The latest rugby news stories from Wales and beyond
Here are the latest rugby headlines on Wednesday, July 2.
Five All Blacks to face Lions
The British and Irish Lions will face five All Blacks in one of the most anticipated matches of the tour, it has been confirmed.
Andy Farrell’s men are slated to play a combined Australia and New Zealand team on Saturday, July 12, with some huge names now being officially announced. Shannon Frizell, Shaun Stevenson, David Havili, Folau Fakatava and Ngani Laumape are all now confirmed to be taking part. Talented Blues prop Joshua Fusitu’a is also included.
The identities of the Australian players are yet to be revealed with Joe Schmidt still trying to work out which players he will definitely want to be part of his Test squad for the series that begins a week later. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
“There is plenty of excitement about this fixture, and that’s been demonstrated by the number of quality international players eager to be involved,” said Rugby Australia Director of High Performance, Peter Horne.
“We are delighted with the quality of the New Zealand contingent announced today and look forward to naming more players as the squad comes together.
“We want this team to entertain the big Adelaide crowd and provide the Lions with a tough contest as they head into their three-Test series with the Wallabies.
“The last time the Lions played a combined Australia-New Zealand side, it went right down to the wire – and we’re hoping to deliver another competitive contest.”
The squad will assemble in Adelaide this coming weekend to prepare for the match, which will likely be the Lions’ sternest test before the main event begins.
Lions warned of shock upset
Former Australia captain James Horwill believes the Lions are in for a big shock against Wallabies, no matter what the bookmakers say.
The tourists are big favourites to win the Test series, which begins on July 19, but Horwill, who was Australia captain against the Lions 12 years ago, believes the underrated Wallabies have the size, pace and X-factor to cause a major upset.
“The expectation of our national team is that they win and win regularly,” Horwill told the BBC.
“We want some good performances and I’m hopeful and confident that the Wallabies can get the job done.
“Depending on how [Wallaby head coach] Joe Schmidt goes with selection, I think we might have size in the back five [second and back rows].
“In Rob Valetini and Harry Wilson we have two genuine world-class eights.
“I think Fraser McReight will be the starting number seven and he is a difference maker for us.
“He’s an out-and-out fetcher but also is that link between the forwards and the backs.
“On the northern hemisphere tour last year, the only game McReight didn’t play was the defeat against Scotland and Australia just didn’t have the same flow, understanding or functionality.
“He’s a key player for us.”
Tour will help unfamiliar squad learn to play ‘the Irish way’
Assistant coach Denis Leamy feels the summer tour to Georgia and Portugal will help the new members of the squad soon settle into “playing the Irish way”.
With 16 Ireland players involved with the British and Irish Lions and regular skipper Caelan Doris sidelined, Munster scrum-half Craig Casey will lead a youthful squad into the two Tests.
Ireland tackle Georgia in Tbilisi on Saturday, then take on Portugal a week later in Lisbon.
With Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and some of his assistants away leading the Lions in Australia, forwards coach Paul O’Connell is in temporary charge of the team.
Munster defence coach Leamy – who is supporting O’Connell along with Mike Prendergast and Colm Tucker – feels the two Test matches offer the perfect opportunity for the uncapped players to make a lasting impression.
“It is about implementing old and new into the Irish gameplan and playing the Irish way, seeing how players do in this environment and how they can produce big efforts and big performances,” Leamy said at a press conference in Dublin.
“It is about building that catalogue of experience with those players and giving them a feel of what Test rugby looks like.
“Obviously we are missing a big chunk of the players who have gone to Australia with the Lions, but it is a great opportunity for the boys coming in to show what they can do.
“It will be very, very similar if not the same (as under Farrell), so that is the plan.”
