The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
Here are your rugby headlines for Sunday, June 22.
Campese rips Lions players apart
Australian rugby legend David Campese has launched a scathing attack on the British and Irish Lions following their disappointing 24–28 defeat by Argentina in Dublin, warning that unless serious improvements are made, they’ll be “toast” when they face the Wallabies next summer.
In a no-holds-barred column, Campese questioned the physicality, tactical nous, and positional selections of Andy Farrell’s side, saying bluntly in his PlanetRugby column: “If they perform like they did in Dublin during the Test series, they’ll be toast Down Under… I’d go so far as to say they’ll lose 3–0 unless they can fix a few things and fix them quickly.”
Campese reserved some of his harshest criticism for Welsh flanker Jac Morgan, whom he felt did not influence the game enough on Friday evening. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
“I had to check to be sure Jac Morgan was even playing,” he wrote. “Yes, he grabbed one good turnover, but when your openside spends 55 minutes on the pitch, makes four carries for six metres, and manages six tackles (one every nine minutes!)… he generally went missing in action in a woeful personal performance.”
By contrast, Campese praised Tomos Williams, another Welshman, for his spark off the bench: “Elliot Daly looked a cut miles above the rest of the Lions backs when he came on, as did Tomos Williams.” But he warned that isolated moments of brilliance weren’t enough to mask the overall lack of intensity.
The former Wallaby wing, who earned 101 caps and is still one of the game’s most outspoken pundits, was particularly scathing about the Lions’ aerial and breakdown shortcomings—two areas he said Australia will ruthlessly exploit.
Highlighting the dominance of Argentina’s Rodrigo Isgro in the air, Campese wrote: “Isgro alone turned over four of the Lions’ kicks and completed every one of his own… I simply can’t understand how Duhan van der Merwe, a man of 6’5”, fails under the high ball in the way he does.”
He also took aim at the Lions’ inability to generate breakdown pressure: “They struggled to get destabilising power into the rucks… the brilliant Argentinian half-backs had an armchair ride.”
Campese questioned several of Farrell’s selections, especially the decision to play Marcus Smith at full-back, describing it as a costly luxury.
“He doesn’t understand the positional requirements and he’s simply too small and light to compete one-to-one… as a starting full-back? Come on!”
He was also baffled by the continued omission of Jack Willis, pointing out the Toulouse flanker’s “Test intensity” and citing his six-turnover performance in the Top 14 on the same night. Recalling the brutal physicality of past Lions outfits, Campese lamented the absence of edge and bite. “They made you feel unwelcome… Was that there last night? Was it hell!”
He concluded with a stark warning that unless the Lions rediscover that fire, they will be blown away in Australia: “Wearing the Lions shirt carries with it a weight of expectation. Those challenges were not met on Friday night.”
Broadcaster’s apology
RugbyPass TV were forced into an apology on Saturday after its live stream of England v France went down.
Viewers were quick to point out that coverage from Allianz Arena Twickenham wasn’t working, with the RFU scrambling quickly to step in and stream the game on their YouTube channel.
A Rugby Football Union spokesperson told Telegraph Sport: “As soon as we recognised there was an issue with RugbyPass we switched to YouTube. We put notifications on our social channels promptly to alert fans to the change. We will have a full replay of the match on YouTube later this evening
“We apologise to fans for the inconvenience caused in accessing RugbyPass.”
World Rugby-owned Rugby Pass apologised, adding: “We are aware of the ongoing issues with the RugbyPass app. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.”
England lost the game 26-24.
Feyi-Waboso ‘gutted’
By Ed Elliot, PA
Steve Borthwick admitted Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is “gutted” after his participation in England’s summer tour was left in doubt by a red card during Saturday’s dramatic 26-24 warm-up defeat to a France XV.
The Exeter wing – playing for the first time since dislocating a shoulder in December – was dismissed for a high tackle on Les Bleus fly-half Antoine Hastoy in the first half of the non-capped clash at Allianz Stadium.
Feyi-Waboso must await the outcome of a disciplinary process to discover the length of his probable suspension.
Head coach Borthwick is scheduled to name his final squad for next month’s three-match tour of Argentina and the United States on Monday before England depart the following day.
“You know Manny Feyi-Waboso well enough, this is a good guy who just tries his heart out and has left the field today and it didn’t go the way he wanted it to, so he’s gutted in the changing room,” said Borthwick.
“Everyone will get around him and we’ll find out about what the situation is in the next 24 hours.”
In desperation to retrieve the ball while chasing his own kick, Feyi-Waboso flung an arm into the head of France number 10 Hastoy in the 34th minute.
Referee Hollie Davidson initially showed a yellow card before the sanction was swiftly upgraded to a red on review as there was deemed to be a high degree of danger with no mitigation.
Borthwick, whose side face Los Pumas on July 5 and 12 in La Plata and San Juan respectively before taking on the USA a week later in Washington DC, refused to be drawn on hypothetical scenarios in relation to Feyi-Waboso’s likely ban.
He expects to discover the outcome before England fly to South America.
“As you know, that’s now going to go to a disciplinary procedure so I’m not going to comment upon it,” Borthwick replied when asked about the tackle.
“The officials made their decision on the day and we’ll see what the disciplinary comes back with.
“Once I have the facts, I’ll deal with that.”
England – playing without their 13 British and Irish Lions – led by 12 points going into the final 10 minutes in sweltering conditions at Twickenham before late tries from Paul Mallez and Romain Taofifenua, converted by Hastoy, snatched victory for France.
Scores from Tom Willis, Alex Coles, international newcomer Joe Carpenter and replacement Alex Dombrandt had turned the contest in the hosts’ favour following early efforts from French pair Gaetan Barlot and Hugo Auradou.
France also received a red card, with replacement Cameron Woki dismissed for an illegal clearout on England co-captain Jamie George just before Dombrandt scored the home side’s fourth try.
Finn Russell addresses Johnny Sexton feud
By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent
Finn Russell has revealed that he buried the hatchet with Johnny Sexton with the help of Andy Farrell as the old foes join forces on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.
Sexton has previously been critical of Russell, labelling him “flashy” and a “media darling”, while adding he would choose Owen Farrell over him against the Wallabies because the former England captain is a “Test match animal”.
And in his autobiography, the Ireland great confessed that it “kills me to this day” that he was overlooked in favour of Russell for the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa.
Now the former fly-half rivals are working together to plot the downfall of Australia, with Sexton acting as the Lions kicking skills coach and Russell in pole position to take the playmaking duties in the Test series.
When they first linked up after the players involved in the Gallagher Premiership and United Rugby Championship finals arrived into camp earlier this week, any acrimony quickly faded.
“It’s just been bit of a craic. It was never a thing. When we came in, we had a laugh straight away and Andy kind of put it to bed so that was good,” Scotland international Russell said.
“Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don’t believe. We’re all here with the same goal, which is to win the series.
“I’ve only been here a few days but it’s been good working with Johnny. I’m happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he’s seeing.
“With the numbers we’ve had, he’s had to jump in sometimes so it’s been quite funny being on the same training side as him.
“It’s good to have a guy with his experience here. I can chat to him and bounce things off him as and when I need.
“All the coaches seem open to conversations and chats. It’s a good environment to be in.”
Australia will be Russell’s third expedition with the Lions, with all three set to be very different experiences.
In 2017 in New Zealand he was part of the controversial ‘Geography Six’, a group of Scotland and Wales players who were called into Warren Gatland’s squad not on merit but because of their close proximity while on summer tours.
Four years later he travelled to South Africa where all matches were played behind closed doors due to the pandemic, denying the Lions their famed ‘sea of red’ support. The Bath ringmaster started the third Test against the Springboks.
“New Zealand was still amazing because it was my first time being called up to the Lions,” Russell said.
“We weren’t there for the whole tour, but to have gone to New Zealand and played was really cool for me.
“And then in 2021 it was special going the whole time, even though it was Covid. We couldn’t have family and friends or fans at the game, but it was still amazing in a different way.
“In terms of the boys, we probably got to know each other a little bit better because it was just us in the hotel and whatnot. I’m looking forward to what this one’s going to be like.”
