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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
36 minutes ago
- West Australian
Western Force star Dylan Pietsch hoping for British and Irish Lions rematch after superb showing in opener
Western Force star Dylan Pietsch is quick to acknowledge he loves the big games and accompanying huge arenas and massive moments under lights. After his impressive showing against the British and Irish Lions at Optus Stadium on Saturday night, it bodes well for the Wallabies. Wearing a jersey designed by Pietsch himself made specially for the one-off match, the Force were not done justice by the 54-7 scoreline but Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will have liked what he saw from the winger. The 27 year-old will head east to link up with the rest of the Wallabies squad ahead of their clash with Fiji in Newcastle next Sunday and while Australia have a crowded outside back contingent, Pietsch made a strong case. Whether he was elevating and hanging in the air to steal away kicks for the hosts, or dragging desperate defenders across the gain-line, Pietsch was a constant headache for the tourists. 'I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin and I know what I've got, so I don't try to have that chip on my shoulder,' Pietsch said post-game. 'It was awesome, it's hard not to get up for that game. I love playing big games, and playing against the Lions, you're not going to get much bigger. 'When you come into the occasion, you can either kind of fold or lean into it and I always try to lean into it.' When Pietsch departed the match just after the hour mark, he led all comers for carries (11) and running metres (74). Force captain Nic White, who teed Pietsch to snaffle their opening kick restart of the game, labelled his teammate's game as 'outstanding'. 'Really good in the air. He's fun to kick to and he just wants the ball. He's a big body out there and caused some serious headaches,' White said. 'He really rose to the occasion. He's one of the guys that when we talk about really enjoying it out there, the big occasion, big crowd, playing against the best in the north, he just wanted it and it was infectious.' For Pietsch, his Force performance satiated his thirst for game time after he missed seven weeks with a 25cm tear in his quad in the second half of the season, only returning for the final match of the season against the Waratahs. 'I was just excited to play again and get the ball in hands and see what happened. It's big part of my game, as I try to be very physical and if you see that week in and week out, I'm doing my job right,' Pietsch said. But Pietsch is not ready to put the cue in the rack just yet, as he eyes up facing them in a green and gold jersey nexts. 'I'm just really excited that I played for the Force against the Lions and in the jersey of design is the best thing and I'm going to camp next week to prep the boys for the Fiji game,' he said. 'Playing the Lions is one of the biggest things, that was so fun out there, and to be able to potentially do it again is definitely a big thing.'
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Lions hold off on SOS despite latest scrumhalf injury
British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has downplayed the need to send out a scrumhalf SOS despite Tomos Williams suffering a hamstring injury during Saturday's 54-7 win over the Western Force. Williams injured his left hamstring while acrobatically diving over for his second try of the night in the eight-tries-to-one romp over the Force. The 30-year-old was clearly in pain as he limped from the field in the 47th minute, putting the rest of his tour in doubt. Fellow scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park was unavailable for the match due to a recent glute injury, but it's hopeful he will be fit to tackle the Queensland Reds on Wednesday night. If there is any doubt on Gibson-Park, it would leave Alex Mitchell as the last No.9 standing at present. Scrumhalf Ben White is currently with the Scotland international side in New Zealand for a match against the Maori All Blacks, and could be called upon if needed. But Farrell played down the need to call in reinforcements just yet, expressing confidence in Gibson-Park's fitness, and saying he wants to wait longer to see the severity of Williams' injury. "Jamison's fit and ready to go, and has been training fully now for the best part of the week, so we're happy with that," Farrell said. "But you don't know until you know (about Williams' injury). "We have to let these things settle down and see what the outcome is, giving it a little bit of space. "We need to talk about that and assess that and make the right call for the group. We have our fingers crossed." One of the brightest points out of Saturday's game for the Lions was the performance of No.8 Henry Pollock, who looked every bit the future superstar he's being touted to become. Pollock's bullocking runs proved troublesome for the Force, and the 20-year-old showcased his creativity with a chip-and-chase that led to a second-half try to lock Joe McCarthy. "I thought he was brilliant," stand-in Lions captain Dan Sheehan said. "He does his own thing. He has his own way of playing. He's probably different to a lot of the forwards. "I enjoy that kind of rugby, off the cuff, see what's in front of you, and make it happen. "And with his sort of skill set and speed, he can, he can certainly make it happen." The Lions will head to Brisbane on Sunday ahead of Wednesday night's clash with the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium. Farrell was happy with his team's performance against the Force, with the five-try blitz in the second half particularly impressive. But he is also well aware there are plenty of areas to improve. The Lions were dominated in the possession and territory stakes in the first half, and their more fancied scrum could only break even against the Force. The tourists also struggled with their kick-off receives, and lost Pollock on the stroke of half-time to a yellow card due to an accumulation of team infringements. "Our discipline for one," Farrell said when asked about areas to improve on. "You mentioned kick-offs there, so it's a good warning for us, isn't it? "I thought we got a bit lateral at times, not engaging enough, and tried to be too tidy attack-wise at times." British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has downplayed the need to send out a scrumhalf SOS despite Tomos Williams suffering a hamstring injury during Saturday's 54-7 win over the Western Force. Williams injured his left hamstring while acrobatically diving over for his second try of the night in the eight-tries-to-one romp over the Force. The 30-year-old was clearly in pain as he limped from the field in the 47th minute, putting the rest of his tour in doubt. Fellow scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park was unavailable for the match due to a recent glute injury, but it's hopeful he will be fit to tackle the Queensland Reds on Wednesday night. If there is any doubt on Gibson-Park, it would leave Alex Mitchell as the last No.9 standing at present. Scrumhalf Ben White is currently with the Scotland international side in New Zealand for a match against the Maori All Blacks, and could be called upon if needed. But Farrell played down the need to call in reinforcements just yet, expressing confidence in Gibson-Park's fitness, and saying he wants to wait longer to see the severity of Williams' injury. "Jamison's fit and ready to go, and has been training fully now for the best part of the week, so we're happy with that," Farrell said. "But you don't know until you know (about Williams' injury). "We have to let these things settle down and see what the outcome is, giving it a little bit of space. "We need to talk about that and assess that and make the right call for the group. We have our fingers crossed." One of the brightest points out of Saturday's game for the Lions was the performance of No.8 Henry Pollock, who looked every bit the future superstar he's being touted to become. Pollock's bullocking runs proved troublesome for the Force, and the 20-year-old showcased his creativity with a chip-and-chase that led to a second-half try to lock Joe McCarthy. "I thought he was brilliant," stand-in Lions captain Dan Sheehan said. "He does his own thing. He has his own way of playing. He's probably different to a lot of the forwards. "I enjoy that kind of rugby, off the cuff, see what's in front of you, and make it happen. "And with his sort of skill set and speed, he can, he can certainly make it happen." The Lions will head to Brisbane on Sunday ahead of Wednesday night's clash with the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium. Farrell was happy with his team's performance against the Force, with the five-try blitz in the second half particularly impressive. But he is also well aware there are plenty of areas to improve. The Lions were dominated in the possession and territory stakes in the first half, and their more fancied scrum could only break even against the Force. The tourists also struggled with their kick-off receives, and lost Pollock on the stroke of half-time to a yellow card due to an accumulation of team infringements. "Our discipline for one," Farrell said when asked about areas to improve on. "You mentioned kick-offs there, so it's a good warning for us, isn't it? "I thought we got a bit lateral at times, not engaging enough, and tried to be too tidy attack-wise at times." British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has downplayed the need to send out a scrumhalf SOS despite Tomos Williams suffering a hamstring injury during Saturday's 54-7 win over the Western Force. Williams injured his left hamstring while acrobatically diving over for his second try of the night in the eight-tries-to-one romp over the Force. The 30-year-old was clearly in pain as he limped from the field in the 47th minute, putting the rest of his tour in doubt. Fellow scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park was unavailable for the match due to a recent glute injury, but it's hopeful he will be fit to tackle the Queensland Reds on Wednesday night. If there is any doubt on Gibson-Park, it would leave Alex Mitchell as the last No.9 standing at present. Scrumhalf Ben White is currently with the Scotland international side in New Zealand for a match against the Maori All Blacks, and could be called upon if needed. But Farrell played down the need to call in reinforcements just yet, expressing confidence in Gibson-Park's fitness, and saying he wants to wait longer to see the severity of Williams' injury. "Jamison's fit and ready to go, and has been training fully now for the best part of the week, so we're happy with that," Farrell said. "But you don't know until you know (about Williams' injury). "We have to let these things settle down and see what the outcome is, giving it a little bit of space. "We need to talk about that and assess that and make the right call for the group. We have our fingers crossed." One of the brightest points out of Saturday's game for the Lions was the performance of No.8 Henry Pollock, who looked every bit the future superstar he's being touted to become. Pollock's bullocking runs proved troublesome for the Force, and the 20-year-old showcased his creativity with a chip-and-chase that led to a second-half try to lock Joe McCarthy. "I thought he was brilliant," stand-in Lions captain Dan Sheehan said. "He does his own thing. He has his own way of playing. He's probably different to a lot of the forwards. "I enjoy that kind of rugby, off the cuff, see what's in front of you, and make it happen. "And with his sort of skill set and speed, he can, he can certainly make it happen." The Lions will head to Brisbane on Sunday ahead of Wednesday night's clash with the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium. Farrell was happy with his team's performance against the Force, with the five-try blitz in the second half particularly impressive. But he is also well aware there are plenty of areas to improve. The Lions were dominated in the possession and territory stakes in the first half, and their more fancied scrum could only break even against the Force. The tourists also struggled with their kick-off receives, and lost Pollock on the stroke of half-time to a yellow card due to an accumulation of team infringements. "Our discipline for one," Farrell said when asked about areas to improve on. "You mentioned kick-offs there, so it's a good warning for us, isn't it? "I thought we got a bit lateral at times, not engaging enough, and tried to be too tidy attack-wise at times."
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Young Australian makes history with Wimbledon warm-up title win
Maya Joint has rubber-stamped her status as Australia's next big tennis star with a historic second WTA title in barely a month ahead of her Wimbledon debut. The talented 19-year-old staved off four championship points in a captivating and high-quality final-set tie-breaker – including rallying from two mini-breaks down at 2-5 – to outlast left-handed Filipino Alexandra Eala in the Eastbourne final. One last backhand winner sealed a roller-coaster 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) victory for Joint, who fell to the Eastbourne grass in triumph as she became the first Australian champion in the British event's 50-year history. Eala, 20, was inconsolable at the other end after losing the youngest Eastbourne final by combined age since 1981. 'I'm very happy right now, and feeling very relieved as well,' Joint said. 'It was a very difficult match. I'm proud of myself for coming back and staying in the match ... I'm glad I was able to find a way back into the match. 'It's a really great preparation. I got a lot of matches leading into Wimbledon, so hopefully I can be in Wimbledon a little bit longer than I was in French, but I'm just really excited to get to London today and step foot in 'Wimby' for the first time.' Joint, who will rise to a career-high No.41 on Monday after starting last year barely inside the top 700, lost in the first round at Roland-Garros a day after capturing the Morocco Open title in Rabat.
