Lions player ratings as Henry Pollock pure X factor but Irish duo need to up games

Wales Online

10 hours ago

Lions player ratings as Henry Pollock pure X factor but Irish duo need to up games
The British & Irish Lions are up and running.
British & Irish Lions players react following their rugby match win against the Western Force in Perth
(Image: AP Photo/Trevor Collens )
The British & Irish Lions got their tour of Australia off to a winning start with a comprehensive 54-7 victory over the Western Force in Perth.
It was by no means perfect and they did endure a ropey first half but Andy Farrell's side seemed to click after the break as they crossed for eight tries in total.
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There were a number of impressive individual performances, while one or two others were below par and will need to up their game to make the Test side.
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Here are your player ratings.
15. Elliot Daly 7
A few eyebrows were raised when Daly was named in Farrell's original squad but this was an assured performance from the Englishman.
His positional play was first class, while his kicking out of hand put the Force under pressure.
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Daly does the less fashionable things well as he hit some good angles and some neat passing unlocked the Force defence.
Grabbed himself a brace of tries.
14. Mack Hansen 7
The Connacht man did not have the best of first halves and was outplayed by Force wing Dylan Pietsch but he was much better after the break.
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Hansen hit some good lines in the second half while a nice offload to James Lowe ended up with Tomos Williams scoring in the early stages of the second half. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
He also put in a couple of key defensive interventions and his performance will have pleased Farrell.
13. Garry Ringrose 6
Defended well and brought with his line speed cutting off the Force attack on a couple of occasions during the first half.
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Ringrose was quietly effective, claiming a try during the second half but will need to up his game if he is to cement a spot in the Test side.
12. Sione Tuipulotu 7
Like many players Tuipulotu was quiet during the first half but came to life after the break.
The Scotland star finished the game as the top carrier with 16, while he hit some good angles to rip through the Force defence.
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It's going to be tight between Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki for the number 12 shirt against the Wallabies.
11. James Lowe 8
The left-wing put in a strong performance on his Lions debut.
He may not have got himself on the scoreboard but he played an influential role in five of the tries.
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A sumptuous offload put Dan Sheehan over, while he made a number of line breaks and his passing under pressure was top class.
Lowe was used infield regularly and was effective as a playmaker.
10. Finn Russell 8
This was an assured display from the Lions playmaker who outlined why he is the frontrunner to wear the number 10 shirt against the Wallabies.
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Russell's range of passing unlocked the Force defence throughout the second half while his decision to take a penalty quickly set up Daly's try.
He also kicked 10 points from the kicking tee and controlled the game well.
9. Tomos Williams 8
The Wales scrum-half put in a fine individual performance but it was ruined by an injury in the act of scoring a try.
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Williams was a constant threat with ball in hand and his support lines resulted in two tries for the Gloucester number nine.
The 30-year-old's service was also slick while he got the balance right between when to kick, run and pass.
Farrell will be hoping his injury is not too serious because he was excellent in Perth. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
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8. Henry Pollock 8
This kid is pure X-factor and has the ability to rip open the tightest of defences. Unlocked the Force defence with a stunning break before offloading to Williams for their second try.
Pollock also regathered his own kick to set up the Lions' sixth try to hammer home his point of difference.
There are still a few too many errors in his game but with Pollock on the field Farrell knows there will be at least three or four standout moments which can turn a game in their favour.
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Blotted his copybook with a yellow card.
7. Josh van der Flier 7
The experienced Irishman put in a huge defensive shift with 22 tackles made as he helped keep the Force to just the one try in what was a ferocious onslaught by the hosts during the opening quarter.
His counter rucking is an underrated part of the game while he also carried well.
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But there were no turnovers for the Leinster star with referee Ben O'Keeffe not awarding a single jackal penalty over the course of the 80 minutes.
6. Tadhg Beirne 5
Not his greatest game.
The experienced forward wasn't at his dynamic best and conceded too many penalties in the first half.
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Beirne was effective at the lineout but there were no trademark carries or turnovers from the Ireland star. He can play much better than this and needs to up his game over the next few weeks.
5. Scott Cummings 5
The Scotsman got through a lot of work in making five carries and 12 tackles while he also denied the Force a try at the stroke of half-time by holding the hosts up over the line.
This was a tidy performance but he did not set the world on fire either. The Force pack were on top for most of the first half before they tired and the Lions gained the upper hand after the break.
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Cummings didn't do enough to threaten the Test side.
4. Joe McCarthy (Star man) 9
Outstanding!
The Irish lock made some key interventions while the Lions were under pressure in the first half. A tremendous rip at the maul probably saved a try, while he achieved two further turnovers.
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McCarthy made 15 powerful carries and caused havoc with his counter rucking while he also put in 17 tackles. Claimed a well-deserved try for good measure and has put down a strong claim to partner Maro Itoje at lock for the Tests.
3. Tadhg Furlong 5
This was not his greatest game.
It will probably go under the radar due to the margin of victory but the Lions scrum struggled and Wallabies loosehead Tom Robertson had Furlong under huge pressure.
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The experienced Ireland tighthead was also not as prominent as usual around the park.
He needs to up his game.
2. Dan Sheehan 6
The Lions captain put in a solid performance with 12 tackles and five carries.
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Sheehan also scored the opening try with and put in a big shift around the park even if he did not set the world alight.
On the whole the lineout was a lot better than it was against Argentina in Dublin which is credit to Sheehan. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
1. Pierre Schoeman 5
The Scotland prop was industrious if not spectacular with 10 tackles and four carries. But he was under severe pressure at a couple of scrums and another referee would have penalised the Lions.
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Needs to do better if he is to have a chance of overtaking Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter for the Tests.
Replacements
16. Ronan Kelleher 6
Only got 14 minutes on the field but got a few powerful carries, while the lineout functioned well.
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17. Andrew Porter 6
Solid upon entering the fray with a couple of decent carries and scrummaged well.
18. Will Stuart 6
The Gallagher Premiership winner was solid and will fancy his chances of putting pressure on Tadhg Furlong for the Test team.
19. Ollie Chessum 7
The England star looked very prominent after coming onto the field and ensured the lineout ran smoothly.
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20. Jack Conan 6
A couple of powerful carries but also fumbled the ball forward once when the Lions had momentum.
21. Alex Mitchell 7
Looked sharp after replacing Williams and finished a try superbly at the death.
22. Huw Jones 6
The Scotland centre looked dangerous will ball in hand and will surely get a start against the Queensland Reds in midweek.
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23. Marcus Smith 7
Did well after replacing Russell with his vision and passing helping to add a few extra tries.
Also contributed four points from the kicking tee.