Mary Fowler made a mad dash to reunite with boyfriend Nathan Cleary at the second Ashes Test between Australia and England on Saturday night. The injured Manchester City star was required to attend her club’s game against West Ham in the Women’s Super League, before making the hour trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium in Everton.
Speaking before the second Test, Cleary revealed the task that his girlfriend faced to reunite with him. “I should be able to see her when we get to Liverpool,” Cleary told Channel 7. “So I’m looking forward to that and hopefully she can come to the games. It’s unfortunate (she can’t arrive earlier) but I’ll be able to see her, so that’s the important thing.”
‘Jarvo’ gate-crashed the Australian national anthem (L), while Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary reunited after the Kangaroos’ victory(R). Image: Channel 9/Daily Telegraph
Fowler wasn’t playing on Saturday because she’s still recovering from an ACL injury. But she had to attend the home game in Manchester with the rest of the squad, which kicked off about two hours before the Kangaroos and England game.
Once City’s game ended, Fowler travelled across the city to be in attendance at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Daily Telegraph published photos of the sweet moment she reunited with Cleary after full-time. Nathan’s father Ivan appeared to be in attendance and sitting with Fowler in the stands.
“It’s been a few months now so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing her,” Cleary said at the start of the tour. “She has to work it around her rehab, but she is trying to come to the last two games.”
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Whether Fowler gets to see Cleary in the third game remains to be seen. Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters has hinted he might get his wider squad players some game time in the dead rubber, which would likely mean Cleary sits out and lets Mitch Moses play halfback.
Cameron Munster speaks out after pitch invader incident
Meanwhile, the second Test was marred by bizarre scenes on Saturday night when serial pitch-invading pest Daniel ‘Jarvo’ Jarvis joined the Australian team to sing the national anthem. Dressed in full Kangaroos kit, Jarvo linked arms with Cameron Munster at the end of a line of Aussie players before kick-off.
The notorious pest has done the same at countless sporting events over the years, and was quickly escorted from the field and into police custody. Speaking after the game, Munster said he thought it was a promotion or prize winner before recognising Jarvo.
Jarvo managed to get on the field and join the Kangaroos for the national anthem. Image: Channel 9
“Myself and Patty Carrigan have a bit of a superstition that we stand together for the anthem,” Munster told Channel 9. “Some guy tried to get in between me and him and I said ‘nah’. Then he asked me again, ‘can I stand next to you and hold you’. I said ‘righto mate, do what you need to do’.
“I just assumed he had some corporate package or some agreement with the Kangaroos that he could jump in for the anthem. Then I realised who it was. It was the guy who does that stuff on the regular. It took me a while to click on but it was pretty funny. He got me.
“He tried talking to me but I didn’t give him a whole heap because no one tipped me up that it was going to happen. It was a bit weird, but I just went with it. He got me an absolute ripper. Security guards or one of the people who work at the grounds went and grabbed him and were pretty aggressive with him. I knew straight away I got stitched up massively.”
Merseyside Police said in a statement: “The 37-year-old man from Gravesend, Kent was detained at around 2.30pm after entering the pitch before the start of the the England v Australia Rugby League match. He has been arrested on suspicion of possession of articles for use in fraud & fraud by false representation, and has been taken to a police station for questioning.”