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British and Irish Lions’ captain Maro Itoje (C) raises the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after their series win (Image: 2025 Izhar Khan\/MB Media)<\/p>\nThe latest rugby news stories from around the world as the Lions series finishes 2-1British and Irish Lions’ captain Maro Itoje (C) raises the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after their series win (Image: 2025 Izhar Khan\/MB Media)<\/p>\n
These are your evening rugby headlines on Saturday, August 2.<\/p>\n
Aussies rue ‘series the Lions stole’<\/p>\n
Former Lions star Will Greenwood revealed Australian media pundits accused the Lions<\/a> of “stealing the tour” on live TV in the aftermath of the series finale in Sydney.<\/p>\n The Wallabies salvaged some pride with a deserved 22-12 win<\/a>, but there is still huge frustration over the controversial nature of last weekend’s narrow 29-26 defeat in the second Test<\/a>, which ultimately proved decisive.<\/p>\n Greenwood was called into the post-match discussion on Sky Sports with the likes of Warren Gatland<\/a> and Dan Biggar, and he told how he had just appeared on Australian TV channel Stan Sports and been taken aback by what he heard.<\/p>\n “Can I just interrupt you,” he said as Sky’s Alex Payne introduced him.<\/p>\n “I was on Stan just a few minutes ago and honestly they have started already. They said ‘this is the tour that the Lions stole’.<\/p>\n “I was like ‘what are you talking about? Did I just watch a different series’. That’s the agenda. They have always been like that, the Wallabies, they give it hard.<\/p>\n “(But) They were fabulous tonight and thoroughly deserved the win.”<\/p>\n Asked if he agreed with the Stan Sports take on the tour, Gatland said: “I think comfortably the Lions were better but from an Australian point of view, you’ve got to talk up your own team. This has been incredible this Lions series and so important for Australian rugby.”<\/p>\n Greenwood is adamant this Lions side would have been a match for anyone they played this summer.<\/p>\n “The 2025 Lions are an awesome bunch of lads and there is no doubt in my mind that they would have gone toe-to-toe with the likes of New Zealand and South Africa,” he wrote in his Telegraph<\/a> column.<\/p>\n “Such comparisons are hypothetical \u2013 futile, even \u2013 but the Lions were putting world-class players out on the pitch on a weekly basis. Players who have beaten both the All Blacks and the Springboks with their respective countries.<\/p>\n “Yes, I\u2019m a pundit but I\u2019m also an ex-player. You look at the calibre of some of those Lions: Dan Sheehan, Maro Itoje, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell. Special people and special players.”<\/p>\n Wallabies star makes dramatic u-turn<\/p>\n Australia scrum-half Nic White appears to have made a sensational u-turn on his decision to retire from international rugby by making himself available for the Rugby Championship.<\/p>\n Today’s third Test against the British & Irish Lions<\/a> was due to be White’s swansong on the international stage and he was nothing short of outstanding as the Wallabies salvaged some pride with a 22-12 win.<\/p>\n But White has revealed he will not say no to Joe Schmidt if he is selected for the Rugby Championship squad which starts with a tour of South Africa.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019ll be a discussion we have next week. And yeah, I said [I\u2019d retire] at the end of the year, and I\u2019ll stay ready,” White told Stan Sport. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAnd if called upon, you know me, I won\u2019t say no. So yeah, if called upon before \u2026 but the plan is still to hang them up at the end of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if something happens between now and the end of that year, you know, I\u2019m not thinking too far ahead, but there may be a discussion that needs to be had.\u201d<\/p>\n In the post match press conference, Wallabies boss Schmidt revealed he would be asking White to stay around for “one more tour.”<\/p>\n \u201cWhitey will rival me, maybe in terms of being kind of like Johnny Farnham,” joked Schmidt.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s one more tour and Jake did pick up a little bit of a hamstring right at the end of training on Thursday and so we\u2019re just tracking and seeing how that goes but we\u2019re not going to take risks with people.\u201d<\/p>\n Lions boss hails special achievement despite defeat<\/p>\n Andy Farrell insists the British & Irish Lions should be proud of the achievement of winning a series in Australia despite the third Test defeat.<\/p>\n The tourists won their first series since 2013 but were awful at times against a Wallabies side who had the bit between their teeth in Sydney. But despite targeting a series whitewash Farrell insists this will be viewed as a great achievement once the dust settles.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is to be frustration there because, as we have said all along, we want to win every game,” he said.<\/p>\n