Lions licking wounds in bid to roar back
SOMEONE EXCITING (22) D Thompson 6 9-8 (CD2) ..... K Stott 65 MOONLIT SANDS (34) B Ellison 4 9-7 .................. B Robinson 62 MY VALENTINO (36) Mrs D Sayer 6 9-7 ................. JP Sullivan 64 HUMMINGBIRD (11) David Loughnane 3 9-4 ..T Greatrex (3) 83 NAPLES BAY (14) Katie Scott 5 9-4 (D2) ................... P Dennis 59 ALFRED THE GREY (120) Miss T Waggott 3 9-3 .....P Hanagan 64 YORKSHIRE ROVER (519) A Berry 5 9-2 (D) ...................G Lee — COSMIC CHATTER (6) Mrs R Carr 9 9-1 (D3) ..............J Garritty 78 ISABELLA RUBY (17) Mrs L Williamson 4 8-13 .... G Ashton (7) 74 TILSWORTH DIAMOND (13) Mike Murphy 4 8-12 Rossa Ryan 66 BILLIEBROOKEDIT (8) Kevin Frost 4 8-12 ............Jane Elliott 59 JACKMAN (104) L James 5 8-12 .............................B McHugh 42 BETTING: 11-4 My Valentino, 5 Isabella Ruby, 11-2 Moonlit Sands, 6 Alfred The Grey, 8 Someone Exciting, 10 Naples Bay, 12 Cosmic Chatter, Billiebrookedit, 16 Others. (27) Mrs A Duffield 4 9-7 (D) .................J Garritty 58 (14) Katie Scott 5 9-7 (CD2) ................... P Dennis 65
(13) Steph Hollinshead 4 9-7 .......... D Allan — (13) M Walford 6 9-4 (CD) ....................D Costello 66
(17) Mike Murphy 4 9-3 (D) . Rossa Ryan 68 (13) Mrs R Carr 9 9-3 (CD2) ................... JP Sullivan 81
(34) E Alston 5 9-1 (CD) ......................G Lee 61 (29) A Berry 10 8-13 (C, D2) ................... K Stott 62
(33) Ronald Thompson 4 8-12 ......R Da Silva 67 (12) J Riches 8 8-12 (D4) ....................J Gormley 100 (40) R Barr 10 8-12 (CD) .........................B McHugh 84 (7) Miss L Siddall 5 8-12 ................... Paula Muir (5) 38 BETTING: 11-4 Cuppacoco, 4 Chickenfortea, 9-2 Carlovian, 6 Vallarta, 10 Night Law, 14 Kellington Kitty, I’ll Be Good, 16 Grandma Tilly, Furni Factors, 20 Others.
GREAT Britain are vowing to bounce back from the embarrassment of an opening defeat by a Tongan Invitational XIII as they prepare for backto-back Tests against New Zealand.
Back in action after a 12-year absence, the Lions are licking their wounds after being given a rude awakening on their return to the international scene in Hamilton.
The tourists, who included Huddersfield Giants’ Jermaine McGillvary in their starting side, went down 14-6 to the talented Pacific Islanders and also lost prop Luke Thompson and centre Oliver Gildart to rib and shoulder injuries which are expected to end their tour.
Prop Tom Burgess said: “We’ve got to look at where we can improve. We matched them on effort, we’ve just got to tidy a few things up and execute a little bit better.
“Tonga played well and fair play to them. It’s good to see them up there competing with the top tier teams but we need to have a look this week and see where we can get better.
“We’ve got quite a few players coming in who are new to the team.
We didn’t have a mid-season Test so it has been 12 months since we’ve been together.
“We need to have a good week’s training and look forward to New Zealand.”
The Kiwis, too, will go in Saturday’s first Test in Auckland on the back of a sobering defeat, Michael Maguire’s men proving no match for Australia in a 26-4 defeat in Woollongong.
“They’re a good football team as well but it’s more about ourselves,” said stand-off Gareth Widdop.
“We need to hold the ball and we need a better kicking game. If can do that and build some pressure on them, it will make the game a lot easier.”
Lions coach Wayne Bennett will bring in utility back Jake Connor in place of Gildart, while Jack Hughes could profit from the absence of Thompson, having been the other player to be left out of his 19-man squad in Hamilton.
Meanwhile, the victorious Tongans will join Great Britain in making the move up to Auckland where they will take on the Kangaroos in a triple-header at Eden Park on Saturday.