Joe Schmidt takes cheeky swipe at Lions centre pairing ahead of Australia test series
AUSSIE head coach Joe Schmidt has aimed a subtle dig at the British and Irish Lions.
The former Leinster and Ireland boss called
Advertisement
2
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt aimed a cheeky dig at the Lions centres
2
Joe Schmidt did go on to praise Bundee Aki ahead of the test series later this month
Both Aki and Tuipulotu were born in New Zealand and Australia respectively, lined out in midfield for the
And speaking ahead of last night's clash, Schmidt appeared to use the moment to highlight the pair's adopted international allegiances.
Connacht ace
Tuipulotu, meanwhile, represents Scotland through his grandmother who hails from Greenock.
Advertisement
read more on rugby
Wallabies boss said: "A southern-hemisphere centre partnership that will be pretty formidable.
'I coached Bundee for several years and know him really well and respect him massively as a player. He's a great contributor to the team environment.
'I've only had glancing conversations with Sione but again, by all accounts a champion bloke.
'You don't get to be captain of a national team without being a great bloke and really professional in those high-performance environments.
Advertisement
Most read in Rugby Union
"They are real athletes, those two together, so that'll be really interesting.'
Debate around the number of overseas-born players in Andy Farrell's Lions squad has intensified in the build-up to the 2025 tour.
'Big weekend' - Peter O'Mahony embarking on hectic gardening project as he aims to add '300 plants'
Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe, along with Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman, all qualified through residency.
Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen are eligible through family heritage.
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
USA trip about more than the results for Ward
Michelle O'Brien holds the distinction of being the only Irish player to score against the USA and she was American-born herself. Ireland are back Stateside this week, preparing for two friendlies against the side ranked first in Fifa rankings, starting late on Thursday night in Colorado (2am Fri, Irish time) and concluding on Sunday in Cincinnati (8pm Irish time). It marks a reunion for English friends Carla Ward, in charge of visitors, and Emma Hayes leading the Americans. They worked together last summer when the USA claimed gold at the Paris Olympics, five months before Ward was appointed as Ireland boss. History and form illustrate this is a mismatch. Ireland lag 24 places behind their hosts in the global listings and are missing a clutch of regulars, including captain Katie McCabe. Transatlantic relations have contributed to 16 friendlies between the nations' women's team. All 16 went the way of the Stars and Stripes. O'Brien's goal in the 5-1 thumping back in 2004 at Soldiers Field marks Ireland's sole goal. Ward's first objective as Ireland boss of promotion to League A didn't go to plan as Slovenia snatched top spot, leaving them with a playoff against Belgium in October to join the top 16 nations in next year's World Cup qualifiers. These friendlies were scheduled within that context. 'The result is not what we're going after,' admitted Ward, after settling into the team hotel, preparing for a game in 100 degrees of heat and at 1,600m of altitude. 'We'd be foolish to say we are coming here to win these games of football but we have to look bigger than that, where we're at and trying to build. 'We've got quite a young squad here so there will be a few players we'll look at across both games naturally. 'We have to make sure we put ourselves in a position to be competitive. So across the two games, I'd like to think we can have a look at a decent amount of players.' US-based players Denise O'Sullivan and Kyra Carusa will join up on Monday with a squad that's increasingly showing a proportion of players without clubs. Heather Payne and Aoife Mannion are in that boat too, the latter staying home despite appearing in a 7-a-side tournament for Manchester United at the end of May. 'I'm not surprised there are an amount of players without a club - that is normal for this time of year,' stressed the former Aston Villa and Birmingham City manager. 'There are a lot of people who are having conversations with clubs. 'I'm quite hands-on by speaking to a lot of the players and I understand who is potentially going where. There is no concern. This is normal for this time of year, unless you are on a two- or three-year deal. 'Aoife has had a difficult year. She struggled with a few injuries towards the back end. She is exhausted. And we have to look after people on a human level as well. It's not about flogging them. It's about looking after them.'
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Colin Sheridan: The Lions as a modern concept is utterly idiotic
If the British and Irish Lions tour didn't exist, would we invent it? Let us, for a moment, imagine a committee of highly-paid rugby executives – all pale of face and plummy of accent – gathered around a mahogany table in Twickenham, plotting their next great adventure. This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Take us with you this summer. Annual €130€65 Best value Monthly €12€6 / month
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Watch moment Pope Leo is gifted special GAA jersey in the Vatican as sport hailed for bringing people together
THIS is the moment Pope Leo was gifted a special GAA jersey in the Vatican for the Jubilee of Sport. Three members of the Advertisement 2 Pope Leo gifted GAA jersey during audience at the Vatican Credit: RTE And Catherine Hallinan and Niamh Ryan, from Ireland, and Katie Molloy, from New York, who have been living in Rome for a number of years, attended the mass which closes the Jubilee of Sport. The event took place on June 14 and 15 and invited thousands of athletes of all levels, backgrounds, and sports to "reflect on the role of sport as a source of resilience and fraternity". Niamh Ryan, who is originally from Ballybricken village in Co Advertisement Read more in Sports Niamh, who is a teacher, has enjoyed a brilliant GAA career with her home county. Speaking to RTE, Niamh said: "For me, the GAA lives out the Jubilee of Sport theme through its strong emphasis on teamwork, which helps bring people together. "We have six different languages on our team so the game unites this group of people together, despite your background or wherever you come from." Catherine added that the GAA is more relevant today than ever. Advertisement Most read in Irish News Originally from Clonmel in She said: "There are as many GAA pitches as churches in Ireland. IRISH IDENTITY "The GAA and our religion went hand in hand in keeping the Irish identity alive through a long, and at times, troubled history. " Advertisement Catherine also said that she was thrilled to hear the Pope mentioned her home country during his greetings at the Vatican. She added that, as Pope Leo has a special jersey, he can now be an honorary member of the GAA. Katie Molloy said: "We were able to pass on our special Jubilee of Sport jersey. We got the Jubilee logo printed on the sleeve, written 'as gaeilge'." 2 Catherine Hallinan, Niamh Ryan and Katie Molloy caught the Pope's attention last week Credit: RTE Advertisement
