Lions hope to 'create moments' as Irish crew get shot against Force
ANDY FARRELL AND his Lions coaches are urging their team to create memories when they play their first fixture on Australian soil against Western Force on Saturday [KO 11am Irish time, Sky Sports].
The Lions are eager to kickstart their tour after losing 28-24 to Argentina in their Dublin opener as they build towards the Test series against the Wallabies, which begins in Brisbane on 19 July.
Although they may be the worst-performing of Australia's Super Rugby sides this season, the Force have been reinforced by the presence of six Wallabies who have been released for the Optus Stadium showdown.
Irish scrum coach John Fogarty has highlighted the importance of the Lions rewarding their supporters – more than 30,000 are expected to head Down Under – after seeing the Aviva Stadium turn red last Friday.
'The lads need to create moments for people to get behind,' said Fogarty, who oversaw a dominant scrum performance against the Pumas.
'Whether it's in a scrum or off a line-out or attacking play or defensive play, we need to make sure we're creating moments that capture the minds of the people that matter most. That's the plan.
'It's an amazing thing, the Lions. You get behind it instantly. It was disappointing against Argentina because you feel like you're letting people down a little bit due to the performance and the result.'
The Lions at Optus Stadium on Friday. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Head coach Farrell has made 13 changes to his starting XV for this clash in Perth, with eight Irish players in the starting XV and three more on the bench.
Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan will captain the Lions on his debut for the tourists, while Scoland's Finn Russell makes his first appearance of 2025 at out-half.
This is a prime chance for the Irish contingent and others to lay down an early claim to be part of Farrell's Test side.
Connacht man Mack Hansen starts on the right wing and he knows what's awaiting the Lions tomorrow after being present as a spectator for the Brumbies' famous upset of the tourists on their last visit to Australia in 2013.
Canberra-born Hansen will face some of his old Brumbies team-mates, including a former housemate in Bayley Kuenzle.
'I was at that Brumbies game [in 2013] with my dad and brother and the Brumbies beat the Lions, so these things do happen,' said Hansen, who sat out Friday's captain's run as his training load was managed.
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'We were sitting behind the goalposts watching it. It was mad. You don't expect anyone to actually do it, but I talked to guys after that and they'd been pumped up for the game for weeks, working towards it.
'They saw it as the be-all and end-all. Also, guys are playing to try to get into the Wallabies as well, so there's still a lot on the line for a lot of these teams.
'None of the games are going to be easy. Everyone wants to win – it's not just us that want to win.
'We want to win every game but the Force aren't saying 'all right boys, let's go out and lose by 40'. They'll be coming out thinking 'we can cause an upset'. They've only got one game, then they're on holiday.
Mack Hansen in Perth this week. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
'There will be this, then they'll have 10 toes up for the next five weeks, so I'm sure they're going to give it their all.
'When you get that time after time after time after time for however long we're here, it will take its toll on us, but that's a good thing. It makes us better and it makes the game more exciting.'
Any doubt the Lions have a target on their backs was immediately dispelled by the defeat to Argentina last weekend. Hansen knows that any more setbacks will be poorly received by the Lions' coaching team.
'We are four of the best teams and have some of the best players in the world. You should be winning every time, so every time it's a loss that just isn't good enough,' he said.
'That's the best thing that this group has on its shoulders at the moment because we know that and as disappointed as we were, we don't want to feel that again.
'If anything, it's good to feel it early and then we know that we'll get our heads absolutely chewed off if it happens again, so the plan is to win from here on out.
'A lot of the chat has been about us and what we need to improve. The only thing that can beat us is us really.'
WESTERN FORCE: Ben Donaldson; Mac Grealy, Matt Proctor, Hamish Stewart, Dylan Pietsch; Alex Harford, Nic White (captain); Tom Robertson, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Ollie Hoskins; Sam Carter, Darcy Swain; Will Harris, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Vaiolini Ekuasi.
Replacements: Nic Dolly, Marley Pearce, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Lopeti Faifua, Reed Prinsep, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Bayley Kuenzle.
BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS: Elliot Daly; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Tomos Williams; Pierre Schoeman, Dan Sheehan (captain), Tadhg Furlong; Scott Cummings, Joe McCarthy; Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Jack Conan, Alex Mitchell, Huw Jones, Marcus Smith.
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe [New Zealand].
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