logo
Why the Lions have a 16-point advantage against the Wallabies

Why the Lions have a 16-point advantage against the Wallabies

The Age18-07-2025
12. Len Ikitau: One of the best midfielders in the world, so the hope is the Wallabies use him more than as a battering ram. Rating: 8
11. Harry Potter: Will have his hands full against Tommy Freeman, and may have been picked due to his ability under the high ball. Rating: 6
10. Tom Lynagh: Has a calm head, but this is an enormous step up for a 22-year-old in his first Wallabies start. A concern. Rating: 6
9. Jake Gordon: The 32-year-old is a proven performer, but has no form to speak of and Ryan Lonergan's excellent game for the Brumbies against the Lions has put the spotlight on the Wallabies' selections at No. 9. Rating: 7
8. Harry Wilson: Loved his toughness and mentality to literally drag his side across the line against Fiji, but probably needs an all-time performance in Brisbane. Rating: 7
7. Fraser McReight: Form hasn't been as good compared to last year, when he was arguably the best player in Super Rugby Pacific. The Wallabies need him to find that top gear. Rating: 8
6. Nick Champion de Crespigny: As tough as they come, but a questionable selection ahead of Tom Hooper. Rating: 6
5. Nick Frost: The tallest man on the field needs to get up and challenge the Lions at lineout time, an area where he caused so much disruption during Super Rugby Pacific. Rating: 7
4. Jeremy Williams: His work rate is exceptional, but the suspicion is that the Lions have the upper hand in power through the scrum and through contact. Rating: 6
Loading
3. Allan Alaalatoa: A mixed Test against Fiji from a scrummaging perspective, and will be attacked by the Lions. Probably the most important player on the field because if the Wallabies can't hold the scrum the Lions will feed off it. Rating: 7
2. Matt Faessler: Underdone after an injury-affected Reds campaign. Highly capable at Super Rugby level, but rival hooker Dan Sheehan is a bigger body. Rating: 6
1. James Slipper: Another contentious selection. Is Angus Bell carrying a niggle? Easily one of the toughest Wallabies of the professional era, but this is a big ask of a 36-year-old. Rating: 6
Wallabies total: 156 (average 6.8 a player)
British and Irish Lions
15. Hugo Keenan: A class act, but is in the team due to injuries to others, and his form isn't where it was a few years ago. Rating: 7
14. Tommy Freeman: One of the outstanding athletes in the Lions squad. Big, tall, strong and a proven Test finisher for England. Rating: 7
13. Huw Jones: Arguably the most impressive back on tour so far. Jones has played his way into the Test side and his sheer size will pose problems. Rating: 8
12. Sione Tuipulotu: Must have been a close selection call ahead of Bundee Aki, and has arguably been helped by the form of his Scotland partner Jones. Looked dangerous with ball in hand against the Waratahs. Rating: 7
11. James Lowe: Has the ability to break your heart in numerous ways, not least with his big left boot. New Zealand Rugby was wrong to let him go. Rating: 8
10. Finn Russell: The Scot is flying and has arrived in Australia full of confidence after guiding Bath to the Premiership title. Has been putting himself about in defence, too. Rating: 9
9. Jamison Gibson-Park: Will set the tempo for the Lions attack, and possibly has been holding something back for the first Test in terms of his running game. One of the world's best when in top form. Rating: 8
8. Jack Conan: There is no doubt the Lions lost something when Ireland's Caelan Doris was ruled out with injury. Conan has been solid so far, but he's a big man and his selection points to a brutal Lions game plan. Rating: 7
7. Tom Curry: Tough openside never plays with anything but total commitment and is a menace at the breakdown. Rating: 8
6. Tadhg Beirne: On his day he's one of the world's best, but his form on this tour has been underwhelming by his standards. Needs a big Test to justify selection. Rating: 6
5. Joe McCarthy: Powerhouse second-rower has been selected to drive home where the Lions believe they have the clearest advantage – up front. Rating: 7
4. Maro Itoje: Impressive England captain is one of those players who can impose himself on a Test due to the strength of his all-round game. Rating: 8
3. Tadhg Furlong: The veteran has improved vastly since his first outing against Argentina before the tour proper got under way. Was underdone then but looks determined to make a scrum statement now. Rating: 8
Loading
2. Dan Sheehan: A world-class hooker who can do it all. Watch out for him hugging the touchline to show his athleticism. Rating: 9
1. Ellis Genge: Made a name for himself as a powerful ball carrier, but his scrummaging has improved markedly in recent years. Rating: 7
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher 6, Andrew Porter 8, Will Stuart 7, Ollie Chessum 8, Ben Earl 7, Alex Mitchell 7, Marcus Smith 7, Bundee Aki 8
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Moorabbin to the MCG: The magical journey of Wallaby Harry Potter
Moorabbin to the MCG: The magical journey of Wallaby Harry Potter

Sydney Morning Herald

time35 minutes ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

Moorabbin to the MCG: The magical journey of Wallaby Harry Potter

On Saturday, English-born Harry Potter will step out onto the MCG to represent Australia's Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions in front of a predicted 90,000-strong crowd. But a few months ago, Potter secretly attended another Melbourne rugby ground, albeit a much smaller one with equally enthusiastic fans. In April, the 27-year-old made a surprise visit to Moorabbin Rugby Club – where he played as a junior after moving to Australia from England when he was 10. Club president Ian Nathan said Potter dropped by one night to help three of Moorabbin's junior teams with their training. 'It's amazing to have guys of that calibre come down,' Nathan said. 'It gives the kids a chance to see that even though Melbourne is supposedly not a rugby place, we've got guys playing for Scotland, Samoa, Japan and Australia, representing all parts of the world.' Nathan said Potter spent time with the juniors and offered them advice, saying, 'if you work hard, you can make it anywhere'. 'I think that's great for the kids to hear,' Nathan said. 'You don't have to grow up to be six foot four to be able to play ... that's one of the wonderful things about rugby, because it does cater for all shapes and sizes.' Nathan remembered Potter showing 'signs of being a really good player' in his early days at Moorabbin. The inevitable wizard puns and magic jokes ramped up once he moved back home. (The first J. K. Rowling book was published in 1997, the year the future Wallaby was born, before burgeoning into a literary juggernaut and movie franchise.)

Moorabbin to the MCG: The magical journey of Wallaby Harry Potter
Moorabbin to the MCG: The magical journey of Wallaby Harry Potter

The Age

time35 minutes ago

  • The Age

Moorabbin to the MCG: The magical journey of Wallaby Harry Potter

On Saturday, English-born Harry Potter will step out onto the MCG to represent Australia's Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions in front of a predicted 90,000-strong crowd. But a few months ago, Potter secretly attended another Melbourne rugby ground, albeit a much smaller one with equally enthusiastic fans. In April, the 27-year-old made a surprise visit to Moorabbin Rugby Club – where he played as a junior after moving to Australia from England when he was 10. Club president Ian Nathan said Potter dropped by one night to help three of Moorabbin's junior teams with their training. 'It's amazing to have guys of that calibre come down,' Nathan said. 'It gives the kids a chance to see that even though Melbourne is supposedly not a rugby place, we've got guys playing for Scotland, Samoa, Japan and Australia, representing all parts of the world.' Nathan said Potter spent time with the juniors and offered them advice, saying, 'if you work hard, you can make it anywhere'. 'I think that's great for the kids to hear,' Nathan said. 'You don't have to grow up to be six foot four to be able to play ... that's one of the wonderful things about rugby, because it does cater for all shapes and sizes.' Nathan remembered Potter showing 'signs of being a really good player' in his early days at Moorabbin. The inevitable wizard puns and magic jokes ramped up once he moved back home. (The first J. K. Rowling book was published in 1997, the year the future Wallaby was born, before burgeoning into a literary juggernaut and movie franchise.)

The Wallabies were uninspiring last week. Australia deserves better
The Wallabies were uninspiring last week. Australia deserves better

Sydney Morning Herald

timean hour ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

The Wallabies were uninspiring last week. Australia deserves better

But still, Schmidt's messaging in this series so far has hit the wrong note. Even before the first Test there was a reference to the 'short runway' the Wallabies had, and the statement that accompanied the team announcement for the Melbourne Test included a line on how 'the week's preparation here in Melbourne has allowed us a bit more time together'. Whatever the ins and outs of the Wallabies' preparations – and Schmidt's statements hint at his unhappiness – this is not a message that can be sold to the Australian rugby public, which has for more than a decade been asked to accept deferred gratification as one great plan or another unfolds, only for none to come to fruition. It's a line that goes way back, to even before the 2011 Rugby World Cup when Robbie Deans was granted a contract extension before the tournament and indicated afterwards the performance of younger players at that event pointed to a brighter future. The points made here would be much more muted had it not been for the performance of the First Nations and Pasifika team on Tuesday, and also the Waratahs in their tour game against the Lions. Loading Had those games been walkovers, as expected, we could have fallen into the comfortable old excuse about Australia 'not having the cattle', which is so much easier to process than the awkward business of posing hard questions. But the fact is the First Nations and Pasifika side and the Waratahs rattled the Lions, and the tourists' response on Tuesday was telling: after being punched on the nose by Kefu's troops, they tried to go around them, not through them as needed. They lost the fight, even if their superior class won the evening in the end. Schmidt poked a hole in their approach by highlighting the number of line breaks they conceded, but it was as clear as day that the Lions were upset by the First Nations and Pasifika's line speed: they were stressed and started looking for the easier options with ball in hand, a concession to Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Charlie Gamble in particular.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store