Lions continue their march with a thumping win over Queensland
Maro Itoje stamped his authority on the British and Irish Lions with a commanding display as the Queensland Reds were overwhelmed 52-12 at Suncorp Stadium.
Making his first appearance in Australia as Lions captain, Itoje was at the heart of an eight-try rout that saw the England skipper leave his calling card on Brisbane two-and-a-half weeks out from the first Test at the same venue.
Elliot Daly, Bundee Aki and man of the match Jac Morgan also impressed, while another pleasing development was the promise shown by first-choice half-back partnership Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell.
Paired together for the first time because of Gibson-Park's recent glute injury, they played 50 minutes and linked well despite having been limited to one training session as a combination.
Russell was replaced after 50 minutes having also started against Western Force four days earlier and was followed off the field by Daly, who took a heavy bang to his left arm to raise concern over his ongoing tour prospects.
Daly was making an astonishing 11th successive appearance in a Lions matchday 23 but was drafted into the team at short notice after Hugo Keenan was forced to withdraw because of illness.
The Lions continued with their high-risk, high-reward running game and while it produced a 21-12 interval lead against a Reds team that finished fifth in this year's Super Rugby, the knock-on count at the same stage was 8-1 in the hosts' favour.
It was their third outing on tour but they played like a team that had been thrown together in an error-strewn first quarter that saw two scrum penalties conceded, a line-out lost and the Reds boss the breakdown.
Tommy Freeman, Daly and Tom Curry made simple handling errors and there was worse to come when number eight Joe Brial swatted aside Curry and Ollie Chessum for Jeffery Toomaga-Allen to touch down.
The Lions hit back with a slick try for Freeman directed by Russell but the hosts restored their lead when Kalani Thomas kicked through for Josh Flook to gather and score, punishing Duhan van der Merwe's hesitation in defence.
There was ground to be made in the wide channels for Farrell's men, although their next try came from a route-one approach when Andrew Porter barged across from a short-range free-kick.
The Lions' extra firepower was evident in open play and it was sharp handling by Chessum and Jack Conan that sent Van der Merwe over in the corner.
Gibson-Park produced a pleasing moment given his recent injury issues with a sniping run after a hard carry by Aki that set up a try for Itoje.
Faced with the arrival of the Lions' heavy duty bench reinforcements, the Reds were folding, with Alex Mitchell sending Morgan over before Freeman showed his strength to score after impressive build-up play.
Itoje was growing in stature as the match wore on and there were late tries for Huw Jones and Garry Ringrose, driving the final nail into the hosts' coffin.
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The 42
39 minutes ago
- The 42
'There has been a lot of that nonsense. That was in the past'
IT ALWAYS FELT likely that Owen Farrell would play some part in this Lions campaign. Even as his season with Racing 92 was disrupted by injury and even when Farrell struggled to find his best form as a result, it just seemed that the Lions would find it hard to overlook his record. Farrell is now a four-time Lion. In achieving that remarkable honour, he joins just two others who have done it in the professional era: Brian O'Driscoll and Alun Wyn Jones. That's the kind of company Farrell keeps. We know that the Lions have always valued and cherished their history. They love big characters remaining part of the family after their first involvement. Owen's dad, Andy, is another who fits into that category. Andy Farrell loves everything about the Lions and they love him back. Andy Farrell also knows better than anyone how much Owen Farrell can bring to a rugby squad. Yet, you don't need to be Owen Farrell's father to see what he brings. This past season hasn't been a happy one for the 33-year-old but his record speaks for itself. Even without form on his side, it's not difficult to imagine Farrell landing an important goal-kick for the Lions in the coming weeks. He has a head for these heights. Speaking in Sydney today, Lions boss Andy explained his decision to replace the desperately unlucky Elliot Daly, whose tour is over due to a fractured arm, with a different type of player in Owen. Advertisement Daly plays at fullback, outside centre, or on the wing, while Farrell is an out-half or inside centre. 'It's what we need for the squad in the here and now with Elliot going and Blair [Kinghorn] coming in, the options we've got at 15, there are plenty of options we've got at 13, and wing,' said Farrell. 'A little bit vulnerable there in and around the 12 piece and obviously he can play 10 as well. Elliot Daly's tour is over. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO 'When you look at the experience that Elliot's had, I mean the experience isn't just the playing side, it's how you make the group feel. The little chats that you have around the place to make sure that everything's gelled together and obviously Owen would bring a lot of that into the group.' Farrell will certainly add huge experience to the group when he arrives in Sydney on Friday evening. The Lions expect him to fit in seamlessly with a squad that has already had to adapt to people coming in at different stages of the past few weeks. Farrell, who has re-joined Saracens after one season with Racing, has recently been dealing with concussion but his father said he's fit and ready to go. 'Well he's fit or else he wouldn't be picked,' said Farrell. 'I know that the guys have been keeping close touch with him and others in regards to that and he's been training full bore for quite some time now. 'He's been on with the doctor in the last couple of weeks and gone through all the protocols, etc. There might be a little bit of something to do when he first comes back, but everyone's up to speed with where he's at – fully fit and raring to go.' Farrell hasn't played since his final appearance for Racing back on 4 May, nearly nine weeks ago. His most recent Test cap for England was at the 2023 World Cup, all of 20 months ago. When Lions boss Farrell was asked if that lack of recent high-level game time makes this a huge ask for Owen, he initially seemed somewhat frustrated, before pointing out that others in the Lions squad only recently returned from injury. '20 months? A Test match? There's plenty of players who don't play for quite some time,' said Farrell. 'There are players who didn't play in this Six Nations, or didn't play for 12 weeks. I get the questions in isolation but there are stories like that all over the place.' Owen stepped away from England duty in the wake of the last World Cup before moving to France due to the scathing criticism he so often received. He was even booed by England fans at that tournament. Owen and Andy Farrell on the 2017 Lions tour. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO So there seemed to be a doubt as to whether Farrell would open himself up to that kind of furore again by accepting a call from his father to join the Lions. Andy said there was no hesitation on Owen's part. 'Look, I hope people can get past that,' said Andy. 'There has been a lot of that nonsense for some time. That was in the past. We all just need to move on and embrace what the Lions is all about and what we have got coming ahead. Related Reads Tadhg Beirne to captain Lions against Waratahs Owen Farrell called up by the Lions as Elliot Daly's tour ended 4 Lions players who enhanced their Test chances in victory over the Reds 'The timing has to be right for him, first and foremost, for him and for the squad. 'And we obviously feel that the timing is right now, that we can all move on and push on, not just with Owen's career, but what we're trying to achieve here with the Lions.' Farrell was also keen to underline how sad it was for the Lions to be bidding farewell to Daly, who had started his third tour so impressively. He is 'a Lions legend,' said Farrell, as he explained that Daly announced the Lions' matchday 23 for Saturday's game against the Waratahs to the players before he headed for Sydney Airport. Owen Farrell lands there tomorrow, no doubt eager to make a huge impact on this tour.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Paul O'Connell warns things will be far from 'perfect' against Georgia
Paul O'Connell has, more or less, been left holding the fort as Ireland's front-line players are away with Andy Farrell, Simon Easterby, John Fogarty and Andrew Goodman and the British and Irish Lions in Australia. It is up to the former Ireland and Munster captain to assemble a team, that is essentially an Ireland 'A' side and with little time to prepare, to take on Georgia who are ranked no11 in the world. "It won't be perfect," he admits of the forthcoming challenge. "We are aware of when we play, even with the most experienced internationals in the group, that it won't be perfect. "It's a huge chance for all these players coming in, but how do you get them in the frame of mind that they're going to play their game rather than freezing on the night, and actually take responsibility for what they're doing? "You almost have to experience that and go through it a little bit to learn how to figure it out, that's why we want them, that's why we wanted them in this two-week prep window, that's what international rugby is all about. "They really get to learn how to come in, how to learn quickly, how to get aligned quickly so trying to make the players aware of that as well is really important, and we just have to crack on - that's the challenge for them and I'm sure that. The simple is that Georgia are a very proud rugby nation but it also glib, there is a lot more to Lelos. "They're really well coached as well and we know a lot of their coaches, obviously, Conor McPhillips, Roddy Grant. I would have learned an awful lot from Roddy Grant when I first came into the job in Ireland, he was working at Ulster at the time. "You could see it in how they played, they were very well organized. They are, I suppose, a little bit like us, they're quite passionate about what they do and they're able to combine that now with some really good organisation and really good structure to what they do. O'Connell's homework looks to have been impressive and he specifically namechecks a second-row and a back-row from the Black Lions. "They have a mixture of players playing in France who bring a real, I suppose, flair to what they do and the Black Lion players have impressed a lot of the coaches as well. The likes of Mikeil Babunashvili and Luke Ivanashvilli from a forward point of view, these kinds of guys are really tough, well organised, smart rugby players. "They had a good Autumn, nearly beating Italy, they had a good summer, they put 29 points on Australia down there although they didn't beat them. They beat a tier one nation in Japan. They've been steadily beating tier one nations in the last number of years. So it's a brilliant test match for our players." It is an unfamiliar group of players, after all Ireland have 16 players in Australia at the moment along with Caelan Doris and Robbie Henshaw being ruled out through injury. "That's the great thing for this tour as we have had so many players selected for the Lions. There's another bonus for us in that we get this really tough test match in a place, I suppose, against a country that are full of confidence in how their rugby is going. "So these guys know they have a real challenge on their hands and it's not a game of small significance. "It's a really significant test match where they have to perform so they're going to learn a lot and we learn a lot as coaches as well." The last fortnight has seen Ireland working on learning the overarching game-plan, this means certain forwards assigned to loitering out wide, wingers turning up in midfield and the centre deploying a shoot-up defence. "It has been a great few weeks of preparation, challenging in that we've coached with new players so they're kind of trying to learn our way first and foremost before they can do it well so that's been a bit of a challenge. "We were lucky to get an extra day last Thursday week. So we got an extra day's prepping and I suppose the exciting thing for the players is the real challenge of being international players. "You are trying to come together on a Monday, trying to be ready to play a test match with no excuses on the following Saturday. Two weeks ought to have been enough to get pretty comfortable with it. There's similarities between how we play in all the different provinces, they pick things up quickly, trying to pick up the (rugby) language, trying to pick up the little nuances of how we feel. "And the more experienced guys around the group have been very good with the new players as well. I suppose Craig Casey is able to explain to Tom Ahern at home, this is the word for that and they get aligned a little bit quicker so I think the more senior players in the group have been excellent with the younger guys." Saturday's game will be about contending with their own problems as well as those posed by Georgia. "As I said, it's not going to be perfect. I'm sure there'll be plenty of nerves but that's part of it. We've spoken to them quite a lot and a big part of what we do is about the players staying present, not taking mistakes with them. "We do a lot of work on that, speak a lot about that but, ultimately, until you're in the middle of it and you're making a mistake and you're trying to have to figure out how to get out of your own way, you know, it's only by getting on the field and experiencing it that you really learn." Ireland team & replacements *denotes uncapped 15. Jimmy O'Brien (Naas/Leinster) (8) 14: Tommy O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)* 13: Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(7) 12: Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(19) 11: Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(38) 10: Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(8) 9: Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(captain)(18) 1: Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster)(2) 2: Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(4) 3: Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)(6) 4: Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(1) 5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)* 6: Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(27) 7: Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster)(3) 8: Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster)(2) Replacements: 16: Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(2) 17: Michael Milne (UCD/Munster)* 18: Jack Aungier (Clontarf/Connacht)* 19: Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster)* 20: Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(4) 21: Ben Murphy (Clontarf/Connacht)* 22: Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(24) 23: Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(10) Ireland Men's Squad – Summer Tour 2025Player/Club/Province/CapsBacks (14): Shayne Bolton (Connacht)*, Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(captain)(18), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(24), Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)*, Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(8), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht)*, Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(19), Ben Murphy (Clontarf/Connacht)*, Dermot Kilgallon (Munster)*, Jimmy O'Brien (Naas/Leinster)(8), Tommy O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)*, Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(7), Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(8), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(38) Forwards (18): Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster)*, Jack Aungier (Lansdowne/Connacht)*, Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(27), Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster)(2), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)(6), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster)(2), Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(2), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(1), Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster)*, Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(4), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)*, Michael Milne (UCD/Munster)*, Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)*, Tom O'Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(16), Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(4), Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster)*, Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(2), Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster)(3), Scott Wilson (Queens University/Ulster)* IRELAND SUMMER TOUR SCHEDULESaturday, 5th July: Georgia v Ireland, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi (kick off 9pm local time, 6pm Irish time);Saturday, 12th July: Portugal v Ireland, Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon (kick off 7pm local, same Irish time)Ireland Men's Squad – Summer Tour 2025, departing for Tbilisi on Wednesday, 2nd July.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Paul O'Connell issues warning to Ireland debutants ahead of ‘challenging' Georgia clash with two starting
PAUL O'Connell has warned his Ireland debutants that they will have no easy introduction to Test rugby. Tommy O'Brien and Darragh Murray will make their international bows as starters Advertisement 2 The former Munster captain is standing in for the absent Andy Farrell 2 Murray, 23, starts in second row after impressing with Connacht last season Munster duo Michael Milne and Tom Ahern as well as Connacht pair Jack Aungier and Ben Murphy are also poised to win their first caps off the bench. A further 11 members of the matchday 23 are in single figures when it comes to Test appearances. But, while Georgia might, on paper, look like an easier assignment than what they could have been handed, The interim Ireland coach said: 'We've had so many players selected for the Lions. There's another bonus for us in that we get this really tough Test match in a country that is full of confidence in how their rugby is going. Advertisement Read more on Irish sport 'These guys have a real challenge on their hands. It's not a Test match of small significance. It's a really significant Test match where they have to perform. So they're going to learn a lot. 'Georgia are an excellent side. They're a very proud rugby nation, but they're really well coached as well. 'We know a lot of their coaches, obviously Conor McPhillips, Roddy Grant. I would have learned an awful lot from Roddy Grant when I first came into the job at Ireland. He was working in Ulster at the time. 'You can see it in how they play. They're very well organised. I suppose a little bit like us. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union "They're quite passionate about what they do and they're able to combine that now with some really good organisation and really good structure to what they do. 'They have a mixture of players playing in France who bring a real, I suppose, flair to what they do. And the Black Lions players have impressed a lot of the coaches as well. 'Big weekend' - Peter O'Mahony embarking on hectic gardening project as he aims to add '300 plants' 'They did a good autumn. They obviously beat Tonga. They had a good summer last year. They put 29 points on Australia down there. "They beat a tier-one nation in Japan. They've been steadily beating tier-one nations. So, yeah,It's a brilliant Test match for our players.' Advertisement And O'Connell admitted he cannot expect the perfect performance from a group of players who are not overly familiar with each other. He said: 'Really you're trying to come together on a Monday and trying to be ready to play a Test match with no excuses on the following Saturday. 'It won't be perfect. We're aware that when we play even with the most experienced internationals in the group that it won't be perfect so trying to make the players aware of that as well is really important and we just have to crack on then. 'I'm sure there'll be plenty of nerves, but that's part of it. You almost have to experience that and go through it a little bit to learn how to figure it out.' Advertisement IRELAND: J O'Brien (Leinster), T O'Brien (/Leinster), Osborne (Leinster), McCloskey (Ulster), Stockdale (Ulster), S Prendergast (Leinster), Casey (Munster, captain); Boyle (Leinster), McCarthy (Leinster), Clarkson (Leinster), Izuchukwu (Ulster), Murray (Connacht), Baird (Leinster),Timoney (Ulster), Coombes (Munster). Replacements: Stewart (Ulster), Milne (Munster), Aungier (Connacht), Ahern (Munster), C Prendergast (Connacht), Murphy (Connacht), Crowley (/Munster), Nash (Munster).
