Lions move swiftly onto Brisbane for a meeting with Kiss' Reds
AFTER HAVING A few relatively settled weeks of preparation, the Lions are now heading into the thick of their tour of Australia, with a run of four games in 11 days to come.
Having a week in Perth ahead of yesterday's 54-7 hammering of the Force was helpful, allowing players and coaches to get the long-haul travel out of their system early.
On Sunday morning, they packed up in Perth and headed for the four-and-a-half hour flight across Australia to Brisbane, where they meet Les Kiss' Queensland Reds on Wednesday [KO 11am Irish time].
After that, they'll move down to Sydney for a Saturday clash with the Waratahs, then onto Canberra for the Brumbies game on Wednesday week before a trip to Adelaide to meet the AUNZ Invitational XV a week out from the first Test against the Wallabies, which is back in Brisbane.
So plenty is happening in the next two weeks. Andy Farrell and his men are heading into the manic period of the tour where the Lions have to juggle travel, training loads, injuries, niggles, selection, and opposition analysis. It's going to be hectic.
Farrell loves this stuff. He won't be complaining. The Force got stuck in for the first half yesterday but they're the weakest of the Australian Super Rugby sides. If the Lions had been able to manage the restarts, the scoreline probably would have been a lot uglier.
The Reds will hope to provide a sterner test on Wednesday. They won eight of their 14 Super Rugby games before losing in the quarter-finals to the Crusaders, who were the eventual champions.
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Reds boss Les Kiss. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
Unfortunately for Kiss, he will be missing many of his best players because they're in Wallabies camp with his old friend Joe Schmidt preparing for a warm-up game against Fiji on Sunday.
The Wallabies boss has released expolosive centre Hunter Paisami and hooker Matt Faessler for the Reds' clash with the Lions, but the exceptional Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, Tate McDermott, Tom Lynagh, Filipo Daugunu, and Zane Nonggorr are due to remain with Schmidt's group.
Back row Liam Wright is among the Reds players who have been on the injury list, yet Kiss – who will also head coach the AUNZ Invitational XV – still has some quality to work with.
Second row Lukhan Salakaia-Loto is an experienced Wallaby who missed out on selection in Schmidt's squad, while clever outside back Josh Flook, fullback Jock Campbell, hooker Josh Nasser, blindside Seru Uru, and locks Josh Canham and Angus Blyth have all capped by Australia.
Samoa prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, previously capped once by New Zealand, is a familiar face having spent the 2022/23 season with Ulster, earning plenty of fans with his all-action play and affable personality.
The Reds front row stocks have also been boosted by the arrival of All Blacks-capped loosehead Aidan Ross, who just joined after the Chiefs' Super Rugby campaign ended in defeat in the final.
Kiss is the most familiar face of all for the Irish tourists in the Lions squad, even if he left Irish rugby in 2018 when his time with Ulster ended.
The former rugby league international had a huge impact as Ireland's defence coach, first under Declan Kidney and then under Schmidt. Kiss pioneered the choke tackle and helped Ireland to their 2013 Grand Slam.
Former Ulster man Jeffery Toomaga-Allen. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
He enjoyed working with Kidney again in London Irish for five years after his departure from Ulster, before the English club's demise saw him move home.
Things have worked out very well for Kiss back in Australia, with his calm guidance of the Reds since 2024 earning him the job of Wallabies boss once Schmidt departs in 2026.
It's a slightly awkward-looking arrangement that probably puts Kiss under pressure to make sure the Reds have a good Super Rugby season next year before he takes on the top job.
Wednesday's clash with the Lions at Suncorp Stadium is a great opportunity for Kiss and his players to make a statement.
Once again, we're likely to see a much-changed Lions team as Farrell continues to assess his options. There are only four more warm-up games left as the first Test comes quickly into view.
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