Having entered Nations League Group C2 in June as top seeds, Northern Ireland flew home from Athens on Wednesday with just five points from a possible 18 to their name. The results those performances have delivered have been crushing. 'We'll lick our wounds and go again' - NI boss Baraclough I think performances just haven't been there for us." Baraclough resolute as fans' morale crumbles "I don't think that's through a lack of trying or desire. We are trying to entertain them and fill them with pride and there have been times in the campaign where we probably have felt we haven't done that. As players you don't always see that side of it. "You do have that sadness and disappointment for them. We aren't trying to win the group and they are still here supporting us right to the end. "It is incredible the number of fans who came out to Greece. At the end of the game I felt disappointed for the fans," the Leicester City defender said. "You do feel you let the fans down, especially at home games. Some those fans called for manager Ian Baraclough to go at the final whistle, something that had also happened at times during the previous two matches. The disappointment was palpable as he described how he and his team-mates had let the vocal 1,000-strong travelling supporters down, not just on Tuesday night, but across what had been a demoralising few months. I’m really proud of myself and I know it’s a big task.”ĪUSTRALIA’S SQUAD: Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Burton, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Patrick Carrigan, Daly Cherry-Evans, Nathan Cleary, Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter, Angus Crichton, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Campbell Graham, Harry Grant, Valentine Holmes, Ben Hunt, Liam Martin, Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Munster, Cameron Murray (vc), Jeremiah Nanai, Murray Taulagi, James Tedesco (c), Jake Trbojevic, Jack Wighton, Isaah Yeo (vc).This was not how the 100th appearance of one of Northern Ireland's greatest ever defenders was supposed to end.Īnd the 3-1 defeat by Greece in Athens was a million miles from how Northern Ireland's third Nations League experience was meant to finish, too, although there was very little about the six-game, two-camp campaign that went anywhere near according to plan.Įvans was standing on the side of the Georgios Kamaras Stadium pitch, reflecting on how the pain of defeat consumed him immediately after full-time on his milestone night - when he became only the fourth male centurion in his country's history. “When Mal called me, I was pretty speechless. “I don’t think there is a higher honour than to represent and lead the whole country,” he said. The 29-year-old is one of the few players with previous experience of touring England, having been part of the 2013 Italy side. Tedesco is relishing the opportunity to take the captaincy after rising to leadership roles with the Roosters and the NSW Blues over the last two seasons. “Damien has been a great servant for the Rabbitohs and he is the incumbent but we felt the Queensland hookers were best placed to be in the squad.” “We made a decision that we want to go with two hookers and the third one was the utility value which is Reuben Cotter,” he said. Meninga admired how the Maroons rotated Grant and Ben Hunt at hooker in State of Origin and has said he will aim to mirror that tactic.Ĭook is the man to miss out, with Meninga describing the decision as “extremely difficult”. Cleary joins Queensland hooker Harry Grant among 13 debutants in Meninga’s squad. There is no leadership role for Queensland and Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, who is locked in a battle with Cleary for the No 7 jersey. Sydney Roosters full-back James Tedesco will captain the Kangaroos in Leeds. Yeo, Nathan Cleary and Liam Martin are the three players chosen from Penrith’s premiership-winning side, with Reagan Campbell-Gillard the sole representative from runners-up Parramatta. is desperately unlucky.”Įdwards, Dally M medallist Nicho Hynes and incumbent hooker Damien Cook will remain on standby in Sydney.Īustralia kick off their World Cup defence in Leeds against Fiji on Saturday, 15 October (Sunday AEDT) with Cameron Murray and Isaah Yeo appointed as Tedesco’s vice-captains. “We have some excellent options at full-back and touch wood Teddy is there for the entire time. We had several conversations about this and unfortunately Dylan misses out. “Our best player is a full-back James Tedesco,” Meninga said. The full-back has been in scintillating form and, with Kalyn Ponga and Tom Trbojevic sidelined, may never have a better chance to earn a Test cap.īut with Tedesco the first name on Meninga’s team list – and Valentine Holmes, Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Munster all able to fill in at full-back – the Penrith man missed out.
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