Western Force vs British & Irish Lions Betting Tips: Stuttering start down under
Western Force vs British & Irish Lions Prediction
Lions to win by 1-12 points - 5/2 Bet365
The British & Irish Lions get their tour of Australia underway on Saturday against Super Rugby side Western Force seeking to put last week's shock loss to Argentina behind them (11am BST, Sky Sports Main Event).
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The Pumas were 7/1 outsiders with betting sites to win last Friday's clash but stunned the Lions, coming out on top 28-24 to inflict the Lions' first defeat on Irish soil.
It was also the first time the Lions had lost their opening tour game since 1971, and Andy Farrell's side will need to show more to avoid further embarrassment.
The Lions, who arrived last Sunday ahead of their first tour of Australia since 2013, are building towards the start of the Test series against the Wallabies on July 19 and the Western Force is the first of five tour games to be played before the first Test.
Seven of the Western Force squad have been named in the Wallabies squad for the forthcoming series, but the Lions have demanded that the Western Force players all feature for their club side. Six members of the Australia squad have been selected in the matchday 23 and this could be a tough first outing for the tourists.
Western Force vs British & Irish Lions Betting Preview: Lions to find their feet
Rugby betting sites cut the Lions' odds for victory from 1/20 to a best-price of 1/33 after Farrell unveiled a strong squad for the first game on Australian soil.
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Debutant Dan Sheehan will captain a team featuring eight Irishmen, while England's Henry Pollock starts at No.8. Farrell is still without scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan, but several members of this starting XV are expected to feature against Australia on July 19.
Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Nic White, Dylan Pietsch and Ben Donaldson have all been named in the Western Force side before linking up with the Australia squad on Sunday, but there's no Kurtley Beale after he picked up a hamstring injury this week.
Australia vs British & Irish Lions Test Odds
Despite the quality of the Force team, bookies are expecting an easy win with the Lions favoured by 25 points on the handicap and priced at just 2/7 to win by 13 points or more. The last time the two sides met, the Force were routed 17-69 in Perth.
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With the quality in the Lions squad this one should be a routine victory, but after Farrell described the performance against Argentina as "disconnected", this could be another test, especially due to the short turnaround since arriving down under following a 20-hour journey.
Western Force vs British & Irish Lions prediction: Lions to win by 1-12 - 16/5 Bet365
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San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
British and Irish Lions dominate Force in the opening game of their Australian tour
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Dan Sheehan made the perfect start on debut for the British and Irish Lions. The Ireland hooker led the Lions for the first game of their Australian tour, scored in the second minute and steered the team to a commanding 54-7 win over the Perth-based Western Force on Saturday. After an arm-wrestle of a first half where the Lions led 21-7 despite having only 40% of possession and spending most of the time in their own half, the bigger, more polished British and Irish lineup opened up and put five unanswered tries on a tiring defense in the second. Scrumhalf Tomos Williams scored a pair of tries before limping off with a left hamstring issue, fullback Elliot Daly scored two tries and flyhalf Finn Russell created two tries with his spur-of-the-moment judgement. He also kicked five goals. Henry Pollock, the 20-year-old England No. 8, played an integral hand in two tries and also spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin in his eventful debut start for the Lions. Early exchanges The Lions made changes after a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup last week in Dublin, putting more emphasis on short, sharp passing. The Lions had the ball for 11 phases until Russell kicked high and wide to the right touchline where Sheehan took the ball high and tapped infield for winger James Low, who flicked an inside pass back to him to score. The Force equalized quickly after 14 phases of attack with veteran Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White sniping over from the base of a ruck in the fifth minute. The Force opted against taking penalty goals in order to keep up attacking intensity but the Lions held firm and relieved pressure with some crucial turnovers. Flyhalf Russell set up the first try with his pinpoint kick wide and the third with a quick penalty tap and go in the 35th, scooting up to the five-yard line before popping up a ball off the ground for fullback Daly to score. In between, Pollock was instrumental in the Lions' second try, bursting onto a sharp inside ball from openside flanker Josh van der Flier, stepping inside and out and going to ground before popping a ball up to scrumhalf Williams to score. The tourists went into halftime with a man down after Pollock was yellow carded for a ruck infringement deep inside his own quarter. The Force crossed the line from the resulting penalty but were held up. Williams finished off an 80-meter counter-attacking try seven minutes into the second half. Both wingers were involved, with Lowe making an initial break and then exchanging passes with Williams at the end. Williams limped off after scoring, and was replaced by Alex Mitchell. The Lions' attacking intent led directly to Garry Ringrose's try soon after that gave the Lions a 33-7 lead. Pollock, the youngest member of the Lions squad, was back in the attack quickly, chipping over the defense, regathering and almost scoring himself before the Lions shifted it quickly through the hands for lock Joe McCarthy to score out wide in the 55th. Daly scored in the 71st minute after sustained attack to help the Lions take a 40-point buffer. It was extended to 47 when Mitchell scored after the siren, taking the last pass from Australian-born Ireland winger Mack Hansen to put the final touches on the victory. The Lions are playing nine games in their first tour to Australia since 2013, including tests in Brisbane on July 19, in Melbourne on July 26 and in Sydney on Aug. 2.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
British and Irish Lions dominate Force in the opening game of their Australian tour
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Dan Sheehan made the perfect start on debut for the British and Irish Lions. The Ireland hooker led the Lions for the first game of their Australian tour , scored in the second minute and steered the team to a commanding 54-7 win over the Perth-based Western Force on Saturday. After an arm-wrestle of a first half where the Lions led 21-7 despite having only 40% of possession and spending most of the time in their own half, the bigger, more polished British and Irish lineup opened up and put five unanswered tries on a tiring defense in the second. Scrumhalf Tomos Williams scored a pair of tries before limping off with a left hamstring issue, fullback Elliot Daly scored two tries and flyhalf Finn Russell created two tries with his spur-of-the-moment judgement. He also kicked five goals. Henry Pollock, the 20-year-old England No. 8, played an integral hand in two tries and also spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin in his eventful debut start for the Lions. Early exchanges The Lions made changes after a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup last week in Dublin, putting more emphasis on short, sharp passing. The Lions had the ball for 11 phases until Russell kicked high and wide to the right touchline where Sheehan took the ball high and tapped infield for winger James Low, who flicked an inside pass back to him to score. The Force equalized quickly after 14 phases of attack with veteran Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White sniping over from the base of a ruck in the fifth minute. The Force opted against taking penalty goals in order to keep up attacking intensity but the Lions held firm and relieved pressure with some crucial turnovers. Flyhalf Russell set up the first try with his pinpoint kick wide and the third with a quick penalty tap and go in the 35th, scooting up to the five-yard line before popping up a ball off the ground for fullback Daly to score. In between, Pollock was instrumental in the Lions' second try, bursting onto a sharp inside ball from openside flanker Josh van der Flier, stepping inside and out and going to ground before popping a ball up to scrumhalf Williams to score. The tourists went into halftime with a man down after Pollock was yellow carded for a ruck infringement deep inside his own quarter. The Force crossed the line from the resulting penalty but were held up. A key moment Williams finished off an 80-meter counter-attacking try seven minutes into the second half. Both wingers were involved, with Lowe making an initial break and then exchanging passes with Williams at the end. Williams limped off after scoring, and was replaced by Alex Mitchell. The Lions' attacking intent led directly to Garry Ringrose's try soon after that gave the Lions a 33-7 lead. Pollock, the youngest member of the Lions squad, was back in the attack quickly, chipping over the defense, regathering and almost scoring himself before the Lions shifted it quickly through the hands for lock Joe McCarthy to score out wide in the 55th. Daly scored in the 71st minute after sustained attack to help the Lions take a 40-point buffer. It was extended to 47 when Mitchell scored after the siren, taking the last pass from Australian-born Ireland winger Mack Hansen to put the final touches on the victory. The Lions are playing nine games in their first tour to Australia since 2013, including tests in Brisbane on July 19, in Melbourne on July 26 and in Sydney on Aug. 2. ___ AP rugby:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lions run in eight tries in win over Western Force
Western Force: (7) 7 Try: White Con: Donaldson British and Irish Lions: (21) 54 Tries: Sheehan, Williams 2, Daly 2, Ringrose, McCarthy, Mitchell Cons: Russell 5, M Smith 2 The British and Irish Lions eased to an eight-try 54-7 victory against Western Force in the first game of their tour on Australian soil. Captain Dan Sheehan, Tomos Williams and Elliot Daly scored in a first half largely dominated by the profligate hosts in terms of territory but not on the scoreboard. Advertisement The Lions led 21-7 at the break, the Force's own skipper Nic White crossing for their only try in front of 46,656, a record crowd for a rugby union game in Perth. Beyond the break, it was all Lions, though. Williams scored a blistering, breakaway second while Henry Pollock was in the sin-bin. The moment was overshadowed by Williams' worrying looking injury in the process. Garry Ringrose, the towering Joe McCarthy, a second for Daly and a last-gasp score for Alex Mitchell brought up the 50-point mark as the Lions blew away their hosts. A flawed start and a worrying amount of possession and opportunity for the Force gave way to a strong win in the end for the Lions. Advertisement McCarthy was a compelling force up front as the Lions backline eventually ran amok. They will sweat on what looked like a hamstring injury for Williams, who had been playing like a thoroughbred. Jamison Gibson-Park has not yet played for these Lions, although he is expected to be available for midweek in Brisbane. It is a worry for coach Andy Farrell. The Lions got off to a flyer on the night after a sustained bout of possession when Russell dipped into his box of tricks with a sumptuous cross-kick to Sheehan on the right wing. Sheehan tapped to James Lowe, who gave it back to his captain for the score. The creator banged over the conversion. Advertisement A blistering beginning, but there was trouble ahead. Just as the Lions scored with their first attack, so too did the Force. Again it was a slow turning of the screw before White sprung from the bottom of a ruck just short the line. Ben Donaldson was good with the conversion. The Force were heavy underdogs but for 40 minutes they played with a confidence that belied their poor season in Super Rugby. They repeatedly got into the Lions 22 and time and again the tourists got pinged. The Lions conceded five penalties in 80 minutes against the Pumas in Dublin. They conceded four in 10 minutes in Perth. Sheehan was warned about the ill discipline of his team as early as the 11th minute. This is not how it was supposed to be. Advertisement If the Force had been more accurate they would have capitalised on all those entries into the Lions 22. They won a penalty and went for touch on the right, but nothing came of it. They won another penalty and went for touch on the left, but nothing came of that either. Credit the tenacity of the Lions defence too, but they were doing much of it. When they got ball in hand, they were the polar opposite of the Force. It must have been a sickener for the hosts when the visitors lifted the siege in their own territory only to score straight away. A break from Ireland's Josh van der Flier, a big bust from England's Pollock and a support line from Wales' Williams and over they went. Ruthless. More Force wastefulness followed and soon another Lions try arrived. Advertisement Like the first, it was Russell at the root of it, his tap penalty, break and offload putting Daly over. A minor scuffle broke out in the aftermath. The Force's angst carried on. Once more they had a close-range lineout - and a one-man advantage after Pollock saw yellow at breakdown - but they could not execute. A 14-point half-time lead for the Lions felt out of kilter with the flow of the game. It got better, though. A lot better. Even with Pollock in the bin, the Lions struck out for a majestic score from inside their own 22. Hansen got them moving but it was Lowe and Williams who did a supreme job in pulling the trigger, running and offloading before the scrum-half went over for his second score. Advertisement The downside - and it was a significant one - was the injury he picked up in the act of scoring. It had everyone in the media seats scurrying around determining the whereabouts of Scotland's Ben White (handily placed in New Zealand) and England's Jack van Poortvliet (not so handy in Argentina). As the Force tired, the Lions piled on the heat. Ringrose went over for try number five after fine work by Hansen, and the combative and impressive McCarthy went over for number six after more terrific work from Pollock. Russell's conversion brought up the 40-point mark. Daly completed his double and replacement Mitchell went over in the last act to bring up the half-century. Line-ups Western Force: Donaldson, Grealy, Proctor, Stewart, Pietsch, Harford, White (capt); T Robertson, Paenga-Amosa, Hoskins, Carter, Swain, Harris, Champion de-Crespigny, Ekuasi Advertisement Replacements: Dolly, Pearce, Tauakipulu, Faifua, Prinsep, H Robertson, Burey, Kuenzie British and Irish Lions: Daly, Hansen, Ringrose, Tuipulotu, Lowe, Russell, Williams; Schoeman, Sheehan (capt), Furlong, Cummings, McCarthy, Beirne, Van der Flier, Pollock Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Chessum, Conan, Mitchell, Jones, M Smith Match officials Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) Assistant referee 1: Paul Williams (New Zealand) Assistant referee 2: James Doleman (New Zealand) TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa) Foul play review officer (FPRO): Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
