game slot online gates of olympus
Acclaimed singer, songwriter, and social activist Darrell Kelley has been recognized as Artist of the Month by MTVrock for November 2024. This prestigious honor acknowledges Kelley's outstanding contributions to the music industry, particularly with his soul-stirring rendition of the classic hit, "Neither One of Us." Darrell Kelley Darrell Kelley Named Artist of the Month by MTVrock Kelley's unique interpretation of "Neither One of Us" caught the attention of MTVrock , showcasing his vocal range, emotional delivery, and ability to reimagine timeless classics. His music embodies the spirit of activism, social justice, and unity, resonating with audiences nationwide. This recognition is a testament to Kelley's tireless efforts to create music that inspires, educates, and uplifts. As Artist of the Month, Kelley will be featured prominently on MTVrock's website and social media channels, introducing his music to an even broader audience. Note to editor: High-resolution images and interview requests available upon request. For more information about Darrell Kelley and his music, please visit Spotify . Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #DarrellKelleyArtistOfTheMonth. https://x.com/_darrellkelley?mx=2 https://www.facebook.com/people/Darrell-Kelley/100058104819281/ https://www.instagram.com/darrellkelleyofficial/ https://soundcloud.com/user-792034936/neither-one-of-us Attachment Darrell Kelley CONTACT: Darrell Kelley [email protected] 888-669-4441The 28-20 loss to NIU in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday was a disappointing end to what some believed would be a conference championship season. Adding insult to injury, on the same day as the bowl loss, junior quarterback Mikey Keene committed to Michigan. Shortly afterward, running back Malik Sherrod announced on social media that he’d head to hated Mountain West and future Pac-12 rival Boise State for his final year of eligibility. Sherrod, in a Broncos Uniform, wrote on : “Ain’t got to like it or respect it, but you gone watch it.” In his Bulldog career (2020-2024) he rushed for 1,358 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, the 2024 preseason All-MW selection was plagued with injuries throughout his time at Fresno State. Hamilton and Freeman Stay Put Unlike Sherrod, junior cornerback Alzillion Hamilton and wide receiver Josiah Freeman withdrew from the portal and will remain at Fresno State. Hamilton played in the Potato Bowl and . Entz is building a foundation as the Bulldogs head into the Pac-12 in 2026. Joining the 10 incoming freshman is Clovis East’s Harold Duvall. Another three-star recruit, the wide receiver helped the Timberwolves achieve a 12-1 record in 2024 with 1,320 all-purpose yards. Related Story: Skipper Thanks the Red Wave Despite Monday’s loss and a 6-7 season record, interim head coach Tim Skipper praised The Red Wave for the opportunity to be the man in charge — even if it was just for a year. Skipper posted on : “It has been an honor to lead the program this season. This place is special because of the people. I want the thank the players and staff, the donors and alumni, and the Red Wave for their support.” Head Coach Matt Entz Adds OL Coach from USC While players are moving out, new head coach Matt Entz is on the search for new players and coaches. Entz hired Zach Crabtree as the new offensive line coach to replace Matt Smith on Friday. He, too, comes from USC, where Entz was the linebackers coach. Smith spent three seasons as the assistant o-line coach and a graduate assistant for the Trojans. This will be his first time as the head position coach. Crabtree made coaching stops at Oklahoma State (2021), the alma mater where he played as a lineman (2013-2017). His introduction to collegiate coaching began at Baylor (2019-2020). He played professionally for the Los Angeles Chargers (2017-18), but a knee injury forced him to retire. His pedigree can give the new line a boost since that unit struggled this past campaign due to injuries. Their eight different starting rotations were the second-most among FBS programs in 2024. Related Story: Transfer Portal Brings New Talent to Fresno State Reinforcements are coming. It was announced Tuesday that another Trojan is heading to the Valley — redshirt senior offensive lineman Gino Quinones. The 6’3, 302-pounder appeared in 19 games at USC (2019-2024) while battling injuries. Joining him on the line of scrimmage is sophomore Kyson Van Vugt, a tight end from Iowa. He’ll put his hand on the ground in a permanent three-point stance when he becomes a Bulldog. In his Hawkeye career (2022-2024) he didn’t get any playing time, which makes him a healthy addition. Fresno also welcomed graduate Jadon Pearson (linebacker) and junior Simeon Harris (defensive back) from conference rival Utah State as the first transfer portal signees of the Entz era. They can fill voids at the linebacker and secondary positions. Both players have Valley connections. Having played for Air Force (2020) originally, Pearson then played at Reedley College (2021) before he became an Aggie (2022-2024). This past season he recorded 42 tackles. Harris started out at Colorado (2022) before playing for two years in Logan. He played in only three games in 2024 and was able to redshirt. In 2023 he accumulated 59 tackles (31 solo, 28 assist), four pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery. His mother, Kelly, is a former Fresno State cheerleader. Related Story:
New coach Chris Holtmann has been tasked with rebuilding DePaul to the point where it can return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. Northern Illinois coach Rashon Burno knows what it takes to steer DePaul to the NCAAs because he was the starting point guard on the 2000 team that made the tournament -- the Blue Demons' only other NCAA appearance since 1992. Perhaps they can compare notes Saturday afternoon when Burno leads the Huskies (2-3) back to his alma mater as DePaul (5-0) hosts its sixth straight home game in Chicago. Last season, Burno's NIU squad helped accelerate DePaul's need for a new coach -- as the Huskies waltzed into Wintrust Arena and owned Tony Stubblefield's Blue Demons by an 89-79 score on Nov. 25. The Huskies built a 24-point second-half lead before coasting to the finish line. Can history repeat for NIU? There's just one problem with using last year's game as a potential barometer for Saturday's rematch: Almost no players on this year's teams were part of last year's squads. At DePaul, only assistant coach Paris Parham remains as Holtmann had the green light to bring in an all-new roster. UIC graduate transfer Isaiah Rivera (16.0 ppg, .485 3-point rate) and Coastal Carolina transfer Jacob Meyer (15.4 ppg, .406 on 3s) lead a balanced attack that focuses on getting half its shots from beyond the arc. At NIU, Burno retained only two players who competed against DePaul last year -- Ethan Butler and Oluwasegun Durosinmi -- and they combined for three points in 26 minutes in that game. The Huskies' main players used the transfer portal to join such programs as Kansas, Wisconsin, Penn State, Colorado State, James Madison, Georgia State and Niagara. With every starting job open, Butler has jumped into the lineup and produced 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Transfers Quentin Jones (Cal Poly) and James Dent (Western Illinois) pace the Huskies with 14.4 and 14.0 points per game. NIU is on a two-game losing streak, most recently a 75-48 home defeat at the hands of Elon on Wednesday. Holtmann hopes to have Arkansas transfer Layden Blocker for Saturday's game. Blocker missed Tuesday's 78-69 win over Eastern Illinois with a quad injury. With the combo guard unavailable, point guard Conor Enright handed out a career-high 11 assists in a season-high 38 minutes. "We need (Blocker)," Holtmann said. "I don't want to play Conor 38 minutes." --Field Level Media
House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of 'regularly' paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl
A Haiti Gang Attack on the Reopening of a Main Hospital Kills 2 Reporters and a Police Officer
NoneGophers linebacker Cody Lindenberg declares for NFL draft
Chicago (4-7) at Detroit (10-1) Thursday, 12:30 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL odds: Lions by 10 1/2. Against the spread: Bears 6-4-1; Lions 9-2. Series record: Bears lead 105-78-5. Last meeting: Bears beat Lions 28-13 in Chicago on Dec. 10, 2023. Last week: Vikings beat Bears 30-27; Lions beat Colts 24-6. Bears offense: overall (26), rush (22), pass (29), scoring (T-22). Bears defense: overall (17), rush (20), pass (13), scoring (8). Lions offense: overall (2), rush (4), pass (6), scoring (1). Lions defense: overall (17), rush (20), pass (13), scoring (8). Turnover differential: Bears plus-9; Lions plus-9. QB Caleb Williams. The No. 1 overall pick from the NFL draft in Detroit has looked more comfortable the past two games with Thomas Brown as offensive coordinator. Williams was regressing in the weeks leading up to Shane Waldron’s firing. He threw for 340 yards and two TDs last week in his fourth straight turnover-free game and fifth in a row without an interception. RB David Montgomery. He has run for a TD in each of the past three games and has rushed for 11 scores this season. In 25 games with the Lions, he has 24 rushing TDs. In 60 games with the Chicago Bears from 2019 to 2022, he ran for 26 scores and had 4,849 yards from scrimmage. Montgomery was slowed by a shoulder injury last week, but is expected to play. Detroit's running game against Chicago's defense. The Lions have a rushing TD in an NFL-record 25 straight games. Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are the first RBs on a team to have at least 10 TDs on the ground in consecutive years. The Bears are ranked 20th against the run, a relative weakness that may be pivotal in Detroit. Bears G Ryan Bates (concussion) and DB Elijah Hicks (ankle) were ruled out after both players missed last week’s game. ... Lions PR/WR Kalif Raymond (foot) was put on injured reserve Wednesday, when the team ruled out CB Carlton Davis (knee/thumb) and OT Taylor Decker (knee) against Chicago. ... Montgomery (shoulder) and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) were full participants in practice Wednesday, but both were listed as questionable. Chicago ended a three-game losing streak in the series last year. ... The Lions started their tradition of playing on Thanksgiving on Nov. 29, 1934, with a 19-16 loss to the Bears. ... Chicago has beaten Detroit three straight times on Thanksgiving, sending Lions fans home unhappy in 2021, 2019 and 2018. ... The Bears will play the Lions on the holiday for the 20th time, trailing only Green Bay's 22 appearances in Detroit on Thanksgiving. Chicago has dropped five straight for the first time since losing the last 10 games of the 2022 season. ... The Bears have lost three games on the final play during their skid. They lost on a Hail Mary at Washington in Week 8, had a game-ending FG blocked by Green Bay and watched as Minnesota’s Parker Romo made a 29-yard FG last week. ... The Bears are 5-18 in one-possession games under coach Matt Eberflus, including a 2-5 mark this year. ... Eberflus, in his third season, is 14-31 overall and 1-3 against Detroit. ... WR DJ Moore caught seven passes for a season-high 106 yards and a TD against Minnesota. That gave him 14 receptions for 168 yards the past two games after being limited to 13 catches for 104 yards over the previous four games. ... Cairo Santos has had three FGs blocked this season, including one in each of the past two games. The three blocked FG are the most for Chicago in a single season since it also had three blocked in 2012. ... The Bears will host Detroit in Week 16. ... Buffalo and Pittsburgh are the two teams in the NFL with a better turnover differential than Detroit and Chicago. ... Detroit has lost seven straight games, including three times to Chicago, and 16 of its past 20 games on Thanksgiving and the Bears have won four in a row on the holiday. ... The Lions lead the NFC with a 10-1 mark and are tied with Kansas City for the NFL's best mark. ... Detroit has won 10 of its first 11 games for the first time since 1934 and has a chance to be 11-1 for the first time in franchise history. ... The Lions can clinch a spot in the playoffs with numerous scenarios including a win over Chicago along with losses by San Francisco, Arizona, Seattle and Tampa Bay. Montgomery may be a little more motivated, going against his former team. He has been held without a rushing TD in just two games this season. The Bears are week against the run and Montgomery is as strong as any back in the league. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLIt’s Christmas Eve, but the Detroit Lions are still doing some work. The team made a couple of roster moves on Tuesday. Here's what they did: Waived David Long This one is a bit surprising. The Lions grabbed David Long a few weeks back after the Miami Dolphins surprisingly waived him while he was a team captain there. The early reviews from the Lions coaching staff were good for him too. He was making some plays on defense and special teams. He didn't play on defense against the Bears on Sunday, but he had a solid game against the Bills the previous week and had played the most snaps of his time in Detroit. With Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Alex Anzalone coming back, the Lions needed to make some space with the linebacker, it just seemed that Ezekiel Turner or Kwon Alexander were the more likely candidates to be waived. Keep an eye on Long maybe being back on the practice squad. The Lions now have two open roster spots. One of those could be for Reeves-Maybin this week. Signed Maurice Alexander to practice squad Alexander is back with the Lions again after being released on Saturday ahead of the Lions matchup with the Bears. No surprise to see him back again. The Lions like him as a special teams utility player. There are now two spots remaining on the practice squad. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.How Nigerians celebrate Christmas
Bucks snap a 2-game skid with a 118-113 victory over the NetsRob Gronkowski, Who Is the Same Age as Travis Kelce, Gives His Honest Opinion on the Chiefs’ TE’s NFL Future
Jumia: Cleaning Up The Business For 2025
Lawmakers and commentators think it’s “clear” Donald Trump is already in charge even though his inauguration is still weeks away. As President Joe Biden winds down his presidency, Trump is behaving as though he is already in office by intervening with last week’s spending bill, issuing threats to retake the Panama Canal and asserting dominance over Greenland, according to The Hill. “It’s clear he’s in charge now,” Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska told the outlet, remarking on Trump’s influence over the chaotic spending bill when the government was just a few hours from a shutdown. “Nobody is talking about, ‘Where’s Biden?’ in any of this. Trump is in charge,” she added. “Trump is in charge now, even without the election certification.” Trump’s assertiveness, with his inauguration just weeks away, is “unprecedented,” according to Stephen S. Smith, a political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Smith noted that Trump, spurred on by billionaire ally and adviser Elon Musk, took GOP leaders by surprise when he proclaimed his opposition to Mike Johnson’s first bipartisan bill. “Trump’s involvement is unprecedented,” he told The Hill . “I have no doubt he was being carefully advised about what was going on. Surely there must have been the thought that his open involvement — which would have been a form of criticizing the Republicans for something — would have only made it more difficult for the Senate Democrats to win some concessions from the House Republicans.” Republican strategist Vin Weber told the outlet that the issue is more about Biden’s absence than Trump’s assertiveness. “I’ve heard people criticize Trump for jumping in too soon,” Weber said. “I think the main point is that Biden has vacated the field and Trump has filled the vacuum.” Weber added that it was “really telling” that Biden didn’t have much impact over last week’s spending bill chaos in Congress . “It was quite something to watch,” Weber said. Other Republicans claim that Biden has already “checked out.” Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told The Hill that Trump “has been more of a president the last month than President Biden’s been,” while Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas said Biden “checked out a long time ago.” “I don’t see a lot of leadership coming from the White House . We’re getting more White House leadership from Mar-a-Lago than we’re getting from the White House,” Tillis added. Some Democrats thought Biden “could have been more vocal” about some of the proposals in the bill that Trump managed to remove, according to The Hill. A Democratic senator, who spoke anonymously, conceded that the Biden administration was “out of energy.” Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told The Hill he hadn’t “heard anything directly from the White House,” but added he wasn’t aware of conversations at a leadership level. The White House pushed back against criticism and claimed their “maneuvering prevented a Republican-triggered Christmas shutdown .” “President Biden and his team worked hand-in-hand with Leaders Jeffries and Schumer to leverage Republicans’ mistakes against them, guaranteeing that the American public knew the House GOP and Trump were breaking their word and putting tax breaks for the wealthy above troops and Social Security recipients — all at the direction of the richest man in the world,” White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told The Hill in a statement.
Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark’s only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931. Wemby at The Garden. LeBron vs. Steph. The NBA's Christmas Day lineup, as always, has star power LeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003. Victor Wembanyama was born 10 days later. That’s right: James has been featured on the NBA’s big day for longer than Wembanyama has been alive. And on Wednesday the league’s oldest player and brightest young star will be big parts of the holiday showcase. It’s another Christmas quintupleheader, with Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visiting the New York Knicks, Minnesota going to Dallas for a Western Conference finals rematch, Philadelphia heading to Boston to renew a storied rivalry, James and the Los Angeles Lakers taking on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and Denver playing at Phoenix. Pro Picks: Chiefs will beat the Steelers and Ravens will edge the Texans on Christmas Day Playoff berths, draft positioning and more are up for grabs in Week 17. There’s going to be plenty of football on television this holiday week with the NFL playing games on five out of six days, starting with a doubleheader on Christmas Day featuring four of the AFC’s top five teams. Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs visit Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. Then, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens take on C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. The Bears host the Seahawks on Thursday night and there are three games on Saturday, making Sunday’s schedule light at nine games. Falcons drafting Penix no longer a head-scratcher with rookie QB shining in place of benched Cousins It was the most surprising first-round pick in a long time when the Atlanta Falcons chose Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall selection in the NFL draft last April. That came just six weeks after the Falcons had signed free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million in guarantees. But that move is no longer a head-scratcher after Penix's solid starting debut in place of a benched and turnover-prone Cousins. Several teams have fared well with new quarterbacks this season including the Steelers, Broncos, Vikings and Commanders. Lindsey Vonn thinks her new titanium knee could start a trend in skiing. And pro sports in general ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — Lindsey Vonn thinks her new titanium knee could be the start of a trend in ski racing. The 40-year-old American standout had replacement surgery in April and returned to the World Cup circuit after nearly six years last weekend. She says her knee feels “amazing" and that "it’s something to seriously consider for athletes that have a lot of knee problems.” Her surgery was the first of its kind in World Cup skiing. Vonn had a robot-assisted surgery in April with part of the bone in her right knee cut off and replaced by two titanium pieces. She was planning her comeback a month later. Boise State's legacy includes winning coaches and championship moments No. 8 and third-seeded Boise State is preparing for its third trip to the Fiesta Bowl. This time it's in a playoff quarterfinal against No. 5 and sixth-seeded Penn State on New Year’s Eve. Boise State's first appearance on the national stage was in a memorable victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2007. But former coach Chris Petersen said the victory in that bowl three years later over TCU was even more meaningful for the program. Players have mixed feelings about being on the road on Christmas as NFL adds more holiday games OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Games on Christmas aren’t new to the NFL. The Miami Dolphins famously beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a playoff game on Dec. 25, 1971 — a double-overtime classic that still holds the record for the NFL’s longest game. In 2020, New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara tied an NFL record with six touchdowns in a game when the Saints beat Minnesota on Christmas. Lately the league has been much more aggressive about scheduling games on Christmas. That's been met with mixed feelings among the players. Baltimore tackle Ronnie Stanley says there is an offensive line Christmas party planned for Friday at center Tyler Linderbaum’s house. Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s plan is to celebrate on Thursday. Embiid ejected after drawing 2 technicals in game against Wembanyama and Spurs PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was ejected in the first half of Monday night’s game against San Antonio after drawing two technical fouls. Referee Jenna Schroeder ejected Embiid with 2 minutes, 59 seconds left in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star received the first technical for arguing with Schroeder, and received another technical — and ejection — from Schroeder before any more game time elapsed. Embiid was close to Schroeder, but it wasn’t clear from replays whether he made contact with the official. An enraged Embiid charged toward the officials after the ejection and was restrained by teammate Kyle Lowry, head coach Nick Nurse and several assistants. Nikki Glaser uses Prime Video's NFL postgame show appearances to help prepare for Golden Globes INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Nikki Glaser has become a familiar face to football fans this season. Her breakthrough performance at the Tom Brady Roast on May 5 paved the way for five appearances on Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” postgame show. Glaser said before last Thursday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers that doing her “Late Hits” segment was a no-brainer following her success at the Brady roast. Leaving Thunder, Bucks off the NBA's Christmas game list has those teams feeling snubbed Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference and has a MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Milwaukee has the NBA’s leading scorer in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They were the teams that made their way to the NBA Cup final. By any measure, they’re both very good teams. And neither will play on Christmas Day this year. Bah, humbug. The NBA faces the same challenge every summer, figuring out which 10 teams will get the honor of playing on Christmas Day. But the Bucks and Thunder are right to feel snubbed.DEAR MISS MANNERS: This year, I sent out Christmas cards as I did last year, to mostly the same group of people. I didn’t hear back from anyone who received my cards -- not a “thank you” or a “Merry Christmas” or anything. Last year, I received a card back from almost everyone I sent one to; this year, I received one return card out of 30. I’m really confused by this, and I might not send them out again next year. GENTLE READER: Indeed, fewer people seem to be sending Christmas cards. But rather than feeling hurt (yes, yes, Miss Manners noticed that you only said “confused”), you should consider some of the reasons. The idea behind this charming custom was to keep minimally in touch with people one might not otherwise see during the year. True, there were those who distributed cards to everyone they knew, but that could still be charming -- especially to those who liked to string the cards across the living room or tuck them into the venetian blinds. Nowadays, everyone keeps in constant touch -- not just with everyone they know, but with as many people as possible whom they don’t know. Perhaps social media posts are mostly people talking about themselves, rather than greeting others, but so are many Christmas cards and letters. In considering what to do next year, you might want to return to the basic standard of greetings. If the people on your list touch base with you in other ways during the year, they want to keep up the contact and likely appreciate your cards -- even if they don’t send cards themselves. (Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com ; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com ; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
Op-Ed | 2024: A record year of delivering for New Yorkers
Christopher, Amanda, Olivia and William Luxon in their matching pyjamas on Christmas Eve. Photo: X Luxon, his wife Amanda and their two children, Olivia, 23, and William, 25, dressed in green PJs this Christmas after they wore red pyjamas last year. “Christmas pyjamas and Christmas movies," Luxon said in a social media post. The Luxon family celebrated Christmas last year in their red PJs. Photo: Instagram Their Christmas movie of choice in the past has been the classic Love Actually, which features Hugh Grant in the role of the UK prime minister. From our family to yours, we hope you have a very Happy Christmas 🎄🎅 pic.twitter.com/9X8AcpKVRh — Christopher Luxon (@chrisluxonmp) December 24, 2024 Christmas is kicking off in the Luxon household tonight! pic.twitter.com/hRqQ8Zo6kB — Christopher Luxon (@chrisluxonmp) December 23, 2023The Wallabies’ hopes of the first grand slam in 40 years were dashed because their wider squad didn’t have the cohesion necessary to orchestrate an upset win against a superior side. There were several issues which contributed to the poor cohesion, some were within the Wallabies’ control, some were not, others were just bad luck, but that was the full capabilities of this Wallabies team. Sure, there were intangibles like the weather: Storm Bert brought snow and heavy rain across the entire UK, forcing the Wallabies to curtail their training and change their preparation considerably. Similarly, no squad is ever at 100 per cent health, injuries are always a part of the rugby equation. An altered and minimised training week, in an unfamiliar place would be fine for an experienced squad but Joe Schmidt’s men were light on caps throughout the matchday 23. This is where the context of the 27-13-point defeat to Scotland begins to take shape. While the Wallabies were a picture of the walking wounded, Scotland were near full strength. The Scottish captain, Australian born Sione Tuipulotu, said in the post-match press conference, he knew Scotland were the better side leading up to the weekend’s game. Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu speaks to Australia’s Angus Bell. (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images) “The feeling throughout the week is we were pretty confident that we’re a better team than this Wallabies team,” Tuipulotu said. “I’m not too sure if it’s an upset, or how the media views it, but we were very confident that we were going to be the better team today.” “It’s a good win, but I don’t think it’s the best win or anything. The way we themed the week is we didn’t really feel like they had played a defensive team like us, and we also didn’t feel like they had played an attacking team like us.” Scotland are currently ranked two spots higher than the Wallabies on the world rankings, have had the same coach for several years and have a consistent roster of players in their best years. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt last week called Scotland; a side with the bulk of their team in the “sweet spot” twice, a zone where players have ‘30-60 caps and are aged between 25-30 years.’ This is a zone where this Wallabies side will be in two years. So, of course Scotland are a better side. But it would be wrong, even for a moment, for Wallabies fans to think the result at the weekend is the best that their team can muster. Or for that matter, that Scotland are without a doubt a better side in general. There is very little between Scotland and the Wallabies. Why? Because even before a ball had been kicked at Murrayfield, there had been nine changes made from the starting XV that ran out against Wales, and four changes on the bench. This equates to a staggering 13 changes to the matchday 23 from one week to another, few sides could make that many changes and expect an 80-minute performance. Conversely, the hosts, Scotland, were on home turf, with combinations which have played together for years, and almost all their best starting lineup. This is not to say the Wallabies would’ve won, had the eleventh-hour injuries and illness to Matt Faessler and Jeremy Williams not occurred. Nor is it suggesting they would’ve triumphed had Taniela Tupou not been under an injury cloud and Samu Kerevi not suspended. What it is positing, is that had these players been present, and coach Joe Schmidt selected the likes of Fraser McReight, the Wallabies could have stayed in the fight for longer. Actually, it goes further, had Filipo Daugunu, Dylan Pietsch, Liam Wright, Tom Robertson, Hunter Paisami, Dave Porecki, and Lachlan Lonergan not been injured this season, then the Wallabies are in that contest right up to their hairlines. This equates to 12 players, 12 Wallabies, who are all now established Test players, who have been consistent members of squads in recent years, unable to take the field for Schmidt. Joe Schmidt. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images) For Porecki, Lonergan, and Wright, their injuries robbed them of a lot of time in 2024, but they are strong contenders to enter the selection frame once fit and healthy in 2025. Ok, that’s enough about the woulda, coulda, shoulda, but it had to be said, the Wallabies are better than that result, and fans should be excited by the potential of the squad Schmidt is building. However, if we turn to the Scotland game, the team became unstuck as soon as the forward substitutes rolled on, around the 50th-minute. The lack of cohesion was because there was a lack of continuity. Dome of Schmidt’s selection were third or even fourth string squad members, some which hadn’t played since September or August. He selected two inexperienced props, in youngsters Isaac Aedo Kailea and Zane Nonggorr, who have six and nine caps respectively. This issue was compounded by Faessler’s untimely injury. This forced Schmidt to bring Brandon Paenga-Amosa into the starting side and call up another youngster, four cap hooker, Billy Pollard onto the bench. Between Pollard and the reserve front rower, there were only a total of 19-caps, and all were 24 years and under: a front row too young to be the frontline of a Test side. This plastered together side wasn’t helped by the late withdrawal of Williams, it altered the DNA of the Wallabies’ pack, making it bulkier and less dynamic. The backs weren’t spared either, with cross-code star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii lasting only half an hour, before leaving the field due to injury. This saw winger Andrew Kellaway go to outside centre, with debutant Harry Potter on the wing and 20-year-old Max Jorgensen slotting onto the other wing, off the bench. On-top of all these forced changes, Carlo Tizzano was promoted to No.7 in lieu of rested Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson slotted back into No.8 with Seru Uru dropping out. Jake Gordon was back from a head injury, and Len Ikitau and JAS partnered in the centres for only their second game together ever. It is truly a mess and from this chaos emerged the result. The first casualty of mass changes and poor preparation is trust, that was the word of the week for the Wallabies leading up to the Murrayfield clash. Trust in each other, trust in the gameplan, and trust in themselves. The first rugby specific casualty from these disruptions is defence, because defence is built on trust. For the Wallabies, their ‘connected line-speed’ defence is built on trust. Trust that your inside man will hustle high and cover your inside shoulder, trust that the men around the ruck will get onto their feet and reload, trust that your teammate is where he should be. Once the Wallabies’ substitutes started rolling on in the forwards, at the 50-minute mark, the trust which had kept the team within two scores began to wither. The trust in each other which had seen them go to halftime at 7-3 down began to disappear, there were shades of Santa Fe emerging. However, it never got that bad because despite Schmidt being correct in that “development is never linear,” there has been big improvement in this side since the record loss to Argentina. Although the Scotsmen were a little off their game and failed to execute their finer skills in attack, the Wallabies nevertheless held on, showing grit and determination. The Wallabies for 2024 have a magic number they must keep the opposition under if they wish to be in with a chance to win, that number is 23 points. Which if adjusted for historical data reaching back into the 2000s has been averaged out to be around 20 points. This rings true for the current Wallabies, had the Wallabies kept the Scots to 20-23 points, then with 12-minutes to go they could have been within two scores of winning. But to move forward, the Wallabies must learn from the weekend. The lesson they learnt the hard way is that inexperienced players who haven’t played together before, are a risk in the defensive line. How many times have Tizzano, Kailea, Nonggorr, Potter, and Tate McDermott defended together? Let me give you clue; it rhymes with hero. In this instance, Potter makes the first error in getting too high. In defence coach Laurie Fisher’s ‘connected line speed’ system, the outside man, particularly as the third man out, should never get a meter in front of the inside man. This is compounded by Nonggorr biting-in on maverick flyhalf Finn Russell when he had already released the ball. Potter did well to make the ankle-tap, but the damage had already been done. In the end, the Wallabies thwart the attack, but it shows how small margins can undo a defence at Test level. Here, the Scots show they did their homework on the Wallabies’ fold etiquette after a set piece. Pollard and Kailea fold too hard to the openside, despite Scotland only having five men on that flank. Had either of them stayed on the open side, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto could have rushed hard to fill the space between himself and Nonggorr and plugged the gap no.11 Duhan van der Merwe slices through. Admittedly, LSL slips of a tackle he should’ve made but this is 70-minutes into a big effort form the tight forward, a factor Nonggorr and Nick Frost should’ve considered in their rush. In both these instances, the Wallabies were outnumbered on the respective sides by one player. A deficit a ‘connected line speed’ defence should theoretically deal with exceptionally well, as opposed to a rush a defence, but instead they allow the Scotsmen to make breaks on the inside of their defence. Something, which within their system, shouldn’t be happening. This is what a lack of cohesion, continuity, and experienced does, players are different pages, and it turns small differences of implementation into big problems. As the full-time whistle blew, LSL was the most experienced forward on the field with 38-caps. He gapped the next highest capped Wallaby by almost double. Most of the pack had 12-caps or less each and the most experienced player on the field was McDermott with 39-caps. This inexperienced selection was totally within Schmidt’s control and yet he decided to rotate. Australia players after the Autumn International match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh. Picture date: Sunday November 24, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) But this is not a critique of Schmidt, it is just the reality considering the injuries and a squad to manage under a long campaign. Now, it must be remembered that Schmidt’s goal has always been to build a side ready to take on the British and Irish Lions in 9-months’ time. His only barometer of success, ever since he signed on the dotted line has been the Lions. The Wallabies stocks at this point in the year are not the side which will be selected come July-19 2025, for their first Lions Test. Those 12 players which were not selected for one reason or another, will be in the mix, making the cap count and experience much higher. Although this doesn’t bode well for Ireland in a few days’ time, there is still enough starch in this touring squad to put in an 80-minute performance. The Wallabies are not yet done for 2024.‘I don’t talk about favourites’: Arne Slot refuses to get carried away by title talk