Tonight's rugby news as Lions legend dies and France stun England in dramatic finale
Tonight's rugby news as Lions legend dies and France stun England in dramatic finale
The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
England players react after conceding a try in the last minute to lose against France
(Image: PA Wire )
Here are your rugby evening headlines for Saturday, June 21.
Lions and Scotland great McLauchlan dies
Former Scotland and British and Irish Lions prop Ian McLauchlan has died at the age of 83, writes Phil Blanche, PA. 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.
His only Test try against New Zealand in June 1971, when he charged down an attempted All Blacks clearance to touch down in a 9-3 win, has passed into Lions folklore. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Weighing 14st 6lbs when he won his first cap, McLauchlan was regularly able to burrow under heavier tight-head props and give his team a set-piece advantage at a time when scrums were much more prevalent in the game.
Former Scotland and Lions teammate Andy Irvine told scottishrugby.org: "He was some character and some player.
"He was smaller than most props he came up against but I never saw anyone get the better of him.
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"He was so tough, almost indestructible. What a fantastic career he had for Scotland and the Lions. It's very, very sad."
After his playing career McLauchlan, who had been a teacher in Edinburgh, spent a brief spell in rugby journalism before setting up his own marketing company.
He served as a member of the Scottish Rugby Board from 2010 to 2019 and was president of the Scottish Rugby Union between 2010 and 2012.
McLauchlan was also a director of European Professional Club Rugby and played a key role in the transition from the previous competitions overseen by ERC.
France stun England in dramatic late victory
By Ed Elliot, PA
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was sent off on his return from injury as England's summer tour preparations were dealt a major blow during a 26-24 warm-up defeat to a France XV.
The Exeter wing - appearing for the first time since dislocating a shoulder in December - received a 20-minute red card for a high tackle on Les Bleus fly-half Antoine Hastoy in the first half of the non-capped clash at Allianz Stadium.
With 22-year-old Feyi-Waboso facing a suspension, head coach Steve Borthwick is due to name his squad for next month's tour of Argentina and the United States on Monday.
England were at least on course to depart for South America in victorious fashion but, having led by 12 points going into the final 10 minutes, late converted tries from Paul Mallez and Romain Taofifenua snatched success for Fabien Galthie's side in front of a crowd of 34,129.
Scores from Tom Willis, Alex Coles, international newcomer Joe Carpenter and replacement Alex Dombrandt initially turned the contest in the hosts' favour following early efforts from French pair Gaetan Barlot and Hugo Auradou.
With 13 players on Lions duty, hooker Jamie George and fly-half George Ford co-captained an England XV containing uncapped trio Carpenter, Seb Atkinson and Guy Pepper, while there was a long-awaited appearance for Feyi-Waboso.
He was denied a dream start when last-gasp defending caused the ball to squirm loose as he stretched for the try line inside two minutes. France, who are gearing up for a three-Test series in New Zealand, seized the initiative with quickfire tries.
Hooker Barlot finished a lineout maul to punish a pair of infringements from England lock Coles, before full-back Theo Attissogbe broke through Atkinson's attempted tackle to unselfishly tee up lock Auradou after Carpenter lost possession at the breakdown.
On a sweltering afternoon in south-west London, England hit back to draw level at 12-12.
Number eight Willis touched down after persistent French indiscipline initially thwarted sustained home pressure before Coles then bundled over wide on the right following a lineout four minutes later.
The major talking point arrived six minutes shy of half-time.
In desperation to retrieve the ball while chasing his own kick, Feyi-Waboso flung a high arm into the head of France number 10 Hastoy. Referee Hollie Davidson initially showed a yellow card before the sanction was swiftly upgraded to a red on review.
With Borthwick no doubt still contemplating the ramifications of the incident, his side edged ahead in the final minute of the half when Sale full-back Carpenter benefited from Atkinson's superb carry to cross.
Ford, who slotted two of his four conversion attempts across the contest, shanked a penalty early in the second period before Carpenter was denied a second score the game due to Henry Slade's knock on.
France scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec saw a breakaway try disallowed because of an illegal clearout on George in the build-up which resulted in a yellow card for France replacement Cameron Woki, which was subsequently changed to red.
England quickly capitalised on their numerical advantage as Dombrandt darted for the right corner.
France moved to within one score thanks to a late converted try from Mallez - one of nine uncapped players in their match day squad.
Borthwick's men looked to have done enough to hold on for a slender success but the likely loss of Feyi-Waboso was compounded when Hastoy slotted the winning conversion with the final kick after Taofifenua bulldozed over.
Aki: Lions must learn from Argentina defeat
By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent
Bundee Aki insists the British and Irish Lions must recover rapidly after seeing their goal of completing an unbeaten tour of Australia thwarted even before arriving Down Under.
The Lions slipped to a 28-24 defeat against Argentina in Dublin as they lost their tour opener for the first time since 1971, albeit against dangerous opponents whose surgical finishing demonstrated why they are ranked fifth in the world.
Andy Farrell's men fly to Perth on Saturday and have four weeks to find the improvements needed to turn their ambitious but error-strewn performance into a formula capable of toppling the Wallabies.
"Faz set out the aim for us to win every single game. To not be able to come out with the result that we wanted in the first game...this has got to be one of those things that we learn from quickly," Aki said.
"We're adults, we're old enough to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly. Faz gives it to us straight, there's no mucking around or no hiding here, he just tells you how it is.
"There's no point in trying to sulk about it. If we bounce back quickly and try to get better every single day, this will only make us stronger and tighter."
Aki's heavyweight centre partnership with Sione Tuipulotu generated the most excitement in selection ahead of the sold-out clash at the Aviva Stadium, but the combination failed to add up to the sum of its parts.
While the Ireland centre showed his strength as a carrier to surge over in the first half and Tuipulotu had his moments with the ball in hand, together they were unable to link in the way the Lions were seeking and are unlikely to be used in tandem in the Test series.
"We all know how Sione is as a player, he's class. The frustrating thing for me was I wasn't able to connect well with him," Aki said.
"He's an unbelievable player and there's no excuses, we've got to get better as a partnership going forward.
"Whoever plays - Garry Ringrose, Huw Jones, Elliot Daly - as a unit we've got to make sure we gel together and try to get that cohesiveness fairly quickly because we need to be better.
"Sione has been my roomy lately. He snores a fair bit at the moment, so he keeps me up at night! But he's a great man.
"He speaks out loud, which is good because we need him to be himself. I just feed off him and he feeds off me. So it's brilliant, but we've just got to be better and keep learning together."
Aki, fly-half Fin Smith, prop Ellis Genge and wing Tommy Freeman were among those to advance their claims for a spot against Australia in the first Test on July 19, while Duhan van der Merwe and Ben Earl took a step backwards.
Aki admits that when they arise, chances to impress selectors during the 10-fixture itinerary must be taken.
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"When there's a group of 38 players from four different countries, you've obviously got to make sure you perform," he said.
"Every single player that's been picked in the squad has to be able to do a job and if you don't deliver, there are guys who are willing to put their hand up and take that opportunity."
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