Andy Farrell impressed in patches as British & Irish Lions steamroller Queensland Reds
British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell during the warm up before the match.
– British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell was happy with how his team settled to their task after conceding two early scores as they ran in eight tries to beat the Queensland Reds 52-12 on July 2.
As against the Western Force in Perth on June 28, the tourists had their line breached in the first quarter before dominating the contest and running up the score in Brisbane.
'Impressive in patches again,' Farrell said. 'We played some nice rugby after we settled down. I think the first 10 minutes, the Reds started pretty well and we had a few errors on top of one another.
'But I thought we were nice and composed, even though it was a bit stop-start for us as far as continuity is concerned. But we ended up playing some nice rugby in the end.'
English wing Tommy Freeman scored two tries as the visitors outgunned the home side eight tries to two in a high-tempo game, building on a 21-12 half-time lead to romp home convincingly.
The last time the two teams met in 2013, the Lions were forced to hold off a determined Queensland to win 22-12.
It was a different story on July 2 as the Lions ran in five unanswered second-half tries in front of more than 46,000 fans.
'I guess as a team, we just wanted to be better today, wanted to take a step forward,' said Lions skipper Maro Itoje.
'And as always, it was rugby, it wasn't perfect. But I think generally speaking, it was a step in the right direction.
'I think we were a little bit more clinical, a teeny weeny bit. We were sharper, a little bit more accurate on the ball,' he added.
Difficulties can be expected with players from four nations coming together over a short period, and issues at the restart, handling errors as well as a couple of scrum penalties, will not have pleased Farrell.
Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park returned from a glute injury that ruled him out of the loss to Argentina and the win over Western Force, however, working well with Finn Russell in what is expected to be the fly-halves combination.
Once they settled, the Lions looked impressive in attack and defence, holding their opposition scoreless after half-time for the second match in a row.
'We weren't happy with the start of our game,' said Farrell.
'I think we started a little bit better in the second half. And I think the quality of the bench and the example that the benches have set in the other two games has been top draw.
'Competition for places, that's what we're after, isn't it? And everyone's got to play right through to the final whistle.'
The Lions lost scrum-half Tomos Williams for the remainder of the tour with a hamstring injury and now have concerns over fullback Elliot Daly, who was replaced with what looked like a wrist injury against the Reds.
The experienced England outside back has been among the better performers in the first three matches of his fourth Lions tour and scored two tries against the Force. REUTERS, AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Arsenal sign Spain midfielder Zubimendi from Real Sociedad
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Arsenal have signed defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad on a long-term contract, the Premier League club said on Sunday as the club reinforced a key position weakened by departures last month. Financial details were not disclosed but British media reports said the 26-year-old had a 60 million euros ($70.67 million) release clause at Sociedad where he had a contract until 2027. Zubimendi is Arsenal's second recruit in the close-season after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen a squad that can get over the line in the title race after finishing runners-up in the last three Premier League seasons. "This is a huge moment in my career. It's the move I was looking for and one I wanted to make. As soon as you set foot here, you realise how big this club and this team are," Zubimendi said in a statement. "I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me. They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come." Zubimendi's arrival is a welcome reinforcement for Arsenal in midfield after Jorginho and Thomas Partey left at the end of their contracts last month. Renowned for his mobility, his deep-lying playmaking skills as well as his defensive nous, Zubimendi will give Arsenal's midfield a measure of steel while also controlling the tempo in the role of a number six. His arrival would potentially allow Declan Rice, Arsenal's player of the season, to play in an advanced role alongside skipper Martin Odegaard. With Spain, Zubimendi won the European Championship in 2024, coming on for the injured Rodri in the final to help secure the trophy, while he also scored in the Nations League final earlier this month when they lost to Portugal on penalties. Getting Zubimendi on board early would also give Arteta time to work with him in pre-season ahead of a tough opening spell in the Premier League next season. Arsenal play Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United in their first six games of the campaign. REUTERS
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Straits Times
Lion Henry Pollock handed chance to make No. 8 his own in Perth
– Henry Pollock's rise in the rugby world has been nothing short of meteoric and on June 28 he gets a chance to make another mighty leap in a red British and Irish Lions No. 8 shirt against Western Force in Perth. The explosive 20-year-old has gone from England Under-20s representative, to full international and then a Lion in little more than five months and made his debut for the tourists in the loss to Argentina in Dublin last week. While the No. 8 is often used as a strong, battering ram, the 1.88m, 105kg Pollock has been given licence by Lions coach Andy Farrell to make it his own. 'He knows what we want from our eights, but he's got to find his own version of that, as that's what we want, him being himself,' Farrell said after naming his team on June 26. 'His point of difference is his ability to see things quickly and act upon that and his line running, for example, is pretty good. 'His awareness of space and how sharp he is in his mind and his athletic abilities are up there with the other lads in the squad.' After setting the rugby world alight with a brilliant display in his normal openside flanker role as his club Northampton beat Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-finals in May, Pollock was named No. 8 for the final. It did not go as well as he hoped with the Saints losing 28-20 to Bordeaux Begles but Farrell said such experiences were all an important part of his development. 'The final was perfect for him as at the top end of club level, and international level, and the top end of British and Irish Lions matches, they're all experiences that you'd hope to get,' he added. 'He's had one of those where it all didn't go his team's way. He's got to find a way within that. That's going to happen on a tour like this.' By contrast with the 2013 Lions tour of Australia, which Warren Gatland won with what local media described as 'large slabs of meat', Farrell is more blessed with athleticism than size in his loose forwards. Injury robbed him of Ireland captain Caelan Doris, who fits the more traditional mould, and Ben Earl, the archetype of the smaller, more athletic eighth man, was at the back of the scrum for the Pumas match. Replacement Jack Conan gives Farrell another bigger man to turn to if he needs to against a Force team who have built a reputation for physicality under Simon Cron, the nephew of long-time All Blacks forwards coach Mike. Cron senior is now an assistant coach under Joe Schmidt at the Wallabies and he will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the balance of the Lions pack on June 28. Western Australia, and the Force since 2006, have never provided that much opposition to the Lions, losing 44-0 in 1989, 116-10 in 2001 and 69-17 in 2013. Even with four players held back in the Wallabies camp, however, the 2025 Force team are studded with internationals hoping to do enough to be in Schmidt's squad for the three Tests in late July and early August. REUTERS
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Straits Times
Andy Farrell impressed in patches as British & Irish Lions steamroller Queensland Reds
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell during the warm up before the match. – British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell was happy with how his team settled to their task after conceding two early scores as they ran in eight tries to beat the Queensland Reds 52-12 on July 2. As against the Western Force in Perth on June 28, the tourists had their line breached in the first quarter before dominating the contest and running up the score in Brisbane. 'Impressive in patches again,' Farrell said. 'We played some nice rugby after we settled down. I think the first 10 minutes, the Reds started pretty well and we had a few errors on top of one another. 'But I thought we were nice and composed, even though it was a bit stop-start for us as far as continuity is concerned. But we ended up playing some nice rugby in the end.' English wing Tommy Freeman scored two tries as the visitors outgunned the home side eight tries to two in a high-tempo game, building on a 21-12 half-time lead to romp home convincingly. The last time the two teams met in 2013, the Lions were forced to hold off a determined Queensland to win 22-12. It was a different story on July 2 as the Lions ran in five unanswered second-half tries in front of more than 46,000 fans. 'I guess as a team, we just wanted to be better today, wanted to take a step forward,' said Lions skipper Maro Itoje. 'And as always, it was rugby, it wasn't perfect. But I think generally speaking, it was a step in the right direction. 'I think we were a little bit more clinical, a teeny weeny bit. We were sharper, a little bit more accurate on the ball,' he added. Difficulties can be expected with players from four nations coming together over a short period, and issues at the restart, handling errors as well as a couple of scrum penalties, will not have pleased Farrell. Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park returned from a glute injury that ruled him out of the loss to Argentina and the win over Western Force, however, working well with Finn Russell in what is expected to be the fly-halves combination. Once they settled, the Lions looked impressive in attack and defence, holding their opposition scoreless after half-time for the second match in a row. 'We weren't happy with the start of our game,' said Farrell. 'I think we started a little bit better in the second half. And I think the quality of the bench and the example that the benches have set in the other two games has been top draw. 'Competition for places, that's what we're after, isn't it? And everyone's got to play right through to the final whistle.' The Lions lost scrum-half Tomos Williams for the remainder of the tour with a hamstring injury and now have concerns over fullback Elliot Daly, who was replaced with what looked like a wrist injury against the Reds. The experienced England outside back has been among the better performers in the first three matches of his fourth Lions tour and scored two tries against the Force. REUTERS, AFP
