These are your rugby headlines on Tuesday, July 1.
These are your rugby headlines on Tuesday, July 1.
Wainwright says Welsh fans deserve win as players surveyed
Wales No. 8 Aaron Wainwright says the Welsh public deserve to see their side win again as they look to end a 17-Test losing run against Japan in Kitakyushu this Saturday.
Wales last tasted victory in a Test match back in October 2023, while Wainwright’s last victory for club and country was last December. The Challenge Cup victory for the Dragons over Newcastle was his only victory in 20 matches this season, but the 27-year-old is determined to end the lengthy wait for an international win this weekend.
“It’s massive,” said Wainwright. “The Welsh public deserve it.
“All the Welsh fans that are going to be out here and back home deserve it. Our minds are fully set on bringing home not just one, but two wins from this tour.”
On Tuesday, Wales coach T. Rhys Thomas revealed that interim head coach Matt Sherratt had given a questionnaire to players to gauge what they wanted to get out of this tour.
The vast majority of the squad are understood to have said two wins was the target.
“(It’s about) Bringing that pride back to Welsh rugby fans and the Welsh public,” added Wainwright.
“Going so long without a win, being able to put an end to that this weekend is something that we’re all aiming for. As a collective, we’re hoping that’s the outcome.”
Farrell’s message to players
Lions head coach Andy Farrell has made it clear that places are still up for grabs in his Test side – with the door very much open until the final warm-up game of the tour.
The Lions face Queensland Reds tomorrow, before games against the Waratahs, Brumbies and then a match against an Australian-New Zealand invitational side on July 12.
“I’ve said this before, I have all these plans but they keep being shuffled around all the time because of the nature of the sport,” Farrell said.
“What you don’t see is what happens on a daily basis as far as who can and cannot train, combinations, and are we going to get enough preparation?
“The games are coming thick and fast, I’ve obviously got something in mind for Wednesday, Saturday and the following week, but being adaptable is the key.
“The number of games we’ve got, thoughts in your head don’t really matter, you’ve got to be open-minded enough to allow people to challenge for that Test spot.
“That is what we’re all trying to do, we’re trying to get as good as we possibly can so that we are ready for the first Test. Everyone would love the door to be open enough to do that.
“We’ve still got plenty of opportunity for all in the group, right up until the third Test. We’ve got a midweek game that keeps everyone on point and fighting for those Test spots.”
Itoje and Australian coach address Lions nationality jibes
British and Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje has shrugged off jibes about the squad’s eligibility, describing the banter as part of the “Australian way” ahead of Wednesday’s clash with the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.
With 10 players in Andy Farrell’s touring party born outside the traditional home nations — including Australian-born Finlay Bealham, Sione Tuipulotu and Mack Hansen — the Lions have faced some tongue-in-cheek comments about their credentials. Many of those players, however, qualify through family heritage or residency, and have become mainstays for their adopted nations. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
The banter began in Perth during the Lions’ opening win over the Western Force, with the stadium announcer quick to highlight the squad’s diverse backgrounds. Among those targeted were Ireland internationals Bundee Aki and Jamison Gibson-Park, both born in New Zealand.
But Itoje, speaking ahead of the Lions’ second tour match, insisted the jokes hadn’t unsettled anyone.
“It’s the Australian way, isn’t it?” he said with a smile. “They love their sport. Rugby’s a little different on a Lions tour. You can feel the atmosphere — it’s heightened compared to when we were here with England.
“As the tour goes on, the atmosphere will build and build. It’s just a sports-loving country; aggressive competitors, a little bit chirpy.”
Reds head coach Les Kiss, a former Wallaby who spent nearly two decades coaching in Ireland and the UK, echoed the sentiment, adding his own light-hearted spin.
“As long as they play a bit of Taylor Swift, I’ll be happy,” Kiss joked, when asked if more eligibility-themed banter could be expected over the Suncorp Stadium loudspeakers. “I don’t think we’ll be getting into that space.”
Kiss, who has coached several current Lions players during his time in Ireland, said their presence in the squad is well-earned.
“Finlay Bealham was there early. It’s not a light-hearted, easy thing to do,” he said. “To Mack Hansen, Bundee, I say, ‘good on them’. You get opportunities in different ways.
“A lot of it is tongue-in-cheek, just a bit of fun. Aussies like to use our humour — I think the English, Welsh, Scots and Irish, they get it.”
Reds and Wallabies hooker Matt Faessler agreed the local crowd may look to get under the Lions’ skin — but all in good spirits.
“It might feel like an away game, we might need it,” he laughed. “Aussie fans dance on that line pretty well.
“When the Lions tour, it brings out new and old rugby fans. There’ll be a fair bit of chat if you go to Caxton Street — a bit of to-and-fro.”
The Lions face the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday as they continue preparations for the first Test against Australia later this summer.
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Wales boss frustrated and disappointed
Wales under-20s head coach Richard Whiffin was left frustrated and disappointed after his side’s loss to Argentina. Los Pumas U20s defeated Wales 34-27 on Sunday in the World Rugby U20 Championships despite sailing into a 17-point lead with a bright start against the south Americans.
Having been deadlocked at 27-27 for a quarter of the game, Agustín Garcia Campos crossed the whitewash three minutes shy of the full-time whistle to crush the Welsh side.
“I’m very disappointed because we put ourselves in a very good position at 24-7 and, unfortunately, we gave them a couple of soft tries right before half-time. We switched off, which is unlike us,” said Whiffin.
“We were in a proper arm wrestle after that in what was a proper Test match. There was no quarter asked or given by either side.
“We didn’t execute the chances we had in the second half, and it was frustrating because we were pretty confident we could come through the game, especially after starting so well. That’s why it was so disappointing to lose in the end.
“Those two quick tries just before half-time gave them momentum and saw them get their tails up. Even so, the boys were confident coming into the changing room at the break, and we felt that if we could execute some phases in the second half, we would trouble them.
“But we didn’t see much ball in the second half. There were lots of stoppages, lot of penalties, we brought the referee into the game, and they found some dominance around the set piece – off the back of that they found a way to sneak the win.”
