of Super Rugby as they downed the Chiefs 16-12 in Saturday’s final.
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