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Extra.ie
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
All the Lions hype can be a bit nauseating, but the global game needs a competitive series
It's easy to be cynical about the British and Irish Lions. The whole concept gets hyped up more than a Christopher Nolan movie. You'll hear plenty about 'immortality',' legends' and 'legacy' in the coming weeks. All of it playing out against a background of an epic orchestral soundtrack which belongs in something like Gladiator or Oppenheimer. It can all veer into hysteric at times. And some of the grandiose statements about the Lions can jar a bit, too. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland Yes, it's a long tradition but, make no mistake, this is a brand as well. It's a business venture which is worth a lot of coin. Why else did Warren Gatland's squad depart for South Africa without their famed 'Red Army' in the midst of the Covid pandemic in 2021? It's worth stating that summer series is officially known as the Qatar Airways men's Lions tour of Australia. There are twice as many fans heading for Oz this time around compared to the last tour 12 years ago. Yes, the Lions is a time-honoured tradition but it's also a corporate beast. Again, it's easy to scrutinise up the Lions in the professional era and roll the eyes. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan However, this latest campaign feels a bit different already. It's early days, but we've sensed a slight chance in the vibe around the Lions. There is clearly a buzz in the camp and you could sense that all week from the players and coaches – including Johnny Sexton – who were sent out to speak to the sizeable media presence which has descended on the capital. There is the sense that the Andy Farrell is hoping to bring a bit of old-school back to the Lions. There have been some positive developments on that front. Earlier this week, the Lions media team released the 'Ultimate Test' on Youtube, a behind-the-scenes series which will be released weekly throughout the six-week tour of Australia. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire In terms of raw insight and genuine fly-on-the-wall access, it was hugely encouraging. It was miles away from the bland and ill-fated two-season Six Nations offering on Netflix. If this is a sign of things to come, we could be potentially see the best Lions documentary since the iconic 1997 series chronically the series win in South Africa. A bit of drama and jeopardy would be most welcome on that front. The hosts need to hold up their end of their bargain. The Wallabies – and their Super Rugby sides – were being written off as cannon fodder for most of this current Lions cycle, especially when Eddie Jones was sacked after a disastrous 10-month reign. Joe Schmidt arrived at the 11th hour and the former Leinster and Ireland boss has galvanised the entire operation. The likes of Queensland, the Waratahs and ACT Brumbies have upped their game. Australia are not the near the same class as the Springboks or All Blacks at the moment. But they have more then enough talent to make this series interesting. Everyone involved in the professional game in Australia is acutely aware that this Lions tour is a glorious opportunity to recapture past glories. Rugby union has fallen away behind the likes of AFL and rugby league in the public consciousness. The Aussies are a sport-obsessed nation but rugby union has fallen on hard times. If they can mount a competitive case, or win the series outright, it would have a huge effect on the health of the game across the country. There is also the small matter of a home World Cup in 2027. The Wallabies need to strike while the iron is hot this summer. In truth, every single stakeholder in the game needs this Lions tour to be a success. The professional game is a delicate ecosystem at the moment. Rugby is the sporting equivalent of the Great Barrier Reef at the moment. Professional clubs across the globe are going bust. Big unions such as Wales are struggling to make ends meet. For all the chat about rugby expanding to new markets, breakaway competition and World club competitions, it is paramount that the key nations remains strong. Rugby needs a strong Australian team. There are high hopes that Schmidt's troops can match this potent Lions squad across three compelling weekends. In Joseph-Aukuso Suaali, the 21-year-old rugby league convert who has taken the game by storm, the Wallabies have an attacking weapon which can blow this whole series wide open. Schmidt, as his way, will have every base covered. The Kiwi will have a plan. Again, it all bodes well for a gripping spectacle once this tour gets going. For now, it's about getting the show on the road at Aviva Stadium this evening. This is an early opportunity for this matchday squad to lay down some early selection markers. The sizeable Leinster contingent who only arrived into camp on Monday will already be playing catch-up and Farrell welcomed this development earlier this week. The Lions boss wants every single player to feel the pressure. No doubt, Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose – amongst other Leinster frontliners – will get their chance to impress against Western Force, Queensland Reds and New South Wales Waratahs in the coming weeks. Right now, this English-heavy selection have a great opportunity to stake a claim for Test spots. Ellis Genge, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith could all be set for bit tours. Porter, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell are all supposedly ahead in the pecking order but things can change quickly on a Lions tour. A compelling performance against a youthful and fired-up Pumas side will generate plenty of momentum ahead of the long-haul flight to Perth this weekend. No doubt, plenty of big names will be awkwardly shuffling in their seats if the Lions put on a bit of a show in Dublin. Then again, a repeat of the shaky showing against the same opposition back in 2005 – when a late Jonny Wilkinson penalty secured a late draw – will send alarm bells throughout the squad. That dour performance in Cardiff 20 years ago was a grim omen of what was to come in New Zealand. No pressure tonight, lads. The hype machine is cranking up and once Sky Sports began to flex their broadcasting muscles, Lions-mania will be in full flow. It can all be a nauseating but it's best not to fight it. The Lions, at its core, is a bit of fun. An old-school summer tour against a formidable fore on foreign land. And series wines are nothing to be sniffed at. It's worth remembering that the tourists have been victorious on just two occasions since the game went pro: 1997 and 2013 are the sole triumphs since the amateur days concluded 30 years ago. This could be the most enjoyable and captivating tour in a long time. What's not to like about that?
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
'If you want to be a Lion, you have to adapt or you'll get left behind'
TADHG BEIRNE IS not one of the 14 potential first-time Lions in line to feature against Argentina in Dublin on Friday night [KO 8pm, TG4/Sky Sports], but the Munster and Ireland lock is fully aware the opportunity that lies ahead of him in the coming weeks will have a very different feel to his previous taste of the Lions experience. The 33-year-old was a member of Warren Gatland's Lions squad that toured South Africa in 2021, but it was a diluted, restricted version of what the Lions is meant to be, with the Covid pandemic still very much shaping everyday life at the time. With that in mind, making the cut again this time around in order to feel the real thing proved a big motivation for Beirne across the season. 'Me and Jack Conan had spoken about it very briefly during the Six Nations, how much we both wanted it, just because of experiencing the Covid Lions tour isn't really what it's meant to be,' said Beirne. Beirne speaking to the media in Dublin today. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO 'So when we both got the name called out, that's what I was thinking in my head, that we're going to get the actual experience of what the Lions is actually meant to be about, full crowds, having the fans come over, experiencing that wave of red coming into each city for each game and just the buzz around the place, it's going to be a much different experience and I'm really, really excited about it.' Advertisement Four years is a long time in rugby, and Beirne admits he's a slightly different player to the one who toured in 2021 – where he played six games and came off the bench in two of the three Tests. 'I've probably gotten slower, put on a bit of weight,' he smiled. 'No look, I've learned a lot over the last four years. If I think about that year I probably wasn't getting selected for Ireland at the start of the year, it was a strange time obviously with Covid and the opportunity came to me in the Six Nations and all of a sudden I was in the Lions squad. 'I was kind of playing as a six more than a second row back then, I've been between both over the last couple of years, but if anything I've probably become more settled in the second row spot over the last couple of months, particularly with Munster. 'I like to think, or I've convinced myself anyway, that my game has improved a bit over the last four years just in terms of understanding the game and being a smarter rugby player and particularly in the second row because I've been playing there a lot more, what's expected of me in that role, whether it be for Munster or Ireland. I've definitely got a better understanding of it but still a lot of room for improvement for sure.' He's in the starting team for Friday's clash with the Pumas, lining out in the second row alongside squad captain Maro Itoje. Andy Farrell has already called for his players to hit the ground running in their first outing, and Beirne says there would be no excuse for any lack of cohesion on the night, even if the group are still in the early stages of getting to know each other and learning new systems. 'You're talking about world class players here. We're talking about the best of the best. 'The expectation we would have of each other is that you can adapt to any system you're given and that's the challenge laid in front of us. That's the challenge of being a Lion. Every four years there's going to be a new system, the coach is going to want to play a certain way and if you want to be a Lion, you're going to have to adapt or you'll get left behind. 'I would say if you came in here thinking that you could just play your club system or your country system, then you're probably already at a loss. So I think everyone comes into these things with a massive open mind and look forward to getting to play these new systems, getting to try something new and eager to learn. 'If you're not floating ideas at players in your position, you're already at a loss as well. We're in such a privileged position to come into these environments and learn from one another and get better as rugby players. Adaptation is a big part of that. We all want to be on the same page. 'I think that's what we'll be chasing, that cohesion and connection.' 'Getting to play in Ireland is extra special for us Irish players,' he added. 'The last week and a half has been really enjoyable so looking forward to getting stuck in and playing with some of the new lads.'
The 42
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
No scrum, no win: Leinster set to lock horns with the Bulls
ITALIAN REFEREE ANDREA Piardi will have lots of big decisions to make in the URC final on Saturday evening at Croke Park. And it's likely that some of his most demanding calls will come at scrum time. South African sides have long been respected for their aggressive, powerful, technically strong scrummaging. The Bulls are of that ilk. And over the last two seasons in particular, Leinster have also emerged as a pack who want to scrummage for penalties. In the past, some Irish sides have primarily seen the scrum as a platform to play off, but that mindset has shifted in Leinster. Piardi saw more evidence of that last weekend as he refereed their semi-final win over Glasgow, awarding several scrum penalties in Leinster's favour. 'It's something that had frustrated us over the last couple of weeks,' says Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan. 'Playing against Scarlets [in the quarter-final] in particular, we were told when the ball was at the back just to play it, [even] when we were going forward and it was collapsing. 'I think it has definitely been part of our DNA over the last year or two that we want to be scrumming for penalties, getting access [into the opposition 22] that way and playing off the back of a going-forward scrum. 'Obviously, the Bulls have their own threat. They have the best scrum in the league stats-wise, which is what I was told next door… by a South African. 'But that's their rugby. I'm sure they will have a plan to disrupt our scrum and try and get over the top of us and we'll do similar and bring energy to the scrum. I look forward to the battle on Saturday.' Advertisement Leinster's scrum has been more aggressive in the last two years. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Whichever South African told Sheehan about the scrum stats was right. Data from Oval Insights shows that the Bulls and Leinster are the two best teams in the URC at winning scrum penalties. The Bulls have won 62 scrum penalties this season and Leinster have won 54. But the South African side have conceded significantly fewer scrum penalties – 20 to Leinster's 35. That rate of scrum penalty concessions won't surprise Leinster fans who have watched their pack rather relentlessly go after success in that area. The flip side of being so aggressive is that refereeing decisions can go against you. But play it safe and there is never any reward. Leinster had a good day at the scrum last weekend against Glasgow as tighthead Thomas Clarkson found favour with referee Piardi, so they'll be hoping for more of the same this weekend. Tadhg Furlong remains on the comeback trail, so Clarkson and Rabah Slimani look set to go again as Leinster's tighthead duo, while Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher will be the hookers. It remains to be seen how Leinster configure their starting pack, with Slimani and Kelleher's scrummaging qualities surely tempting. Key man Andrew Porter will start again at loosehead unless Leinster decide to go with the tactic of bringing him off the bench during the first half. Jack Boyle backed Porter up last weekend and could do so again, even if Cian Healy is bidding farewell to Leinster after this game. Leinster scrum specialist Robin McBryde will hope his charges can earn set-piece momentum for their team in this URC decider. Bulls scrum coach Werner Kruger – who previously played for the Bulls, Scarlets, and South Africa – has some serious firepower to work with. Leinster have felt the force of the Bulls on several occasions in recent years, while the Sharks were on the receiving end in last weekend's semi-final. Heavyweight Springboks tighthead Wilco Louw is backed up by the assertive Mornay Smith, that duo providing plenty of power on the right-hand side of the Bulls front row. Loosehead prop Jan-Hendrick Wessels has been one of the most impressive Bulls this season. He made his Boks debut last year and still covers hooker, making two starts there in this URC campaign. The Bulls can call on the dynamism of Alulutho Tshakweni or Simphiwe Matanzima off the bench. Italian referee Andrea Piardi will be in charge for the final. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Johan Grobbelaar is a consistent operator at hooker, where he competes with the more experienced Akker van der Merwe, who has been capped by the Boks. All in all, it's a serious front row unit and the Bulls have a huge scrummaging culture that every forward buys into. Bulls flankers don't tend to hang off scrums; their shoulders are to the wheel. The physical challenge will be similar at the lineout, maul, ruck, and in every carry and tackle. More than anything, Leinster believe that his final is about fronting up. 'I think everything comes off the back of physicality,' says Sheehan. 'You can have the best game plan in the world and it won't go well if your physicality is not right. 'Whereas if you have a poor game plan and get your physicality right, a lot of the time it works.' And Leinster know the Bulls will be honing in on this element of the URC decider. 'You have to brave and put yourself in front of these big fellas,' says Sheehan. 'They'll try to test you. They'll push buttons. It's chat after the ball goes out, it's rubbing your head in the dirt. But you know, you get that on both sides of the ball and I think people enjoy it. I think fans enjoy it. 'I think when you get it right, it's incredibly rewarding to get a win over a South African team. We've experienced that over the years, so I think it's a good battle and it's a good spectacle and I hope there's good excitement building through the week and we get a good crowd there. I think it will be a good game on Saturday.'
The 42
07-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Leinster want excitement but Glasgow can make it a nervy day at the Aviva
IT'S STRANGE TO watch a team come through a high-stakes knock-out game where much of the post-match focuses on the perceived sense of apathy around it all. This was the experience of covering Leinster's URC quarter-final defeat of Scarlets seven days ago. The sticking point was the attendance figure of 12,879 – by no means a miserable crowd, but certainly one which feels miserable when housed inside a near-52,000 capacity stadium. Leo Cullen's post-match pleas for the club to collectively feel 'excitement' about reaching another semi-final today [v Glasgow, KO 2.45pm, RTÉ 2/Premier Sports/URC TV] and for fans to 'please turn out in force' at the Aviva Stadium brought a somewhat bizarre end to the occasion. It's an unusual place for a club to find themselves when two games out from potentially lifting a trophy. But how excited should those Leinster fans actually feel? On the face of it this should be sizing up as a massive few weeks. Leinster have not won the URC since the competition was rebranded and their last trophy came four years ago – a Pro14 final win over Munster, played behind closed doors at the RDS due to the pandemic. The opportunity to see this group of players lift silverware should be all the excitement needed, with the bonus of potentially watching them do that on home soil in Dublin an added incentive. Yet there is no escaping the feeling the URC is very much a secondary prize to the Champions Cup, a competition Leinster have become increasingly obsessed with capturing again since last doing so in 2018. Advertisement Less than 13,000 were in attendance for last week's quarter-final. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO The province themselves have played a central part in this. Players have spoken about the Champions Cup being the competition they judge themselves off. It's also been illustrated in how Leinster have managed their seasons. Think back to the 2023 URC semi-final, where a Munster side desperate for a trophy capitalised as Leinster kept a host of frontliners on ice, given the game fell a week before their Champions Cup final date with La Rochelle. Even this season, where there has appeared to be a greater desire to get over the line in the URC, the big hitters have been largely held back for European Cup action. The real prize. Captain Caelan Doris featured in four URC games before injury ended his season last month. Before last weekend, Jamison Gibson-Park had started four URC games across the campaign, the most recent of which came back in October. Sam Prendergast started five of the 18 regular-season URC games. Andrew Porter had featured in eight, starting three. Hugo Keenan played in five (all starts), Josh van der Flier six (five starts). The list goes on. Leinster are right to be aiming high and being clear in their desire to win the Champions Cup, but perhaps a better balance could be struck. The timing of the two competitions' run-ins is also damaging, with the Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton Saints always going to take the enthusiasm out of the URC knock-outs. Leinster will have an improved crowd at the Aviva today, hoping to hit the 15,000 mark, but the upper tier will remain closed (as was always the plan). It should also be noted this is not too far off what Leinster typically attract for these games: 9,346 for a 2022 quarter-final v Glasgow at the RDS, 11,565 for the resulting semi-final v the Bulls, 14,642 for the May 2023 quarter against the Sharks at the Aviva, over 26,000 for the Aviva semi-final loss to Munster, and 18,000 for a June 2024 quarter-final against Ulster at the Aviva. Yet it all comes in the context of the massive crowds Leinster have been able to attract over recent seasons. The province have typically been excellent at generating interest in their big home games – selling out Croke Park twice over the last year, bringing 55,000 fans there for the Champions Cup clash with Harlequins and regularly drawing large crowds to the Aviva for European games. Tommy O'Brien returns to the Leinster team today. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO The elongated rugby season doesn't help, but it will be interesting to see what type of numbers Leinster could attract should they reach the URC final, which would be held in Croke Park against South African opposition (either the Bulls or Sharks) this day next week. Not that their passage to that final is by any means a given. Leinster cannot expect to face the Glasgow team so comprehensively dismissed in their Champions Cup meeting earlier this year, nor the one that came up short at the Aviva just a few weeks ago. The defending URC champions will come to Dublin sensing opportunity and carrying the momentum of their impressive last-eight win against the Stormers. With only 34% of the territory, Glasgow hit for five tries and a total of 36 points, clocking up 17 clean breaks and 40 defenders beaten. They are punchy, incisive and inventive in attack. This is best epitomised in their brilliant centre Sione Tuipulotu, who shifts to the 13 jersey today, and is hitting form right in time for the Lions tour after an injury-disrupted season. And Leinster are clearly not firing on all cylinders. Their defence was sloppy against Scarlets and their attack struggled for cohesion, while still piecing together some wonderfully-worked tries. Garry Ringrose remains absent, Josh van der Flier misses out with injury while Hugo Keenan also drops out of the 23. The knock-on effect is three changes to the starting XV: Tommy O'Brien on the wing as Jimmy O'Brien moves to fullback, Dan Sheehan coming in at hooker following his game-changing impact off the bench, and Scott Penny replacing Van der Flier at openside. Throw in the absences of Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw, and there's a core of senior players watching this one from the sidelines. Leinster should still have enough to book their place in next week's final, but the margin for error has narrowed again. LEINSTER: Jimmy O'Brien; Tommy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Scott Penny, Jack Conan (capt). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Ciarán Frawley. GLASGOW: Josh McKay; Kyle Steyn (capt), Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe, Adam Hastings, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Gregor Hiddleston, Fin Richardson; Alex Samuel, Scott Cummings; Euan Ferrie, Rory Darge, Henco Venter. Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Rory Sutherland, Sam Talakai, Max Williamson, Jack Mann, Macenzzie Duncan, Stafford McDowall, Jamie Dobie. Referee: Andrea Piardi [FIR]
The 42
03-06-2025
- Business
- The 42
Lancaster is the biggest appointment Connacht have ever made
PAT LAM CAME to Connacht with a strong reputation in 2013, but there's no doubt that Stuart Lancaster is the highest-profile coaching appointed the Irish province has ever made. Lancaster will join after his adventure with Racing 92 in the French Top 14 came to an unhappy and early end, yet his credentials remain impressive. The 55-year-old was recently in the mix for the Australia job, only for the Aussie union to opt for Les Kiss – another man with strong connections to Irish rugby – to succeed Joe Schmidt next year. It was clear that Lancaster was looking to land another top-end job and so, when his name was floated as the possible next Connacht head coach, it initially seemed somewhat unlikely. Someone like Lancaster doesn't come cheap and it appeared that he might be holding out for a role with a bigger club if not a national team. That's why today's announcement from Connacht and the IRFU came as such a pleasant surprise, especially for the western province's fans. They have just endured a frustrating season in which they finished 13th in the URC and exited the Challenge Cup at the quarter-final stage. Former head coach Pete Wilkins had left after an initial period on sick leave and there was uncertainty about next season's coaching ticket. Now, Connacht fans can look to the future with optimism. The province's brand-new training centre is up and running, the redevelopment of Dexcom Stadium will be completed in January, there is lots of exciting talent in the playing squad, and Lancaster seems like the ideal man to help those players fulfil their potential. Advertisement Indeed, this seems like a snug fit for both parties. When Lancaster came in as England head coach and Leinster senior coach, both sides were at fairly low ebbs. He improved their players, energised the organisations, and simply made them better teams. Stuart Lancaster at the Sportsground in 2018. Inpho / Billy Stickland Inpho / Billy Stickland / Billy Stickland He wasn't able to do that at Racing 92. Before moving to France, Lancaster acknowledged that adapting to an entirely new culture would be his biggest challenge and that's probably where he came up short. Foreign coaches need to learn excellent French to thrive in the Top 14 and Lancaster seemingly didn't. It's a cut-throat place. Now, he is back on more familiar ground and will surely be more motivated than ever to prove that class is permanent. The Englishman is a pure coach in that he is obsessed with helping players to improve their skills. Nearly everyone he worked with in Leinster speaks highly of his ability in this regard. His endless enthusiasm for and love of rugby are infectious, and he has the technical and tactical mastery to encourage progress in individuals and the team. There are no doubts whatsoever about his rugby acumen, with the only question marks being around the non-rugby stuff. That's why it seems ideal that Connacht are also bringing in their new general manager of performance, the experienced Billy Millard. His role is wide-ranging and wasn't intended to be directly as part of the senior coaching ticket, but Millard should be able to remove some off-field work such as contracting and succession planning from Lancaster's plate. Every head coach needs that kind of support away from the pitch, but make no mistake – Lancaster will be the boss in Connacht. Unlike in Leinster, where Leo Cullen was head coach, Lancaster's word on all rugby matters will be final in Connacht. He will take control of Connacht's defence, but it would be a surprise if he doesn't also have major input on their attack, even if Rod Seib is coming in from Australia to take on that role. Lancaster has strong ideas on attack, defence, kicking, and pretty much everything else. It is exciting to see how Lancaster's Connacht look. That he has a full pre-season working with the squad is ideal. The province has prided itself on easy-on-the-eye attacking play for a long time and their new head coach has always favoured a skilful and free-flowing approach with the ball. Lancaster has always come across as someone who enjoys a challenging project and that's what he has in Connacht. They have always been underdogs, but there are promising raw materials for him to work with as he joins on a two-year deal. The foundations have been laid off the pitch and young players like Hugh Gavin and Matthew Devine will be delighted to get the chance to work under Lancaster. The same is true of the most experienced men in Connacht's squad, the likes of Jack Carty and Bundee Aki. Lancaster helped many of Leinster's senior players to get better during his seven years in Dublin. He also impressed lots of coaches within the province by sharing his knowledge through coaching courses or the video seminars he held during the pandemic. Most people Lancaster meets are left impressed by his knowledge of the game. Lancaster had a difficult time with Racing 92. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO This is a big coup for Connacht but also for the IRFU, who directly employ the head coaches of the four provinces. The union's performance director, David Humphreys, was right to call this 'a real statement of intent' for Connacht and a 'huge boost' for all of Irish rugby. The IRFU wants and needs all of its provinces to be delivering as many players as possible to the national squad. So while someone like Lancaster comes at a price, his track record suggests that IRFU mission will be strengthened. And for Lancaster, a contract with Connacht that runs until 2027 could leave him in the frame to become Ireland head coach if Andy Farrell leaves after the next World Cup. He evidently wants another crack at international rugby. That's some way down the line. For now, Connacht have landed a serious rugby coach who should make them better.
