Lions one win from ending wait – what we learned from the first Test
Here, the PA news agency examines five things learned from the first Test.
Now finish the job
The sense of anticlimax at the final whistle contrasted starkly with the pre-match buzz around Suncorp Stadium. A gulf in class between the rivals had been exposed during the 42 minutes it took the Lions to canter out of sight and now anything other than an emphatic series whitewash will be seen as failure.
Andy Farrell's men were able to butcher a host of chances and take their foot off the gas after Dan Sheehan crossed early in the second half, yet still be streets ahead. A long couple of weeks awaits the Wallabies.
Test match animal
The term coined by Sir Ian McGeechan to describe a special breed of player who rises to the occasion on the biggest stage was typified by Tom Curry, the full-throttle England flanker who terrorised Australia in contact and at the breakdown.
Described as a 'machine' by Andy Farrell, Curry shrugged off his indifferent form in previous tour matches to set the physical tone from the moment he pulverised James Slipper in the opening seconds.
Just a fraction behind him were Tadhg Beirne and Tadhg Furlong, who also fully justified why they were picked on reputation.
Russell shines
For periods of the first half, Finn Russell cast a spell on the home defence. His range of passing released team-mates, created openings and set-up tries to leave former Lions fly-halves Dan Biggar and Ronan O'Gara purring in the commentary box.
If Australia had a plan to take him out of the game, it clearly did not work as the Scotland ringmaster cut loose behind a dominant pack.
Fresh from steering Bath to the treble, Russell is operating at the peak of his powers and, on current form, is the best 10 in the game.
Farrell's wing woes
Apart from the failure to crush the Wallabies, thereby breaking their spirits heading into the second Test, Farrell will be most concerned about his wings.
James Lowe continued the dismal form he has shown all tour while Tommy Freeman made too many wrong decisions game and both would be fretting over keeping their places if there were strong alternatives.
However, Mack Hansen is struggling with a foot injury and Duhan van Merwe's defensive shortcomings have been exposed repeatedly ever since the curtain raiser against Argentina.
Blair Kinghorn was seen as the first-choice full-back but with Hugo Keenan proving solid enough in the first Test, the Scot could be picked on the wing if he recovers from his knee injury.
Skelton and Valetini
The return of powerful forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini cannot come soon enough for Australia. Having missed the first Test with calf injuries, they have been given the all-clear for the attempt to level the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Skelton's sheer physical presence will prevent the Wallabies from being bullied in quite the same way, while Valetini provides a destructive carrying option.
It is upon their availability and the fight shown in the final 30 minutes at Suncorp Stadium that Australia's hopes rest.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
How Tadhg Beirne responded to selection ‘pressure' with statement first Test performance
British and Irish Lions forward Tadhg Beirne has admitted that he 'felt the pressure' to produce a big performance in the first Test win against Australia after his selection had been questioned ahead of the game. Beirne had been somewhat surprisingly installed on the blindside by head coach Andy Farrell for the opening clash of the series against the Wallabies having been short of his best since arriving on tour. The 33-year-old Munster and Ireland forward upped his level, however, in Brisbane, combining with fellow flanker Tom Curry to set the tone physically as the Lions took a 1-0 lead in the series. While Curry would not be drawn on the criticism his own selection ahead of Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier had garnered, Farrell hailed both he and Beirne as 'big game players'. And Beirne, who looks well placed to keep his place in Melbourne next week, admitted that he had been fuelled by a desire to prove the critics wrong and hit the heights he had been yet to reach in Australia. 'I felt the pressure,' Beirne conceded. 'I'm not going to lie, I did feel the pressure this week. There are some things you can't shy away from. A lot of people [were] calling for your head out there. 'I know my performances to this date weren't up to par by my standards. Faz [Farrell] has put a lot of trust in me and it was an honour to be selected. I had to put in a performance today. All of us did. 'This is the game. Big games. You want to perform. You either step up to it or you don't. I tried my best to step up to it and hopefully when [the coaches] review the game they will be happy with my performance. 'You have to back yourself, but I also knew that if I didn't put in a performance today that there was a good chance I won't be there next week. It's a credit to the whole team here because the whole team put in a great performance, particularly in the first half. We controlled the game really well.' The fight for back row places had shaped as a theme of the tour from the moment Farrell named his party, with real strength in the area. The exclusion of Morgan, particularly, had attracted attention with the openside in fine form as the last Welshman in the touring party. Beirne revealed that Farrell had underlined to he, Curry, No 8 Jack Conan and Ben Earl the need to be at their best given the internal competition for places. 'Look, Andy had a quiet word with the back row, the captains, and he said a few things to us,' the 33-year-old explained. 'He put a little bit of pressure on us without putting pressure on us, you know, as Andy does. 'But it gives you motivation and it gives you a little bit of realisation as to where his head's at and the opportunity that's being presented to us. Those words certainly sat with me for the 24 hours leading up to the game. 'That's the thing about the Lions. Any man next up has more than earned their spot. There's been incredible performances in the lead-up to these Tests. If I'd have gone down with an injury, [ Ollie Chessum ] would have went into six, no-one would have batted an eyelid there, not 'oh no, Tadhg's out', do you know what I mean? It would have been like 'great, Chess is in'. 'So that's the tour we're in. These guys everyone's gunning for a position here and everyone's worthy of a position here. The responsibility is on us to try and keep our positions.'
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Dominant Lions must now deliver a display that can stand the test of time
Had the British & Irish Lions been offered their current position a month ago, they would have jumped at it. One-nil up in the series with two to play and the chance to seal the deal in one of the world's greatest sporting arenas? For anyone raised on the mythical deeds of past Lions tours this should be as good as it gets. So why was the mood so pancake-flat at the final whistle after the 27-19 first Test win in Brisbane? Primarily because the best sport requires at least a hint of jeopardy. From an early stage at the Suncorp Stadium, sadly, there was absolutely no doubt which side was going to win. For the first time in living memory, a Lions Test victory had become a foregone conclusion. The boot has occasionally been on the other foot, notably in 2005 when it swiftly became clear the All Blacks were a class above Sir Clive Woodward's squad. There is no massive shame when that happens, and to witness Dan Carter twinkling in the second Test was a privilege. But Saturday was different: playing against distinctly moderate opposition, the Lions were so far in front after 42 minutes that everything else became irrelevant. This is not remotely to diminish the excellence of Tom Curry, Finn Russell, Tadhg Beirne and Huw Jones, among others. The Lions can beat only whatever is put in front of them. If England's cricketers come over later this year and take a big early lead in the Ashes series they are not going to waste time worrying about the shaky state of Australia's top order. But, goodness, it has made the second Test this Saturday a bellwether fixture. Here's hoping the Wallabies, for the sake of all concerned, will emerge a lot quicker from the blocks this time. They should have Rob Valetini and Will Skelton back, and Angus Bell, among others, could be promoted from the bench. What the hosts cannot afford to be is as deeply mediocre as they were made to look in the first half in Brisbane. Because another one-sided contest would do more than just bruise Australian pride. If the gap cannot be narrowed it risks undermining everything this series is meant to be about. The Lions' unique appeal is based squarely on the four‑yearly crackle of pre-game anticipation. It also has to make onlookers feel they are watching something genuinely special. In that regard, the game on Saturday fell short of the levels required. In certain quarters, of course, this is a minor problem. The father of one high-profile Lions player, over a beer on the eve of the game, told me how sick he was of hearing about the need for a closely contested series to lure more neutral eyeballs. His view is that winning every Test convincingly and grinding the Wallabies into the dirt is all that matters. Lions series are about winning: they do not arrange open-top bus parades for plucky losers. On a basic sporting level he is, of course, correct. But when sold-out stadiums fall quiet and even rugby diehards at home start channel-hopping to find more gripping viewing, something is not quite right. If the Lions return home having barely been run close in a single competitive game in Australia it will be a desperately sad state of affairs. So, for everyone's sake, one of two things now has to happen. Either Australia must boomerang their way back into the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a matter of urgency, or the Lions need to give a statement performance that will stand the test of time. Listening to Australia's head coach, Joe Schmidt, suggesting after the game that the experience of this Lions series would benefit his younger players in the forthcoming Rugby Championship is to suspect the second option is the more likely. Either way, Andy Farrell will surely be stressing the need to dial things up at the MCG. He will have been frustrated by the lack of bench impact in Brisbane and may be tempted to inject some fresh energy. Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier, Owen Farrell, Blair Kinghorn and Jamie George could all enter the conversation, while Joe McCarthy's injury may prompt a modest forward reshuffle. Might Beirne and Ollie Chessum both start? One of them will probably have to feature in the second row. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Whoever plays, this feels like the 2025 Lions' defining moment. Farrell rightly hailed the big-match temperaments of Curry, Beirne, Russell and Jamison Gibson‑Park but will now be seeking an all‑court, 80-minute performance similar to the final Test in Sydney in 2013 when the Lions stood up magnificently with the series on the line. He will want James Lowe and Tommy Freeman to show they can finish as sharply as Australia's Max Jorgensen, for Jones and Sione Tuipulotu to dovetail sweetly once again, and for the Lions to generally be more ruthless in their opponents' 22. He will want more ball claimed in the air and even more pressure heaped on the Wallabies' playmakers. Above all else, perhaps, he will want his chosen ones to show that, even if they were facing the All Blacks or the Springboks, they possess the requisite class and composure. That the thousands of fans who have made the long pilgrimage here have invested shrewdly. And that, emotionally, the Lions are still capable of stirring feelings other teams cannot. If, alternatively, they allow Australia back into the series – or, heaven forbid, lose the last two Tests – they will regret it for the rest of their days.
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Borthwick hails 'magnificent' England after overcoming delays in USA
In a match that kicked off an hour later than scheduled owing to lightning strikes in the American capital, Curtis Langdon, Luke Northmore, Cadan Murley, Jack van Poortvliet, Harry Randall and debutant Gabriel Oghre all scored to make it three transatlantic wins from three following their impressive 2-0 victory in Argentina. The clash was also delayed by a subsequent half an hour when the players were marched off after a second strike but Steve Borthwick's side, who did concede late on when Shilo Klein crashed over for the hosts, kept their composure to stroll to a comfortable triumph. Boss Borthwick, 45, believes his players did 'brilliantly' to deal with the unique scenario and says they're moving in the right direction after a summer tour to savour. 'The way the players handled it was brilliant,' said Borthwick, who handed debuts to Oghre, Max Ojomoh, Joe Carpenter, Arthur Clark, Charlie Atkinson and Oscar Beard on Saturday night . 'They were challenging conditions, and with the weather break the game has lasted a long time. 'It's a scenario none of us have faced before – to deal with those conditions, with six new caps in the team today, was magnificent. 'There are things you want to do better, yes, but I thought they were brilliant. 'I'm pleased with the way the players have approached all the games - all three were very different, and it's been a great experience in so many ways. 'We've had 10 new caps over three Tests and got depth developing – we can all see the physical nature of the team, which is athletic, quick, fit and the way the England team's moving.' The result stretches England's current winning run to seven matches, their longest since back in 2020 ahead of upcoming autumn internationals against the likes of Australia and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Langdon, Northmore and Murley all dotted down in the opening period that also saw USA fly-half Chris Hilsenbeck pick up a yellow card. And Van Poortvliet, Randall and Oghre added three more in the second to help England power to victory. USA grabbed a late consolation through Klein to give the home fans who remained something to cheer about but England's work was done as they ended their triumphant tour in style. Borthwick played last time England were touring the USA back in 2001, where Sir Clive Woodward's side toppled the Eagles 48-19 in San Francisco. And asked about comparisons between that tour and this one, the former second row added: 'My memories were we were getting changed in the swimming pool changing room, so a leisure complex! 'Playing here in such a unique, brilliant stadium. 'It's very different, which is terrific to see.'
