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Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Lions bounce back from Pumas loss with dominating display against Western Force
The British and Irish Lions secured their first win on Australian turf, trouncing Western Force 54-7. However, a potential injury crisis is looming at scrum-half after Tomos Williams was forced to leave the pitch. Williams was one of the standout performers for the Lions at Optus Stadium, but his game came to an abrupt end when he injured his left hamstring while scoring his second try in the 47th minute. The Welsh half-back's departure has left the Lions anxious about his fitness, especially as Jamison Gibson-Park has yet to play on tour due to a glute issue. This could potentially leave Alex Mitchell as the only available option for the scrum-half position. It was the biggest disappointment of a mixed evening for Andy Farrell's men, who bounced back from their 28-24 defeat by Argentina with an eight-try demolition of the weakest of Australia's Super Rugby franchises while exposing areas of concern. The lack of cohesion in defence continued and the scrum took a step backwards after excelling against the Pumas as part of a shaky overall set-piece performance, but their passes stuck in attack and they created some classy tries. Henry Pollock, Joe McCarthy and James Lowe all advanced their claims to Test selection against the Wallabies, while fly-half Finn Russell produced an inventive first outing on tour. Russell's fingerprints were over Dan Sheehan's fourth-minute try with his pinpoint kick to Lowe making the score possible, but the Force hit back with their first attack of the match when Nic White wriggled over. All the early pressure was coming from the hosts but they were turned over three times when in commanding positions, one of them occurring when man-of-the-match McCarthy pinched line-out ball. The Force were showing plenty of endeavour but the Lions' extra class was evident in the 16th minute when Pollock combined with Josh van der Flier, raced clear and then passed out of the tackle for Williams to score. And their accuracy was on display again in the 36th minute when Russell ran a quickly taken free-kick with Pollock and Elliot Daly in support and when he was stopped just short of the line, Daly was able to touch down. Pollock provocatively celebrated the try close to Force openside Nick Champion de Crespigny, igniting a flashpoint that drew in a large number of players. The England back row was then sin-binned, although his yellow card was the result of Ben O'Keeffe running out of patience with the number of Lions infringements. Pollock had yet to rejoin play when the Lions struck again early in the second half with wings Mack Hansen and Lowe involved in a counter attack that ended with Williams diving over in the corner for his fateful finish. Just 10 minutes after the interval and the Force defence was already tiring, allowing the tourists to force an easy open with Hansen supplying Garry Ringrose with the scoring pass. Back on the field, Pollock pounced on a loose ball to launch a counter that ended with McCarthy crossing and the gaps continued to appear with Marcus Smith, on for Russell at fly-half, sending Daly over before Alex Mitchell landed the final blow.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Lions suffer injury blow in 54-7 win over Western Force
Henry Pollock showcased his star potential but two-try scrumhalf Tomos Williams was cut down by a hamstring injury as the British and Irish Lions posted a crushing 54-7 win over the Western Force in Perth. The Lions ran in eight tries to one in front of 46,656 fans at Optus Stadium on Saturday night to post the big win, but it came at a cost. Williams, a veteran of 65 Test caps with Wales, pinged his left hamstring while acrobatically diving in at the corner for his second try in the 47th minute. The 30-year-old looked despondent as he hobbled slowly off the field, with the Lions leading 26-7 at the time. The second half became a romp as the Lions flexed their muscles in a five-try blitz, but it was tough work in the first half as the Force came out firing. Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch was near unstoppable in the first half, unleashing a series of dazzling line breaks to push his case for selection for the upcoming three-Test series. The Force dominated possession (60 per cent) and territory (67 per cent) in the first half, but it was the industrious work of Pollock that ensured the Lions still managed to take a 21-7 lead into half-time. Pollock, who at just 20 years of age is already being touted as a future superstar, produced a series of tackle-breaking runs, one of which set up Williams for his first try. Lions coach Andy Farrell had labelled his team's 28-24 loss to Argentina in Dublin last week as unacceptable, and it took just 96 seconds for his players to show a strong response - and it was a thing of beauty. The magical piece of play started and finished with skipper Dan Sheehan, who jumped in the air to catch a cross kick before passing it off to teammate James Lowe before he even landed on the ground. Sheehan stayed in the play and received it back from Lowe to cross over for the opener. The Force hit back through Nic White courtesy of 19 phases of grit, and after 15 minutes, it was the home side dominating possession (72 per cent) and territory (74 per cent). The Lions did well to keep the Force at bay, and they went up 14-7 in the 17th minute when Pollock made a break and then offloaded while on the ground to set up Williams for a try. Pietsch's first-half efforts had the Lions on the back foot, but it was the tourists who landed another strike against the run of play when a quick tap from flyhalf Finn Russell caught the Force napping. The ensuing try to fullback Elliot Daly gave the Lions a 21-7 lead in the 36th minute, but they were dealt a blow just seconds before half-time when Pollock was handed a yellow card for his team's accumulation of penalties. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Lions swung the ball the length of the field for Williams to touch down seven minutes into the second half. The Lions piled on another four tries to ensure their tour of Australia got off to a comprehensive winning start. The Lions will be back in action on Wednesday night when they take on the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Finn Russell silences any doubters and makes the No.10 Lions jersey his own
Front-runner for the No.10 shirt prior to the British and Irish Lions tour, it took Finn Russell less than two minutes of Saturday's starter on Australian soil against the Western Force to live up to that tag. That's how impressive the Scot was, how good he is. Dan Sheehan's opening try came off the back of the perfect beginning, multiple phases executed against very aggressive and joined-up Force defence, and Russell's fingerprints were all over the initial push time and again. The first glimpse of magic amid the game management was a superb pass flung wide to Josh van der Flier under pressure. It was just moments later when he pinged an inch-perfect crosskick for James Lowe that opened the door for Dan Sheehan to go over for the try. Here was the retort to the doubters because Russell's tag as a maverick has always been a double-edged sword. Maverick denotes different things to different people, depending on how they see the player in question. Critics see mavericks as loose cannons, players unable to fit into the system and the collective, but Russell is 32 now. He has matured and adapted his game without losing what it is that makes him such a star. He landed in Australia on the back of a superb season with Bath where he won a treble of trophies, most notably the Premiership title, and with his employers having seen enough to extend his lucrative stay in the West Country further. What followed the first try here was a prolonged period of Force pressure because of a botched restart and the Lions will no doubt look at how they had to make do with only 39% possession and 30% territory through the entirety of that first-half. As with throwers when lineouts go wrong, out-halves naturally get singled out at times like that, but there is little that any playmaker can do if the ball doesn't reach their hands and Andy Farrell pointed the finger at the team's ill-discipline afterwards. One difficult effort aside, Russell's placekicking was excellent. Doing the basics is non-negotiable, and the younger Fin Smith is a class act in that regard. The Northampton Saints ten is a facilitator in the Johnny Sexton mode and he was impressive enough against Argentina in Dublin last week. Russell has that but his ability to see different pictures and act on them sets him apart. That was the case approaching half-time in Perth when he snubbed an easy penalty shot for a quick tap and tore a seam through the Aussie side's defensive line. He was only five metres from the Force line before they got him to ground but Russell then showed superb awareness to delay the offload and pop the pass up for the supporting Tomos Williams to run over. That was the game done and dusted. Warren Gatland's three Lions parties in 2013, '17 and '21 were symptomatic of the man and his Wales team. Functional first, always. The signs are that Andy Farrell's would be slightly less so. Slightly. We're not talking Barbarians rugby here. That being the case, this was another reason to bet the house on Russell. The fact that he had Sione Tuipulotu outside him for his first start in the red jersey was flagged as a huge help pre-game and yet the performance of Welsh scrum-half Tomos Williams inside him was of monumental import too. Williams's service is immaculate and he was having a brilliant game - scoring two tries to boot - before a hamstring injury picked up in the act of scoring the Lions' fourth just after the break brought his evening to a premature end. It's a development that raises an interesting conundrum if he is out for any meaningful time. Leicester Tigers' Jack van Poortvliet will be keeping his phone on as he tours Argentina with England, but so should Craig Casey. The Munster nine had an impressive end to the club season with his province and his growing stature is evidenced by the fact that he has been named captain of an Ireland squad due to tour Georgia and Portugal. The hope is that Jamison Gibson-Park - as well as Hugo Keenan and James Ryan - will be fit enough to feature against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday while Alex Mitchell has his supporters too. Plenty to debate there. As for out-half? It's got to be Russell.
The Age
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
Lions Tour LIVE updates: Can the Western Force tame the Lions?
Go to latest Pinned post from 7.02pm Welcome to the jungle rugby fans Iain Payten Good evening sports fans, and welcome to the start of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia. After a 12-year wait, the Lions are back on our shores and taking on the Western Force at Optus Stadium in Perth to kick off their tour. I'll be your companion through the night on the blog, and the bustling Belfast brawler Jonathan Drennan is our man on the ground in Perth. He'll be sending through his preview, mid-game updates and keep an eye out for his match report and follow-up news later in the night. Strictly speaking, the Lions actually got themselves underway last weekend with a warm-up clash against Argentina but they'll be happy to forget that one after going down 28-24. Will tonight one be a good contest? The Western Force are paying $17 with the bookies to win tonight, so no-one is really expecting an upset. But that is the place the Force would prefer to be, no doubt. How do you see this one going down? Have your say in the poll. 7.02pm The Drennan scene setter By Jonathan Drennan It is a perfect winter's day in Perth, with blue skies and the bars leading up to Optus Stadium swollen with British and Irish fans who cannot believe their luck. There are small pockets of blue Force jerseys in the city, but they are few and far between. The last time the Lions were in this city, they beat the Force by 52 points in Subiaco Oval. That oval was demolished six years ago to make way for a gleaming high school, Bob Hawke College. The Force will hope to write a new chapter in the infinitely more decadent surrounds of Optus Stadium. It has been all business for the Lions so far, training on the immaculate fields of Hale School in Perth, they have kept to themselves and are desperate for a big performance after the shock four point loss to the Pumas in Dublin. The bookmakers are paying 17 bucks on a Force win, we will see pessimism is well-founded very soon. 7.02pm Here are the teams … with one late change The Lions made a stack of changes to their side from the opening loss to Argentina, with eight Leinster players returning to duty, and star no.10 Finn Russell. The side is stacked with Irishmen, and a couple of 'Aussies' are in there too in the shape of centre Sione Tuipulotu and winger Mack Hansen. The Force have eight capped Wallabies in their starting XV, and another uncapped Wallaby squad member in Nick Champion de Crespigny, as well. Kurtley Beale was ruled out during the week through injury but Ben Donaldson flew back from the Wallabies camp in Sydney as a late replacement. Jonny Drennan has dropped this news: 'Some late injury news, one-time England international hooker Nic Dolly is out for the Force and will miss out on the chance of reacquainting with former team mates, he is replaced by Tom Horton who takes his place on the bench.' Here are the teams ... British and Irish Lions (15-1): Elliot Daly; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Tomos Williams; Henry Pollock, Josh van der Flier, Tadhg Beirne; Joe McCarthy, Scott Cummings; Tadhg Furlong, Dan Sheehan, Pierre Schoeman Western Force (15-1): Ben Donaldson; Mac Grealy, Matt Proctor, Hamish Stewart, Dylan Pietsch; Alex Harford, Nic White (capt); Vaiolini Ekuasi, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Will Harris; Darcy Swain, Sam Carter; Ollie Hoskins, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Tom Robertson Replacements: Tom Horton, Marley Pearce, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Lopeti Faifua, Reed Prinsep, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Bayley Kuenzle Assistant Referees: Paul Williams (NZR), James Doleman (NZR) TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Lions Tour LIVE updates: Can the Western Force tame the Lions?
Go to latest Pinned post from 7.02pm Welcome to the jungle rugby fans Iain Payten Good evening sports fans, and welcome to the start of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia. After a 12-year wait, the Lions are back on our shores and taking on the Western Force at Optus Stadium in Perth to kick off their tour. I'll be your companion through the night on the blog, and the bustling Belfast brawler Jonathan Drennan is our man on the ground in Perth. He'll be sending through his preview, mid-game updates and keep an eye out for his match report and follow-up news later in the night. Strictly speaking, the Lions actually got themselves underway last weekend with a warm-up clash against Argentina but they'll be happy to forget that one after going down 28-24. Will tonight one be a good contest? The Western Force are paying $17 with the bookies to win tonight, so no-one is really expecting an upset. But that is the place the Force would prefer to be, no doubt. How do you see this one going down? Have your say in the poll. 7.02pm The Drennan scene setter By Jonathan Drennan It is a perfect winter's day in Perth, with blue skies and the bars leading up to Optus Stadium swollen with British and Irish fans who cannot believe their luck. There are small pockets of blue Force jerseys in the city, but they are few and far between. The last time the Lions were in this city, they beat the Force by 52 points in Subiaco Oval. That oval was demolished six years ago to make way for a gleaming high school, Bob Hawke College. The Force will hope to write a new chapter in the infinitely more decadent surrounds of Optus Stadium. It has been all business for the Lions so far, training on the immaculate fields of Hale School in Perth, they have kept to themselves and are desperate for a big performance after the shock four point loss to the Pumas in Dublin. The bookmakers are paying 17 bucks on a Force win, we will see pessimism is well-founded very soon. 7.02pm Here are the teams … with one late change The Lions made a stack of changes to their side from the opening loss to Argentina, with eight Leinster players returning to duty, and star no.10 Finn Russell. The side is stacked with Irishmen, and a couple of 'Aussies' are in there too in the shape of centre Sione Tuipulotu and winger Mack Hansen. The Force have eight capped Wallabies in their starting XV, and another uncapped Wallaby squad member in Nick Champion de Crespigny, as well. Kurtley Beale was ruled out during the week through injury but Ben Donaldson flew back from the Wallabies camp in Sydney as a late replacement. Jonny Drennan has dropped this news: 'Some late injury news, one-time England international hooker Nic Dolly is out for the Force and will miss out on the chance of reacquainting with former team mates, he is replaced by Tom Horton who takes his place on the bench.' Here are the teams ... British and Irish Lions (15-1): Elliot Daly; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Tomos Williams; Henry Pollock, Josh van der Flier, Tadhg Beirne; Joe McCarthy, Scott Cummings; Tadhg Furlong, Dan Sheehan, Pierre Schoeman Western Force (15-1): Ben Donaldson; Mac Grealy, Matt Proctor, Hamish Stewart, Dylan Pietsch; Alex Harford, Nic White (capt); Vaiolini Ekuasi, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Will Harris; Darcy Swain, Sam Carter; Ollie Hoskins, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Tom Robertson Replacements: Tom Horton, Marley Pearce, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Lopeti Faifua, Reed Prinsep, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Bayley Kuenzle Assistant Referees: Paul Williams (NZR), James Doleman (NZR) TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
