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Wallabies announce Fiji Test ahead of Lions tour

Waisea Nayacalevu embraces Lekima Tagitagivalu embrace as Fiji beat the Wallabies

The Wallabies have announced they will play Fiji in the lead-up to the British and Irish Lions series this July, hosting their Pacific neighbours in Newcastle.

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The Test will take place on July 6, two weeks before the first game of the Lions series, offering the Australians a chance to get their legs under them in the international arena before taking on the all-stars of the British and Irish Isles.

The contest also offers the Wallabies a shot at redemption after the last Test between the two nations, a 22-15 loss that all but condemned the Australians to their first pool-stage exit at a Rugby World Cup.

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For the rebuilding Wallabies, a hit-out against the Pacific Nations Cup champions is a strong primer for the upcoming challenge.

“It will be great to get the squad together and to have a genuine Test match prior to the British and Irish Lions series,” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said.

“In their bid to make the semifinals, Fiji were just six points shy of beating England at the last World Cup in 2023.   They beat Wales in Cardiff last November and bring a physicality and flair that makes them entertaining to watch and tough to beat.”

While Schmidt’s future beyond the Lions series is still yet to be confirmed, a young Wallabies squad will take the field in July having reversed their concerning momentum in 2024 under the coach.

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The Fiji Test being played in Newcastle brings the excitement of international rugby back to an area that hasn’t seen that level of rugby since 2020’s Covid-19-affected Rugby Championship.

The Wallaroos will also host the Black Ferns in Newcastle on May 10, making for an exciting local schedule.

“Newcastle fans are passionate supporters of both men’s and women’s sport so I have no doubt these upcoming fixtures will attract big crowds, ” Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge said.

“The Wallaroos won their first-ever Test match in Australia by outclassing Japan in Newcastle in 2019.

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“Our fans proved their commitment to the men’s team when 20,000 turned out in atrocious conditions to watch the Wallabies first test in Newcastle in 2012.”

Fiji haven’t faced the Wallabies on Australian soil since 2017. The Pacific heavyweights will be searching for their fourth win over the men in green and gold.

NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper said: “It’s going to be one of the biggest years ever for rugby with all eyes to be on Newcastle for the Wallabies’ last and only match before the highly-anticipated British and Irish Lions series.”

“It will be only the third time ever the Wallabies have played at McDonald Jones Stadium and what a match it promises to be against the Flying Fijians.”

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Comments

2 Comments
f
fl 56 days ago

Its a shame the Lions can't play a game against one of the pacific islands nations too.


They were supposed to play the Melbourne Rebels on the 22nd of July, but that obviously won't go ahead. It has been mooted that they'll be replaced by an ethnically segregated Australia team, but I'm pretty sure Fiji and Tonga are both free that week.

H
Head high tackle 57 days ago

Well done RA. The Lions are playing warm up matches before the tests so its good to see RA getting it done too.

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EllenMoody 5 hours ago
Great moments in Lions tour history – JPR’s drop goal and the All Blacks' brutal revenge

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J
JWH 6 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Do you hear yourself? Do you have any concept of world view? Have you tried looking into why people call Ireland ‘arrogant’? Obviously not.


We started calling you arrogant when you called our captain a ‘shit Richie McCaw’. In New Zealand. On our turf. Don’t think that kind of behaviour really calls for respect, does it.


NZ don’t really talk ourselves up, if anything the rugby does it for us. No kiwi goes in the media and says: ‘We are gonna win the RWC’. However, I have found many instance of IRISH media saying that the Irish should win, without a doubt. THAT is disrespectful.


The All Blacks have played good rugby, even some of the best rugby ever, at many points in history, but I don’t think you could find a single instance of one of those players, or the NZ media, saying that they should whitewash their opponents. Ever.


Now, onto your analysis. Ireland DID choke the QF. They beat the champions, they were ranked first coming into it, a lot of players at the peaks of their powers. Its hard to say that they didn’t choke. Obviously, their preparation was just not as good as NZ, and thats all there really is to it.


If Ireland had repsected that ABs team and that QF more, maybe they would’ve prepared properly for it and won. But they didn’t.


Maybe if Ireland had won their QF last RWC, they wouldn’t have to be in the same pool as SA and Scotland. I mean, its called a draw for a reason. NZ got third last RWC, so of course they should get a reasonable pool, and they were ranked pretty highly too. If you want to talk about easy pools, look no further than Pool 3 with England, Australia, Fiji, and Georgia I think?


Now, obviously you don’t remember how that QF ended, so I’ll go ahead and rectify that. Ireland reclaimed the ball off kickoff and marched for 20ish phases into the opposition half. Savea then won a turnover, but the referee refused to give it, so play went on. Finally, at the NZ 22, after not giving up a single penatly in 25 phases of hard defense, Sam Whitelock, the most capped All Black of all time, wins the game with an incredible steal.


Now, NZ players having a go at Ireland. Do you cry when you get hit after making the first swing? We all know Sexton is a prick on the field, its just the truth. And Ioane never backs down from a clash, so he thought he should humble a player who has never won an international knockout game who thought he was all that. Don’t really see the issue, its poetic justice really.

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