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The Age
2 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
2 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)
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Andy Farrell ‘wants to see how they deal with pressure' as he challenges Lions to ‘take their chance' vs Western Force
ANDY FARRELL cranked up the pressure on his Lions to beat Western Force today. With three weeks to go until the First Test in Brisbane, the Lions must start the Australian trip with a bang. And anything less than a sound beating of a side who finished ninth out of 11 in Super Rugby would be a massive setback. Boss Farrell said: 'They've got to take responsibility and grab a hold of their chance to make sure they take this team forward. 'We'll see how we respond. The guys taking the field this weekend are a little bit fortunate in the sense that they understand how we want to get better. Read More on Lions 'Part of the whole package is dealing with their own expectation and the pressure we put on ourselves. That's why we were disappointed last week. 'I put a lot on them because I want to see how they deal with the pressure.' Force have scrum-half Nic White — described by Eddie Jones as the 'biggest niggler' in rugby — leading the side after he was released by the Wallabies. Farrell added: 'It's a great side full of Australians who are in the here and now and people with the ambition to be future Australian Test players.' Most read in Rugby Union 1 Andy Farrell wants to see how the Lions respond against the Western Force Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Evening Standard
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Evening Standard
Western Force vs British and Irish Lions: Kick-off time, TV channel, live stream, team news, lineups, h2h, odds today
Perhaps we should not have been surprised to see the Lions edged out by Argentina, whose status as 7-1 underdogs for victory in Dublin seemed ridiculous despite missing a number of France-based stars, particularly when you consider that they beat all of New Zealand, South Africa, France and Australia in 2024 and are currently ranked fifth in the world - three spots ahead of the Wallabies.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
British and Irish Lions send 'very clear' Australia warning over releasing Test stars for tour matches
Caution: Australia head coach Joe Schmidt does not want his top stars risking potential injury before Lions Test series (AP) The British and Irish Lions have warned Australia they will be in breach of contract if they fail to release their Test stars for all tour games involving Super Rugby teams. Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has allowed Western Force players Nick Champion De Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White to take part in Saturday's first match Down Under in Perth. Advertisement However, all those from the Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies, including big names such as Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Rob Valetini, will not face the Lions until the Test series. Given Australia's lack of depth, Schmidt is keen to avoid picking up any injuries while their warm-up fixture against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6, which takes place the day after the tourists meet the Waratahs, is another obstacle. However, Lions chief executive Ben Calveley has reminded the hosts of the terms of the tour contract, knowing Andy Farrell's men want to play the toughest possible opposition to provide adequate preparation for the opening Test on July 19. "We'll see a competitive fixture at the weekend and that's what we're looking for. We want to make sure our guys are battle-hardened when it comes to the Test series," Calveley said. Advertisement "The agreement is very clear - it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series. That is our expectation. Warning: Lions CEO Ben Calveley wants to ensure that all their tour matches are competitive (AFP via Getty Images) "We'll play the game at the weekend and will carry on having discussions with (Rugby Australia chief executive) Phil Waugh and will take it step by step. "It's really important that these games are competitive. It's not just from a performance standpoint but it's also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters, who are all expecting competitive fixtures. That would be their expectation as well." Calveley declined to reveal what action the Lions could take if Schmidt will not be budged from his current policy, but it is clear the tourists hold all the aces given the vast revenue they generate for hosting countries. Advertisement A sold-out Aviva Stadium turned red for Friday night's send-off in a display of commercial power from the elite of British and Irish rugby, who continue to be a huge draw. Argentina won an entertaining but scrappy game 28-24 and given they are positioned three places higher than the Wallabies in the global ranking in fifth, they could be viewed as a more credible tour destination than Australia. There are also calls for France to be added to the current rotation that is completed by South Africa and New Zealand. For now, however, fixtures against other nations will be bolt-ons to existing destinations rather than stand-alone tours. "There are different teams around the world that we might be interested in playing against in future. Traditionally that's been consigned to a pre-tour element - Dublin, Murrayfield - so we'll probably focus on that," Calveley said. Advertisement "We're also interested when we go away on tour to see if we can bring in other countries like Japan and Fiji to feature in those games as we build up to the Test element. "We're open and we're flexible, but right now there are no plans to change the rotation of the tour structure." Calveley was speaking at a 'Welcome to Country' ceremony, a 20-minute First Nations cultural experience held in in Perth's Kings Park.
