Ruthless Lions down Force
Pollock shines as visitors win big in Australia tour opener
PERTH: Emerging star Henry Pollock produced an explosive performance as the British and Irish Lions started their Australia tour with an emphatic 54-7 win against Western Force in Perth on Saturday. In their first match in Australia since 2013, the Lions ran in eight tries on a cool night in front of 46,656 fans at Optus Stadium, most of whom were loudly supporting the tourists.
But the victory was soured after Wales scrumhalf Tomos Williams suffered a hamstring injury just after the interval following his second try. After a shock 28-24 defeat to Argentina in a warm-up in Dublin, the Lions looked far slicker with a revamped line-up led by 20-year-old Englishman Pollock. Having made his debut against the Pumas, Pollock spectacularly set up Williams in the 15th minute with a burst of speed.
But there were teething problems for Andy Farrell's team as they opened their nine-game Australian itinerary, highlighted by a three-match series against the Wallabies starting on July 19. The Lions were undisciplined and conceded six penalties in a frenetic first half against a Force team with six internationals in their starting XV.
However, the gulf in talent between the teams was evident as the Lions ran riot in a one-sided second half with five tries. 'I thought we started really well and then pretty quickly we were on the back foot through ill discipline and a few inaccuracies,' said Lions skipper Dan Sheehan, who scored the opening try. 'But I think it's an improvement (from Argentina), especially on the scoreline side and how we sort of closed out that game towards the end. 'I thought the bench had a good impact when they came on but there's still plenty of things to work on. I think our discipline was nowhere near good enough.'
The Lions easily beat the Force 69-17 on their last Australian tour and something similar was expected against a team that finished ninth in the 11-team Super Rugby ladder, the lowest of the four Australian franchises. The Nic White-led Force were without Wallabies Carlo Tizzano, Jeremy Williams and Harry Potter. It only took two minutes for the Lions to hit the scoreboard after a brilliant flick from wing James Lowe found Ireland hooker Sheehan, who celebrated his captaincy debut in style.
The Force hit back from the early barrage when White barreled over through heavy traffic before the home side dominated possession. Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch proved a handful for a Lions defence under considerable pressure. Pollock reignited his team with a blistering run to slither through a crack in Force's defence before a superb offload to Williams.
Both teams started to wilt before the interval amid chaotic play as Finn Russell caught the Force napping and found Elliot Daly. Tensions boiled over following the try with Pollock in the middle of a fracas. But he was soon in the sin bin after receiving a yellow card as the Lions' penalties built up. The Lions put the foot down after half time with Williams flying over the corner having superbly combined with Lowe.
But Williams pulled up clutching his left hamstring and limped off the field. The Lions' superior depth and class was on show in an ominous statement as Daly capped a strong effort with his second try. 'I don't think that score reflected certainly the first 50 minutes,' said White. 'We probably left a couple of opportunities out there, but we got stuck right into them and it had a real Test match intensity about it. They're a class side.' The Lions tour continues against Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday. – AFP
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Ruthless Lions down Force
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