
Lions v Western Force live updates: XXX
British & Irish Lions v Western Force; Optus Stadium, Perth, kick-off 11am (Irish time)
5 minutes ago
As ever, the best place to start is with the team news. There are already plenty of Irish living in Perth and should any of them have tickets for tonight, they'll get to watch plenty of their compatriots in the flesh.
With the Leinster contingent mostly fit and firing after being rested for the defeat to Argentina, today's squad has a very distinctive green tinge.
Somewhat surprisingly, with Maro Itoje given a breather today, Dan Sheehan captains on his Lions debut. Tadhg Furlong joins him in the frontrow along with Scotland's Pierre Schoeman.
Joe McCarthy is in the secondrow while Tadhg Beirne shifts to six. Josh van der Flier joins him in the backrow. Henry Pollock lining out at eight, with Jack Conan on the bench, is an intriguing selection.
James Lowe, Garry Ringrose and Connacht's Mack Hansen are all in the backline.
Andrew Porter and Rónan Kelleher round out the Irish representation alongside Conan among the replacements.
Tonight's team! 🦁
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial)
10 minutes ago
Good morning all and welcome to our coverage of this year's Lions tour.
Nathan Johns here to tell you what's what as Andy Farrell and co take on the Western Force at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
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RTÉ News
25 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Nick Timoney: It feels like a long time since my last cap
Nick Timoney is a persistent man. A month shy of his 30th birthday, the Ulster back row could be held up as a poster boy for Ireland's embarrassment of riches at flanker and number 8. It's four years since the Dublin native made his Ireland debut, scoring a try in the 2021 summer hammering of USA, getting his opportunity while others were away on British and Irish Lions duty in South Africa. That was his first taste of the Ireland squad, and the versatile back row has consistently been part of Andy Farrell's wider plans since. He's been part of the extended squad in 10 of the last 11 Six Nations, Autumn Nations Series and summer tour groups, with the World Cup preparation squad in 2023 the only time he hasn't been selected or later added to the panel. With 16 Ireland internationals away on Lions again this summer, he's one of the experienced members of this squad - in a sense. Part of the furniture in the squad as a whole, but the durability and form of Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan and Peter O'Mahony has seen Timoney win just three caps in the last four years, with his debut against USA followed by a cap off the bench against Argentina a few months later, while he scored two tries on his most recent appearance against Fiji in November 2022. "Yeah, it feels like a long time ago. It pretty much is a long time ago now," the Ulster back row says, when he looks back on his last cap, just under three years ago. "Opportunities don't come easy in this squad because of how competitive it is and certainly feels like back row is always incredibly competitive." He's not the only one who has had to sit and wait patiently for their chance in this Irish back row. Gavin Coombes also made his debut in that 2021 summer programme, and like Timoney, will be hoping to finally add some more caps in the upcoming Test matches against Georgia and Portugal. Timoney has had three other outings in the green jersey, featuring twice for Ireland's dirt-trackers against the Maori All Blacks on the 2022 tour of New Zealand, before playing with Ireland A against an All Blacks XV at the RDS in November that year. However, none of those games were full internationals. "I made my debut during the last Lions tour four years ago, and bar getting called in on the day once when there was a few injuries [against Argentina], I've only gotten picked once since then for an actual cap. "In my head, there's absolutely no hint of this being anything other than a chance to represent my country, which is a massive honour. "I'd be lying if I said there wasn't times where I was frustrated, but I certainly have had times where I feel like I'm incredibly close to it, and I've felt like if I had a chance, I would've taken it and run with it. "Obviously it's tough in my position, but that's part of it." It would have been hard to blame Timoney if he'd given up on his Ireland ambitions. An abrasive, ball-carrying and versatile back row, he'd be welcomed with open arms into any number of French Top14 sides, where he'd almost certainly be increasing his pay packet. But he's drawing inspiration from a South African World Cup winner to never park his Test career. "I just value the goal that's there. It can be tough because, being a realist, you come into a lot of camps and you know that you're not necessarily top of the pecking order. "And it's still kills you inside a little bit every time you're not announced and you're not in the team. "But ultimately, if you really value playing for Ireland enough, then there's no choice but to put more emphasis on getting better and working harder. So that's just what I try to do. "There's examples of it all over. There's the Deon Fouries of the world who are uncapped to 35 and captain their team in a World Cup final. "Belief still there. Like I still come into every single camp thinking this will be the one I break through and I'll be into it properly then," he added. Timoney will be among a squad of 32 players who fly to Tbilisi on Wednesday for what will be Ireland's first ever game away to Georgia on Saturday 5 July. While Ireland have never lost to the Georgians, they were given a bit of a scare when the sides lasts met in 2020 as Ireland limped their way to a 23-10 win. The Dublin native has only previously played Georgia in Sevens and at underage level for Ireland, although it's been enough for him to appreciate the physicality in store next week. And as someone who dreamed of becoming a professional player during the mid-2010s, he cites a Georgian great as one of his rugby inspirations. "I have hours of Mamuka Gorgodze [above] footage watched from when I was a kid. I used to watch a highlight video of his pretty much every week. "Back in the day when you're a kid, as you would with loads of different rugby players that were in your position, you'd look up some of their clips, their highlights, but there was a 10-minute compilation video of Mamuka Gorgodze playing a lot of European countries for Georgia. "There's loads of clips from them playing Poland and Russia and Spain and stuff. So I used to watch that a bit when I was younger. "He was a bit of a tank. "I was into all my highlight clips when Rugbydump was a website that was going round back in the day, 'Try-savers and rib-breakers 11' was my favourite one."


Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Gerry Thornley: Mack Hansen showed exactly why Andy Farrell made him a Lions player
On the hour mark, Josh van der Flier picked up from a Lions ruck just inside the Western Force half, saw daylight and broke clear. As Henry Pollock steamed up on his inside, another opportunist long-range Lions try seemed on. But Van der Flier's attempted offload inside the Force 22 plopped into the hands of the home fullback Ben Donaldson and he broke up field, with everyone else running in the opposite direction. A try at the other end suddenly seemed likely as Donaldson ran to the Lions' 10-metre line and kicked ahead. Mack Hansen was the eighth-most advanced Lions player in attack but he turned and saw the danger before gobbling up the ground as others appeared to be jogging on the spot in quickly covering back 50 metres. Hansen dived on to the loose ball, bounced to his feet, fended a tackle and offloaded to Huw Jones. Hansen's work was only beginning. He back-pedalled to his position on the right wing and just seven seconds later received a pass from Dan Sheehan . Hansen kicked downfield and chased from his own 22 to the Force 22 and tackled Max Burey, whose pass infield was dropped by Henry Robertson. Okay, that was an added bonus, but Hansen's work-rate had effectively earned two turnovers and a net gain of 60 metres. READ MORE In the coaches' box, Andy Farrell had cursed in frustration and put his hands on his head when the Lions had initially turned the ball over, but when the cameras panned back after Hansen's cameo, the head coach was unusually animated in roaring approvingly and happily punching the air with both fists. Alongside Farrell, video analyst Vinny Hammond and Simon Easterby joined in the applause and smiled. Mack Hansen after the victory over the Western Force in Perth. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho Hansen wasn't perfect, and knocked on soon afterwards, to be left shaking his head – not for the first time. But it was no surprise that Farrell singled out those moments immediately afterwards. 'This was a lot of the lads' first game, so we're up and running and we'll keep pushing it forward. There were some fantastic tries, but the play of the day was Mack Hansen going up and down the field,' said the coach approvingly. It will also be no surprise therefore, if Farrell also singles out Hansen's work-rate on the hour mark when the Lions conduct their review as an example to all. Hansen is an intelligent, skilful rugby player who is deceptively athletic and bravely looks to influence matches. And the coach knows that if he has 15 players willing to stay alert and be involved at all times, and also possess the honesty of effort which Hansen showed in those moments, his team has every chance of beating their opponents. In keeping with someone who started his coaching journey overseeing defence, Farrell's teams pride themselves on that side of the game and to that end, work-rate when the opposition have the ball is key. For the Lions to restrict the Force to just one try from eight visits to the 22 will have pleased Farrell no end. But as important is work-rate in possession as well and it was striking how often the Lions scored tries through players making a second touch in the move. Sheehan's touchdown after he palmed Finn Russell's crosskick inside to James Lowe and withstood the tackle of Dylan Pietsch to then take the return offload just 95 seconds into the game was the quickest Lions try ever. Henry Pollock breaks clear to set up the Lions' second try, scored by Tomos Williams, during the tour match against Western Force. Photograph:) It was also Pollock's second touch after taking a return offload from Van der Flier which led to him setting up Tomos Williams's first try. Likewise, after Hansen sent Lowe clear early in the second half, both Lowe and Williams had two touches apiece before the latter scored his second. Garry Ringrose constantly worked on and off the ball for his try. Alex Mitchell had started the last phase of the game before finishing their eighth try in overtime with his second touch. Indeed, Hansen's lung-bursting contribution on the hour inspired him into producing some of his best rugby of the match. Nearing the 80-minute mark, it was Hansen's intercept which ended the Force's final attack of the match, before he offloaded to Marcus Smith. Hansen then stepped in at scrumhalf from the ensuing recycle and passed to Pollock. Another phase later and when Elliot Daly's skip-passed him to hit Sione Tuipulotu, it was Hansen who supported on his centre's inside to take the pass, break clear, draw the last man and put Mitchell over. His third touch. In moments like those, Hansen demonstrates the kind of playmaking, footballing ability which can also make his position on the wing somewhat notional. Hansen's tattoo of Farrell on his leg is further evidence that he is as daft as a brush, but it also demonstrates the bond between the two. When Farrell wasted little time in bringing Hansen into the Irish squad following his arrival at Connacht in 2021, it raised a few eyebrows. But not the least of Farrell's skills as a coach is his ability to identify an international quality player and back those hunches by swiftly promoting them into the Irish team, other examples being Joe McCarthy and Jamison Gibson-Park . Of course, Hansen's personality and return to the country where he was born and reared would also have earmarked him as 'a good tourist'. He ticks many boxes. He may or may not make the Test 23 but having made a positive impact off the bench against Argentina, he's already dispelled much of the debate about his inclusion in the squad.


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