
Lions hold firm after scare from First Nations-Pasifika XV
Centre Jamie Osborne scored a try in each half, and Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe also crossed for the Lions who remain unbeaten on their Australian tour despite producing a largely ragged display at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium.
It was full credit to the FNP team, who gave Joe Schmidt's Wallabies a lesson in ferocity at the breakdown and scored tries from Tristan Reilly, Seru Uru and Rob Leota, the last allowing them to creep within five points with less than 10 minutes left.
Although the Lions notched their seventh win in succession in Australia, coach Andy Farrell may have more headaches than just selection for Saturday's second test against the Wallabies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where they will bid to seal the series.
The claims of his son Owen Farrell for a test jersey were unharmed, though, the former England captain leading from the front as skipper on Tuesday.
"Probably wasn't our best performance, but massive, massive credit's got to go to the First Nations and Pasifika boys, thought they came after us tonight," said Owen Farrell.
"They got off the line really well, they caused us some trouble ... I'm thankful we got the job done in the end."
Farrell was right in the thick of it, charging in to shove Reilly after the hosts' winger hammered into Graham with a try-saving tackle that earned him a yellow card in the fifth minute.
Moments later, Farrell set up the Lions' first try with a neat chip over the First Nations' line that Osborne collected and planted down.
Farrell had a hand in the second for Scottish winger Graham who streamed through a paddock of space.
FNP were 14-0 down after 11 minutes but Reilly returned to the field to intercept a poor Fin Smith pass near the Lions' 22 and jog over for the easiest of tries.
Improbably, FNP wiped out the lead with a converted try to Uru, who burrowed over in the 23rd minute.
Lions lock James Ryan was yellow-carded in the same play for slowing the ball down at the ruck.
Undermanned, the tourists shut out FNPZ for the rest of the half but were lucky to avoid conceding a third try after another interception.
Home fans hoping for an upset were buoyant in the crowd of 30,420 but Osborne silenced them soon after the restart, with flyhalf Smith making up for errant passing with a long ball that set up the centre's second try.
Still the errors flowed, with forward passes and knock-ons denying the Lions two certain tries before Van der Merwe latched onto a Farrell pass to cross in the corner.
Still FNP responded, rumbling the ball to the tryline before Melbourne boy and former Wallaby Leota barged through a crack to trim the deficit to five points in the 71st minute.
The drums were beating among the Pacific Islanders in the terraces but the Lions did well to lock down and ensure they head into the second Wallabies test with winning form.
"Not many people gave us a chance," said FNP's man-of-the-match Charlie Gamble.
"We showed that we deserve to be out there, and we played very hard for each other."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Herald Scotland
27 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
British and Irish Lions lock Joe McCarthy in race to be fit for second Test
With Thursday's training session before Andy Farrell names his team being the final opportunity to prove his fitness, the Ireland enforcer looks likely to miss out. McCarthy came off during the first Test with a foot injury (David Davies/PA) Potentially signposting an adjustment to the pack to face Australia in the second Test, James Ryan and Jac Morgan were replaced early in the second half of Tuesday's 24-19 victory over the First Nations and Pasifika XV. If McCarthy is ruled out, Ollie Chessum could be drafted into the second row alongside captain Maro Itoje, creating a vacancy on the bench, while another option is to move Tadhg Beirne from flanker to lock. Should repositioning Beirne be Farrell's preferred choice, Morgan becomes a contender to make the matchday 23. Given the Lions bullied the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium, unenforced changes to the pack are unlikely. First Test: Brisbane, July 19 - Australia 19-27 British and Irish Lions Second Test: Melbourne, July 26 - Australia v British and Irish Lions Third Test: Sydney, August 2 - Australia v British and Irish Lions Farrell could shake up his back-three, however, after wings James Lowe and Tommy Freeman struggled to make an impact in the series opener. Lowe in particular struggled with the poor finishing which has been a feature of his tour apparent again. Of the four possible options to step in, two are injured and one has been repeatedly exposed in defence, with only the fourth offering Farrell room for manoeuvre. Mack Hansen missed the first Test because of a foot problem and has yet to train this week, placing his involvement on Saturday in grave doubt, while Darcy Graham is waiting for scan results after sustaining ankle ligament damage early in his Lions debut against FNP. Duhan van der Merwe, who was fortunate to be selected ahead of Graham in the original touring party, has been targeted by kickers all tour and his defensively frailties would be exploited by the Wallabies. Blair Kinghorn, centre, could have played his way into contention (David Davies/PA) The ace up Farrell's sleeve is Scotland's Blair Kinghorn, who made his comeback from a knee injury at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday and apart from throwing two intercept passes, proved himself ready for Test duty. Nominally a full-back, he is also a high quality option on the wing, the position he has filled most recently for his club Toulouse this season. Owen Farrell showed he is ready for a call-up to the bench in Melbourne if needed with a solid 80 minutes against FNP, Marcus Smith passed a head injury assessment and Garry Ringrose made a successful first appearance since being concussed against ACT Brumbies. In the midst of a schedule of three games in eight days, players have been given Wednesday off, but Farrell and his coaching assistants are to meet to finalise selection. 'I let everyone have their say, I play devil's advocate, we thrash it out and then we all agree,' Farrell said. 'There is all sorts that goes into it – performances, there's no doubt about that – but there is also what's right for this second game? Are a few changes going to freshen it up or do we go with the same guys? 'All that comes into the pot. It's whatever is best for the team and what do we need for a game at the MCG with over 90,000 people. It should be challenging.'


The Independent
44 minutes ago
- The Independent
British and Irish Lions lock Joe McCarthy in race to be fit for second Test
Joe McCarthy is the chief injury concern as the British and Irish Lions finalise plans for their shot at completing a series victory over Australia on Saturday. McCarthy limped off in the 27-19 triumph over the Wallabies in the first Test with the foot condition plantar fasciitis and has been unable to train since, making him a major doubt to be involved in the rematch at Melbourne Cricket Ground. With Thursday's training session before Andy Farrell names his team being the final opportunity to prove his fitness, the Ireland enforcer looks likely to miss out. Potentially signposting an adjustment to the pack to face Australia in the second Test, James Ryan and Jac Morgan were replaced early in the second half of Tuesday's 24-19 victory over the First Nations and Pasifika XV. If McCarthy is ruled out, Ollie Chessum could be drafted into the second row alongside captain Maro Itoje, creating a vacancy on the bench, while another option is to move Tadhg Beirne from flanker to lock. Should repositioning Beirne be Farrell's preferred choice, Morgan becomes a contender to make the matchday 23. Given the Lions bullied the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium, unenforced changes to the pack are unlikely. Farrell could shake up his back-three, however, after wings James Lowe and Tommy Freeman struggled to make an impact in the series opener. Lowe in particular struggled with the poor finishing which has been a feature of his tour apparent again. Of the four possible options to step in, two are injured and one has been repeatedly exposed in defence, with only the fourth offering Farrell room for manoeuvre. Mack Hansen missed the first Test because of a foot problem and has yet to train this week, placing his involvement on Saturday in grave doubt, while Darcy Graham is waiting for scan results after sustaining ankle ligament damage early in his Lions debut against FNP. Duhan van der Merwe, who was fortunate to be selected ahead of Graham in the original touring party, has been targeted by kickers all tour and his defensively frailties would be exploited by the Wallabies. The ace up Farrell's sleeve is Scotland's Blair Kinghorn, who made his comeback from a knee injury at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday and apart from throwing two intercept passes, proved himself ready for Test duty. Nominally a full-back, he is also a high quality option on the wing, the position he has filled most recently for his club Toulouse this season. Owen Farrell showed he is ready for a call-up to the bench in Melbourne if needed with a solid 80 minutes against FNP, Marcus Smith passed a head injury assessment and Garry Ringrose made a successful first appearance since being concussed against ACT Brumbies. In the midst of a schedule of three games in eight days, players have been given Wednesday off, but Farrell and his coaching assistants are to meet to finalise selection. 'I let everyone have their say, I play devil's advocate, we thrash it out and then we all agree,' Farrell said. 'There is all sorts that goes into it – performances, there's no doubt about that – but there is also what's right for this second game? Are a few changes going to freshen it up or do we go with the same guys? 'All that comes into the pot. It's whatever is best for the team and what do we need for a game at the MCG with over 90,000 people. It should be challenging.'


BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
Prem season to open with Thursday night game
The 2025-26 Prem rugby season will begin with a Thursday night fixture for the first time in its history when Sale Sharks take on match will kick-off at 19:45 BST on Thursday, 25 September at the Salford Stadium, opening the first of 18 champions Bath will travel to Harlequins for their first game of the campaign the following day, with runners-up Leicester Tigers playing Bristol Bears away on Sunday, 28 top flight of English domestic rugby union has been rebranded as the 'Prem' for the upcoming season with the aim of giving it a more informal, less corporate feel and also drawing in more younger fans. Newcastle host Saracens on Friday, 26 September and Exeter travel to Northampton on Sunday afternoon in the two other fixtures across the opening will be no Saturday match, to avoid a clash with the Women's Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham on 27 last of the 18 rounds will conclude on the weekend of 6 June, 2026, with the Prem final title decider at Twickenham on Saturday, 21 June move to a midweek night fixture follows news that the men's Six Nations will open with a Thursday night game for the first time in February 2026."Kicking off the campaign with a Thursday night opener brings a fresh twist to our traditional curtain-raiser, and we're looking forward to seeing Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby set the tone in style," said chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor. Marquee weekend at Villa, Spurs & Cardiff in March Three fixtures will be played at Premier League or international football stadiums on the final weekend of March (27-29).Gloucester face Leicester Tigers in The Slater Cup - named after Ed Slater, former captain of both teams, who retired in 2022 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease - at Aston Villa's Villa Park on Saturday, 28 Bears face Harlequins at Principality Stadium, while Saracens take on Northampton Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium."Marquee fixtures remain a key pillar of our strategy to broaden rugby's reach," Massie-Taylor added."We're thrilled to see Villa Park host The Slater Cup for the first time and to witness the continued growth of Bristol Bears' Big Day Out in its second year." Premiership opening weekend fixtures Thursday, 25 SeptemberSale v Gloucester (19:45 BST)Friday, 26 SeptemberHarlequins v Bath (19:45 BST)Newcastle v Saracens (19:45 BST)Sunday, 28 SeptemberNorthampton v Exeter (13:00 BST)Bristol v Leicester (15:30 BST)