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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
British and Irish Lions paint Dublin red but Argentina leave Aviva Stadium victorious after entertaining battle
THEY painted the town red but Argentina ensured the Lions were left looking the worse for wear. The Lions' livery was here, there and everywhere in the Aviva Stadium with the players' shirts the same hue as those who had spent too long in the sun, testing the robustness of their liver. 3 Fans got the memo as the Aviva Stadium was a sea of red 3 Bundee Aki made up one half of a powerful centre partnership with Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu 3 Argentine triumphed 28-24 Ahead of starting their journey to Australia tomorrow afternoon, Dr Phil administered some painful travel jabs to set them on their way. Dublin is a second home to Felipe Contepomi from his spells with Leinster both as a player and an assistant coach. And the Argentina supremo sure looked comfortable once more in D4 as his side turned the narrowest of leads into an 11-point advantage in the final minute of the first half and later responded when required. Read More On Irish Sport The Lions' second-half comeback was led by the Pumas' indiscipline with Mayco Vivas yellow-carded and a penalty try awarded within six minutes of the restart after a maul had been dragged to the ground. Further punishment was to follow during the prop's time in the bin when Tadhg Beirne touched down after Ellis Genge had broken through the opposition defence. There will be no panic for Farrell yet. After all, this was only the first of six warm-up games for the Lions before the first Test against Joe Schmidt's Wallabies in four weeks' time. Throw in the fact that 10 Leinster players - Tadhg Furlong and Rónan Kelleher were the only ones involved here - will come into the mix and his options will suddenly look a lot stronger. Most read in Rugby Union Bath duo Will Stuart and Finn Russell, as well as Ollie Chessum of Leicester Tigers, were also excused because of club duties as recently as last Saturday, also sat this one out. Even so, it was an England-dominated team, with some of the cheering for their names when they were announced suggesting it was being done with a sickly taste in the mouth. 'Cried like a baby didn't ya-' - Watch Andy Farrell embarrass Ireland star over reaction to Lions call-up Certainly, it did not match the welcome extended to first-time Lion Finlay Bealham and 2021 tourists Beirne and Bundee Aki. Beirne was the first to make an impact, collecting Argentina's kick-off and then turning the ball over inside the first 80 seconds. But it was the South Americans who took the lead with Tomas Albarnoz kicking the first three of his 16 first-half points with five minutes gone. The Lions thought they had scored the first try of the game when Luke Cowan-Dickie went over following a maul and an earlier Duhan van der Merwe carry. Referee James Doleman awarded the try but reversed his decision after he saw a replay of the hooker dropping the ball over the line. They did level when Sione Tuipolotu forced a penalty - with Fin Smith splitting the posts - after Argentina had turned the ball over following a good move involving Van der Merwe and Tommy Freeman. SLICK VISITORS But Santiago Carreras helped send Ignacio Mendy away with the winger stepping inside van der Merwe before sliding it, although Albarnoz could not add the extras. The combined side had another try - with Tuipolotu ploughing his way through tackles - chalked off because of earlier knock-ons, the first by Argentina. From the scrum, the Lions looked to have butchered a chance on the left when Tuipolotu did not offload to van der Merwe. But they fared better on the right with out-half Smith passing to Aki who barreled his way over the line despite the best efforts of the three opponents. Smith converted to give Farrell's side the lead for the first time but Albarnoz nudged his team back in front with another penalty in the 26th minute. One assumed another penalty in the final 60 seconds would be the final score of the first half but the ball spilled loose inside Argentina's own half. And they reacted faster with Carreras sending Albarnoz on his way. And he had enough time and space to head for the posts to ensure his conversion was a formality. Those 10 points presumably changed the nature of Farrell's half-time instructions as well as the challenge that lay ahead after the resumption. But there was no panic and, as much as their way back into the match was a penalty try, they can argue that was a result of their pressure. And they pressed home their numerical advantage with another try which won the hearty approval from the largely Irish crowd because of the identity of the scorer. What Farrell would have wanted at that point from his charges was to seize control and manage the game. Instead, they continued to struggle to deal with Argentina's ingenuity and opportunism. Former Connacht star Santiago Cordero got on the end of Albornoz's grubber ahead of Marcus Smith. Kelleher, Furlong and Mack Hansen all saw time off the bench but could not turn the tide as Argentina stood up to the Lions' mauling and lived to tell the tale.
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘I started choking up. As he was speaking, I just let it all go, I was proper crying'
Finlay Bealham is already grinning as he settles himself into a chair in the searing Portuguese heat before he begins to recount how he found out he was going to become a Lion.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Is Cannes the Creative Monarchy?
By Binaifer Dulani You don't realise it's an uphill climb until you're halfway through. You're short of breath. The sun's eight degrees hotter than it should be. And just as you wonder if it's all a bit much — you turn the corner. A gust of wind, and there it is: the red carpet. The Lion. Staring down like it always does. Commanding you to make history. You're not out of breath anymore. The Palais has that effect on people. Doesn't matter how many years you've been. The massive pillars still remind you — this is the establishment. The centre of the creative monarchy . And like any monarchy, its relevance will always be debated. Does the entry fee justify the ROI for Indian agencies ? Are the Lions even culturally in sync anymore? Did India's low win count last year really impact business? These are the questions you hear on the very steps of the Palais. Even as folks switch from Palais wi-fi to their hotspot, to know the winners. Me? I've come to think of the Lions as the monarchy. There'll always be a section that argues against its existence. Should we still be funding it with our hard-earned money? Maybe not. Will we be back again next year? Why not. But the allure of Cannes is never just the metal. It's the people. The ideas. The ones who make you sit up and rewire a little. So let me take you on a tour across the Palais, the Rotund Stage, The Terrace and the beaches around… At the LBB Indie Forum, I watched Micah Walker (of Bear Meets Eagle on Fire) own the room with the kind of first principles thinking we rarely see anymore. An outcome-based pricing model. No retainers. No fine print. Just skin in the game — every single time. And his biggest advice to new agencies? What you say no to will define you more than what you say yes to. Then, at the Lumiere Theatre, a completely different kind of luxury was being redefined. Heralbony. Not a charity. A full-blown design powerhouse built around licensing artwork created by individuals with intellectual disabilities. What started as a deeply personal mission is now a business working with Toyota, Starbucks, and even Pepsi. And what makes their aesthetic distinctive? Pattern repetition — a design language that stems naturally from the neurodivergent mind. The session closed with a live art piece by Satoru Kobayashi. We all wrote down a single word of hope. He turned it into an artwork. (Guess what my word was.) I wandered next into a session with the Uncensored CMO — a podcast I've been glued to lately. He asked the existential: Advertisers or creators — who has the last word? It was hard to ignore just how much of our future will be written by models like The New Thing — Talented's very own cousin, part of its grid of companies. Their work sits at the intersection of creator economy fluency, brand building , and measurable impact. The data backed it too — showmanship doesn't just drive brand love. It converts. This was bottom-of-the-funnel, hard-nosed, commercial thinking. The night ended with awards. And here are some pieces that made an indelible impression on my mind. From Ogilvy Shanghai's Make Love Last — a pharma category breakthrough that deserves its own film school. To Caption with Intention, which brought the entire room to applause — in sign language. To Budweiser's One Second Ad — a masterclass in media compression. To Nike's Winning Isn't Comfortable — copywriting in its most physical form. To Hyundai's Night Fishing — which makes you wonder how work, that painful and brilliant even gets commissioned. Brazil may be Country of the Year. And honestly, it's hard to argue — the work is unreal. But India's presence is undeniable. From Lucky Yatra, to The Hidden Eye Test. Ink of Democracy to The Too Yum Hack. And a personal highlight — Talented's win for Britannia's 100-year legacy. Its first ever break at Cannes Lions . Still so much more to see. Still so many 'Holy f***, why didn't I think of that' moments to come. And thank God for that. (The writer, Founding Partner & Creative, Talented, is an attendee at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. Views expressed are personal.)
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Record-breaking Lions talent Henry Pollock is all set to take Australia by storm
Pollock's swaggering confidence and an unstinting self-belief beyond his years combine with a natural flair for getting under the skin of his opponents You'd be forgiven for thinking Henry Pollock was born in Bundaberg rather than Banbury, because in many ways he is a prodigious, swashbuckling talent straight from Aussie central casting. Swaggering confidence and an unstinting self-belief beyond his years combine with a natural flair for getting under the skin of his opponents. He even has the makings of a very strong mullet and is every bit the viral baller – the sort you love to play for you but hate to play against. Think David Campese, but with muscles. Pollock's journey from schoolboy rugby to becoming the youngest forward to play for the British & Irish Lions since 1968 may seem meteoric – he's played barely 40 games at senior level – but it comes as no surprise to him or anyone who knows him. 'It's been mad, the last year's just come so fast,' he said. 'It's been crazy and I'm just trying to enjoy every moment of it, take it all in, and just enjoy rugby and enjoy the moment. I've got a great family unit around me and I always look to them and friends whenever I'm on my own or in a dark space. 'I'm just working hard and giving everything to my rugby now, no distractions. I'm trying to put more muscle on, working on attack and defence, and across my whole game. I'm definitely not the finished article, so there's definitely more to come. 'I'm here to play Test rugby, that's what I'm pushing for, but I'm also trying to enjoy the journey and just take in all the moments that come with being a Lion.' Those who played a part in Pollock's journey universally speak of his single-mindedness to improve, pushing himself in every training session, beyond the limits of most team-mates. His strength and conditioning coach at Northampton, Jason Sivil, has witnessed the 20-year-old's hard work with awe. He has bulked up to over 100kg and can squat 230kg for three reps and bench press 140kg. His aerobic capacity means he can cover the lung-burning 'broncho' – a 1200-metre shuttle run dreaded at clubs up and down the country – in just four minutes and 25 seconds. 'He always wants more, always wants another challenge. All Henry wants to do is push himself further and harder,' said Sivil. Pollock's memories of the last Lions tour to Australia in 2013 are sketchy – though in fairness, he'd only just started playing for the minis at Buckingham Swans, where his first coach, Nick Glister, was quick to identify his raw promise. 'I just remember how strong he was, and super-fit too,' he recalls. 'He was confident, a bit cheeky and very local, but a great team-mate. You could see he was a natural leader.' Former Northampton player Grant Seely helped take Pollock's game to the next level at rugby institution Stowe School, while he joined the academy at Saints in his early teens, crediting coach Will Parkin as his biggest influence. However, it wasn't until his Sixth Form that those guiding his career realised his potential to become a generational player for club, country and – though perhaps a little quicker than even they thought – the Lions. Pollock, like the Wallabies' brilliant rugby league convert Joseph Sua'ali'i, will arrive in Australia as one of the most talked-about players in the game, such has been his rapid ascent. Some might label him a 'bolter' – but in truth, when his name was revealed to fans by Andy Farrell at London's O2, there were universal nods of approval and not a single arched eyebrow of surprise. In the last 12 months, he has won the Under-20 World Cup and scored two tries on his England debut against Wales, quickly glossing over the fact that, with two Scottish parents, he grew up preferring a thistle to a rose. He has forced his way into Farrell's selection thoughts not just on the strength of his personality, but the power of his play. Players may be tracked to the inch by their GPS data, but Pollock's game is about more than just those cold, hard metrics – which is perhaps why Maro Itoje, when asked to describe him in one word, couldn't decide between 'annoying' and 'pest', while being quick to add it was meant as a compliment. 'I'm going to be the nuisance, I'm going to get up in your face because I'm at my best when I'm confrontational, that's just key to my game,' adds Pollock. 'I'm aggressive – it's been that way since my brother and I were in the back garden and we both liked to win. I'm not looking for trouble, but I'm not shying away from it either. I'm still grafting and still really learning my game.' And this is more than just fighting talk, as anyone among the 6,000 at the Stoop for his England A debut last November will testify. Towering Aussie flanker Tom Hooper had given the then-teenager a couple of cheeky digs in an attempt to assert some authority, and Pollock wasn't having it. Despite the height, weight, age and experience difference, he stood up to the Exeter-bound blindside flanker, hurling his scrum cap across the pitch as a scuffle ensued. Following a stern word from the referee, Pollock jogged back to his team-mates with a broad grin – mission accomplished. And then there are the celebrations: the basketball lob, or now-trademark 'pulse' – two fingers held to the neck as if to check for signs of life. Australian rugby has a proud history of showmen, including current star Nick Frost, arguably the Wallabies' most athletically gifted lock forward since the great John Eales. Pollock might be from half a world away, but he is cut from similar cloth. Hard work has got Pollock to this point, but genetics have helped too – he credits his mum, Hester, with instilling his love of sport, with swimming and triathlon taking equal focus alongside rugby in his early teens. 'My brother, sister and I just all lived for sports – there was no pressure on us, we just played without fear or commitment,' he added. Of course, being the youngest tourist brings additional responsibilities. Pollock will have sole guardianship of the stuffed toy Lion, aptly named 'BIL', and there are serious consequences should it go missing – not easy when more experienced hands have been known to steal and hide him at every available opportunity. 'I'm thinking of sewing an AirTag in him,' joked Pollock – a very Gen Z solution to a tradition that started in 1950, with now-captain Itoje taking the role eight years ago in New Zealand, a challenge he jokingly described as more stressful than battling the All Blacks. Pollock isn't sure he's going to get much support from Northampton team-mates Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith in his quest to keep 'BIL' safe, but there is no doubt about the tight bond between the four Saints. 'It's so nice to have the boys with me – they're some of my best mates,' he added. 'It's so special to do this with them. They're amazing players and they deserve this. I'm just so happy for them and so happy to be there with their journey, and just looking forward to seeing them rip in.' Rip in? He just might be an Aussie after all.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Heavy load-ready Ford Ranger Super Duty priced, but…
Powered by a detuned version of the 3.0-litre Lion turbodiesel V6 engine, the Super Duty will go on-sale in 2026 and has so far not been approved for South Africa. Ranger Super Duty has been priced, but only be available from 2026. Image: Ford Australia While only set to go on-sale next year, Ford has revealed the previously unknown powertrain details of the first-ever Ranger Super Duty, as well as the newcomer's price tag in Australia. Shown in April as not only the most work-focused Ranger ever made, but the first non-F-Series to wear the Super Duty name, the newcomer slots-in between the 'regular' Ranger and F-150 in the Blue Oval's bakkie line-up, albeit only Down Under for now. The differences Described as a 'purpose-built truck designed for heavy-duty use', the Super Duty will initially be offered as a chassis cab in single, Super and double cab bodystyles and, as its description states, without the fitting of a factory loadbox. A traditional Australian-style steel tray can, however, be had, but only as an optional extra. ALSO READ: This is it: Hardcore work-ready Ford Ranger Super Duty revealed As depicted by the April launch model though, a factory loadbin-equipped Super Duty will be offered, but only later in the year and solely for the double cab with the XLT trim designation being applied. Super Duty will sold as standard without the depicted steel tray. Image: Ford Australia. Compared to the standard Ranger, the Super Duty's exterior changes comprises a steel front bumper, a new grille, wider wheel arches, a new bonnet complete with Super Duty lettering, wider mirrors, a standard snorkel and a steel underbody protection bashplate. Underneath, the Super Duty sports a strengthened chassis, revised suspension, a long range 130-litre fuel tank and unique 18-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tyres. Hardcore fundamentals Known by now to have a tow rating of 4 500 kg, a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 4 500 kg and gross combined mass (GCM) of over 8 000 kg, new information confirms a wading depth of 850 mm versus the normal Ranger's 800 mm, as well as the following payload ratings: Super Duty range will start off with the single cab. Image: Ford Australia single cab chassis cab: 1 982 kg; SuperCab chassis cab: 1 896 kg double cab chassis cab: 1 825 kg Differing further is the ground clearance ratings at 299 mm for the single, 297 mm for the SuperCab and 295 mm for the double cab. Detuned V6 Besides the only interior change being an on-board scale display integrated into the 12-inch SYNC 4A infotainment system, as well as the Super Duty script on the passenger's side of the dashboard, up front, Ford has made the 3.0-litre Lion turbodiesel V6 available as the sole engine option, but in detuned form. Bar the Super Duty script on the dashboard, no immediate interior redesign has taken place. Image: Ford Australia Reported in April as the only option considered for the Super Duty, the unit now produces the same 154 kW as the bi-turbo 2.0-litre Panther engine instead of its regualr 184 kW, but retains the same 600 Nm torque figure. As per usual, the only transmission option is the 10-speed automatic co-developed with General Motors. Price hint On the colour front, five hues have been made available: Arctic White, Command Grey, Shadow Black, Aluminium Silver and the Super Duty-exclusive Seismic Tan. A sixth, Traction Green, has been lined-up for later in the year. With the mentioned double cab-only XLT to arrive later, the three-model Super Duty range, as with the standard Aussie-market Ranger, will be produced in Thailand rather than at the Silverton Plant outside Pretoria where the South African-spec Ranger is made. As such, no plans are currently in place to bring the Ranger Super Duty to market anytime soon. Ranger Super Duty chassis single cab – $82 990 (R971 454) Ranger Super Duty chassis SuperCab – $86 490 (R1 012 424) Ranger Super Duty chassis double cab – $89 990 (R1 053 394) Note: All prices are directly converted into Rand without the various taxes included. Additional information from ALSO READ: Date set: Ford Ranger Super Duty showing itself on 4 April
