The British & Irish Lions in numbers: Beirne impresses against the Wallabies

Yahoo

19-07-2025

By James Reid
The British & Irish Lions earned a hard-fought 27-19 win over Australia in the first Test at Suncorp Stadium.
It was the perfect start to the three Tests of the Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2025 and sets up an enticing second Test in Melbourne next weekend.
Andy Farrell and his squad will take plenty of positives and lots to work as they head south, with a whole heap of numbers to pore over.
Here are a few to help break down what we watched in Brisbane.
1 – minute until the first penalty
The Lions made the perfect start to the match, with Tadhg Beirne earning a penalty with less than a minute on the clock.
It proved a dangerous omen for the Wallabies, with Beirne producing a Player of the Match performance as part of a destructive back row alongside Tom Curry and Jack Conan.
The penalty proved the ideal nerve-settler for anyone in red, either on the pitch or in the crowd, though it was unlikely Finn Russell was amongst those whose hearts were racing at kick-off.
The Scotsman slotted home the three points to set the Lions on their way, before putting in a huge performance from fly-half.
23 – tackles by Tadhg Beirne
A perfect back row is one that has the right balance, and Andy Farrell may well have found his with Beirne, Conan, and Curry.
Beirne led the way with the heavy lifting in Brisbane, getting through a huge amount of working in the tackle – his 23 was the most of any player on the pitch.
He was matched in work-rate by Conan and Curry, whose work off the ball in particular was exceptional amidst fierce competition for the six, seven, and eight shirts.
Beirne also won three turnovers to round off an impressive evening in Queensland.
65 – metres carried by Huw Jones
Midfield partner Sione Tuipulotu may have been the one to cross the whitewash, but Huw Jones also impressed at outside centre.
The Scot's pace and running caused regular problems for the Wallabies and almost had a try himself in the first half only for referee Ben O'Keefe to call things back.
Jones made 65 metres, the most of any player, with team-mate Jack Conan right behind with 64.
Dan Sheehan rounded off a Lions top three with 50 metres to his name, something that will surely please
Farrell as the Lions put their size and athleticism to good use.
11 – penalties conceded
Victory in Brisbane was not without room for improvement, something captain Maro Itoje was keen to stress after the match.
The Lions' discipline was an area of particular focus from both Itoje and Beirne afterwards, with their 11 penalties something that could cause problems if not addressed before the second Test in Melbourne.
'Overall, we stacked up, got the job done and roll on next week,' said Beirne. 'Our discipline needs to be a big focus, but I think we controlled the game, especially in the first half.'
6 - wins in a row
Victory at Suncorp Stadium extended the Lions' winning run on the Tour to six matches.
A match against First Nations & Pasifika XV on Tuesday will look to extend that and will be a chance for others to stake a claim for a place in the matchday 23.
Then it will be onto Melbourne and the MCG, where a crowd of up to 100,00 awaits the Lions.