Who’s hot and who’s not: Tadhg Beirne’s British & Irish Lions heroics rewarded, Louis Rees-Zammit’s return and Carlo Tizzano’s online abuse
British & Irish Lions back-row Tadhg Beirne ad Wallabies counterpart Carlo Tizzano.
It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.
THEY’RE ON FIRE!
The not so dead rubber: Although the British & Irish Lions had their three-Test series against the Wallabies sewn up ahead of the final Test at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, there was still plenty at stake in that encounter. The famous touring team had the chance to clinch a 3-0 series victory for the first time since 1904 and they also had an opportunity to win all their matches on their tour of Australia – a feat last achieved in 1927. Meanwhile, the Wallabies were determined to finish the series on a high after losing the first two Tests. It was far from a dead rubber as the sides went at each other for the full 80 minutes, with the home side eventually securing a deserved 22-12 victory.
Wallabies: After suffering a heartbreaking 29-26 defeat in the second Test, Joe Schmidt’s troops were highly motivated to finish the series on a high in Sydney and in the end they did just that, sealing a deserved win. Although the match was played in atrocious weather conditions, with torrential rain pelting down for long periods and delays due to the threat of lightning, Australia kept their composure throughout. They held an 8-0 lead at half-time and eventually outscored their visitors three tries to two with Dylan Pietsch, Max Jorgensen and Tate McDermott scoring.
Tadhg Beirne: The British & Irish Lions utility forward started on the blindside flank in all three Tests against the Wallabies and showed his class with outstanding performances on each occasion. The 33-year-old was superb on either side of the ball throughout the series and was a valuable source of possession at the back of the lineouts for the tourists. Despite finishing on the losing side on Saturday, Beirne put in a solid shift and his efforts in all three Tests were rewarded when he was named as the Player of the Series which was a fitting reward for his performances.
Will Skelton: The behemoth second-rower showed once again how important he is to the Wallabies cause as he came to the fore with a outstanding all-round performance in his side’s triumph over the British & Irish Lions. Skelton weighs a hefty 135 kilograms which means he is a non-jumping lock but he showed in Saturday’s clash in Sydney that he is a real asset for the Wallabies at close quarters, especially in giving them momentum in the rucks and mauls. The 33-year-old was on the field for a 64-minute stint and his physicality as a ball carrier and on defence proved a real handful for the Lions who battled to contain the Wallabies’ enforcer.
Nic White swansong: Playing in his final Test for his country, the Wallabies veteran scrum-half was one of his team’s best players as he delivered a superb performance in their victory over the Lions. The 35-year-old was on the field for 59 minutes and caught the eye with his slick service to his outside backs and varied his play well with clever box kicks in trying weather conditions and he also delivered some deft offloads to his forwards at close quarters. White was also in the thick of the action with his usual niggle which got under the Lions’ skin and received a rousing applause from the spectators when he was replaced by McDermott.
Lima Sopoaga’s NPC return: The All Blacks fly-half made his return to New Zealand after an eight-year absence and enjoyed a memorable return to the field for Waikato off the replacements bench during their Round One National Provincial Championship (NPC) encounter against Auckland at Eden Park recently. Auckland dominated most of the match and when Sopoaga entered the fray the home side held a 27-12 and they soon made it 32-12 after Payton Spencer crossed for a try. The visitors launched a superb comeback and Sopoaga eventually crossed for a last-minute try which was converted by another ex-All Blacks playmaker, Aaron Cruden, as the Mooloos clinched a 36-35 victory.
BROKEN THERMOSTAT
Louis Rees-Zammit returns to rugby: While it is great that the former Wales and British & Irish Lions flyer will make his return to rugby union, it’s gutting for him that he fell short of realising his dream of playing in the NFL. Rees-Zammit gave it his best shot but after stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, and even changing positions from running back to wide receiver when he swapped clubs, he was still unsuccessful. Meanwhile, it has been reported that his sudden return to the 15-a-side code is because he will sign a 12-month club contract before joining the R360 league, which is being fronted by England Rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall.
COLD AS ICE!
Lacklustre Lions: Although they were eager to finish their tour of Australia with an unbeaten record, Andy Farrell’s charges were never at the races in their final Test against the Wallabies. The visitors battled to adapt to the conditions and their play was littered with unforced errors as the Wallabies dominated most facets of play. Despite coming into the last Test in a confident mood and determined to maintain their winning streak in Australia, they failed to fire when it mattered and their defeat in the final Test was a fair result considering their display on the day.
Dan Sheehan’s clear-out missed: The British and Irish Lions hooker has rightfully received a suspension after a dangerous clear-out on Wallabies playmaker Tom Lynagh in Saturday’s third Test at Accor Stadium. Sheehan was handed a four-match suspension for the reckless act but the sanction will be reduced to three games if he successfully completes a coaching intervention course. However, the fact that he was only cited after the match reflects badly on the Television Match Official (TMO), Marius Jonker, and the Foul Play Revue Officer (FPRO), Richard Kelly, who failed to point out Sheehan’s act during the match. The TMO works in conjunction with the FPRO to evaluate incidents and ensure fair play and how they missed that indiscretion is a mystery.
Back-to-back Sharks hammerings: The Durban-based outfit came into this year’s Currie Cup tournament as the defending champions but after two rounds of this year’s competition, they are firmly rooted at the bottom of the table. This, after they suffered successive humiliating defeats against the Golden Lions and Blue Bulls. The Sharks’ campaign started with a 46-5 defeat against the Lions in Johannesburg and things went from bad to worse this past weekend as they were on the wrong end of a 64-0 thrashing against the Bulls in Pretoria this past weekend. They will be hoping to bounce back with a win when they host the Free State Cheetahs in their first home match on Saturday.
Online abuse results in Carlo Tizzano being dropped: The Lions’ tour of Australia is now a thing of the past and while the final Test in Sydney had its fair share of drama and entertaining action, it was a real pity that Tizzano was not involved in that encounter. The Wallabies back-rower was at the centre of controversy in the second Test in Melbourne when he attempted to win a penalty for his side by rocketing backwards after a clear-out from Jac Morgan. Hugo Keenan went on to score the series-winning try just after that and while Wallabies fans felt Morgan should have been penalised, Tizzano received plenty of online abuse from Lions supporters who accused him of simulation. Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt revealed in the build-up to the third Test that he had omitted Tizzano due to that criticism and that decision certainly left a bitter taste in the mouth.
