logo
Lions dominate early to down Wallabies 27-19 in first test

Lions dominate early to down Wallabies 27-19 in first test

CNA4 days ago
BRISBANE :British & Irish Lions rode a rampant first-half display to a 27-19 victory over Australia in the first test on Saturday, running in three tries in the first 41 minutes and holding off a late Wallabies fightback for a comfortable victory.
Superior in all facets of the game in the first hour, the Lions scored tries through Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Curry and Dan Sheehan while Finn Russell added nine points from the kicking tee.
Max Jorgensen crossed in the first half for the Wallabies and they improved when they cleared the bench in the second half but tries from replacements Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott were too little, too late.
"We're delighted with the win. The game was a tough test match," said Lions captain Maro Itoje. "I thought we started well in the first half. We played a lot of good stuff.
"Then the second half was a bit to and fro from both sides. I think that's a good position for us to be in."
The Wallabies, rank underdogs, made a nervous start amid a cacophony of noise from the 52,229 crowd, and Russell gave the tourists an early lead with a penalty inside the first couple of minutes.
Russell was in the thick of it again when the Lions next got into the Australia 22 in the ninth minute, the Scotland flyhalf considering a crosskick before swinging a pass out wide for Melbourne-born Tuipulotu to run in unopposed.
Lions centre Huw Jones had a try scratched off for a double movement 10 minutes later but the Wallabies were kicking poorly and rarely threatened to break out of their own half let alone score.
Jorgensen produced a try out of nothing just before the half-hour mark, however, tearing a high ball out of the hands of Lions fullback Hugo Keenan and racing away to dive over in the corner.
Flyhalf Tom Lynagh, making a shaky first test start, missed the conversion and the Lions were soon 17-5 up after flanker Curry, controversially selected ahead of Wales captain Jac Morgan, powered over the line from close range.
Curry's impressive physicality could have got him into trouble just before the break when he tackled Lynagh in the air but referee Ben O'Keeffe kept his cards in his pocket.
'BIG MOMENTS'
Australia's lineout had been malfunctioning all game and they paid a price for it straight after the break when the Lions midfield ran rampant with turnover ball and quick hands from Curry sent hooker Sheehan over in the corner.
Russell maintained his perfect night from the kicking tee to extend the lead to 24-5 as the coaches started bringing on their replacements.
Australia finally mounted some sustained pressure around the hour mark and centre Joseph Suaalii got over the line on a crash ball only for O'Keeffe to penalise him for not releasing as he was dragged forward by the Lions pack.
Replacement flanker Tizzano did muscle his way over the line for a converted try to cut the deficit to 24-12 eight minutes later, but replacement Marcus Smith gave the Lions a bit more of a cushion with a 73rd minute penalty.
The Wallabies were now attacking with more fluency but the impressive Lions defence held on until a minute from time when McDermott skipped over the line for what was another consolation try.
"It's obviously disappointing," said Wallabies captain Harry Wilson.
"We came in wanting to win, and I feel as if we probably didn't really get our game going there like we would have liked.
"They won a few big moments, and that's something which we want to do and make sure we do next week."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Schmidt, Farrell mull options with Lions series on the line
Schmidt, Farrell mull options with Lions series on the line

CNA

time2 hours ago

  • CNA

Schmidt, Farrell mull options with Lions series on the line

MELBOURNE :Joe Schmidt will unveil his team for the second test against the British & Irish Lions in Melbourne on Thursday, a lineup that could go a long way to defining his time as coach of Australia. Australia must find a response to the physical dominance the tourists exerted in the opening hour of the first test defeat in Brisbane or risk becoming the first Wallabies team to fail to take a Lions series to a decider. Rob Valetini, Australia's best test player of the last two years, has recovered from a calf injury and will take his place in the back row at the expense of rookie Nick Champion de Crespigny. Lock Will Skelton has also recovered from a similar injury and while his inclusion would certainly beef up the pack, his limitations at the lineout might require a tweak of the back row to add another jumper. Schmidt has had no shortage of helpful suggestions from media pundits this week with most concurring that the hard-running Angus Bell should be promoted to start at loosehead prop instead of 36-year-old James Slipper. Dave Porecki should be available after sustaining a concussion against Fiji two weeks ago and his lineout throwing would help shore up an area of the game where the Wallabies struggled in the first test. Behind the scrum, Tom Lynagh showed enough in his first test start to get another shot, although many would like him to do so in tandem with his Queensland Reds teammate Tate McDermott, who had a fine game off the bench in Brisbane. There have also been calls to shift Joseph Suaalii from centre into the back three after he struggled to make an impact in Brisbane until it was too late. That would also allow Len Ikitau to move to his more favoured outside centre spot with Hunter Paisami, another Queenland Red, slotting into the midfield outside Lynagh. Lions coach Andy Farrell's job is a little easier after the early dominance the tourists showed in Brisbane, although he looks likely to be forced to make a change to his second row. Irish lock Joe McCarthy limped off with a foot injury early in the second half at Lang Park and has not trained this week, leaving the door open for Ollie Chessum to move up from the bench. The head knock suffered by Marcus Smith against the First Nations & Pasikifa XV on Tuesday could open up a spot on the bench for Farrell's playmaker son Owen, who was called up as an injury replacement for his fourth Lions tour.

Brisbane 2032 on track but with little wiggle room seven years out
Brisbane 2032 on track but with little wiggle room seven years out

CNA

time5 hours ago

  • CNA

Brisbane 2032 on track but with little wiggle room seven years out

BRISBANE :Andrew Liveris is happy with the progress organisers of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics have made so far but concedes they will have little wiggle room if they experience delays while implementing the plans they have been working on for the last three years. The opening ceremony of Australia's third Summer Games will take place exactly seven years from Wednesday, the same period of time that most host cities in the modern era have had from winning the bid to staging the Olympics. Under the International Olympic Committee's New Norm policy, however, Brisbane won hosting rights in 2021 only for political wrangling over the venues to delay the decision on the final plans until March this year. "The venues got a lot of noise," Liveris, president of the Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, told Reuters this week. "The political body was disagreeing on a couple of very big ones and that didn't help, but they got that out of the way and frankly, seven years to go, we have our plans, and I'm happy with where we are ... "Seven years is enough time, but we don't have a lot of wiggle room." Liveris is cautious about what impact global economic changes and trends over the next few years might have on the budgets and timelines for the main venue construction projects. "With 84 per cent of our venues being existing or temporary, we're mostly in good shape," he added. "But the 16 per cent includes the stadium, includes the aquatic centre, it includes a few very important venues. That would be the biggest challenge we have." There was little evidence around the city this week that the world's biggest sporting event was coming to southeast Queensland in seven years' time. At the Centenary Pool, which will be redeveloped to host aquatic events in 2032, mainly elderly club amateurs swam laps, read newspapers and sipped coffee in the winter sunshine. Across a footbridge where the main 63,000-seater stadium for the Games will be built, the larger part of Victoria Park remained a green preserve of dog walkers, picnickers and school sports lessons. The decision to construct the two biggest new venues in a heritage-listed city centre park with special significance for the local indigenous Turrbal and Yugara peoples has triggered fierce local opposition. The Save Victoria Park campaign, which has been raising money for a legal challenge, maintains that the stadium plan goes directly against bid commitments on sustainability and First Nations rights. "It's not that we're anti-Olympics or anti-stadium, it's just that we don't believe this is a suitable site," spokesperson Andrea Lunt told Reuters. "It's going to concrete over this gorgeous, pristine parkland for an Olympics that is supposed to be sustainable." The Queensland state government last month enacted legislation to exempt the Olympic building projects from normal planning rules but Liveris said the concerns of the campaigners would still be addressed. "I'm not saying that they won't be heard," he said. "Everyone's going to get some accommodation, and the government's going to have to be seen to be saying, 'okay, we understand the concerns, here's how we're going to mitigate them'." GROWING PAINS Liveris went to school and university in Brisbane before building a highly successful career around the world with multinational corporation Dow Chemicals, which he served as chairman and chief executive for 14 years. While the 71-year-old has overseen multi-billion dollar projects before, his current role also involves work that can be less easily managed with spreadsheets and a firm hand. Near the top of his in-tray is how to engender the enthusiasm of the people in Australia's fastest growing region for the Olympics. Liveris said Brisbane had learned a lot from how Paris went about engaging its people for the 2024 Olympics and thought the excitement would grow as the benefits of the Games became more evident. "What Queensland is going through, southeast Queensland in particular, is growing pains," he said. "I think a lot of people want to see better infrastructure, want to see their lives getting better. And I think this is where the Olympics can enable that by accelerating that infrastructure." Liveris was recently re-appointed for another four-year term as president of the organising committee and said, health permitting, he was keen to keep going all the way to July 23, 2032. "People around me know I'm pretty high energy, I'm pretty high enthusiasm and caffeine is a really good fuel," he laughed.

Andy Farrell faces Lions selection dilemma for ‘biggest game of our lives'
Andy Farrell faces Lions selection dilemma for ‘biggest game of our lives'

Straits Times

time7 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Andy Farrell faces Lions selection dilemma for ‘biggest game of our lives'

Find out what's new on ST website and app. MELBOURNE – British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell was mulling his options on July 23 ahead of 'the biggest game of our lives', with some selection conundrums for the second Test against Australia. The tourists have won all seven games in Australia so far, including a polished 27-19 victory over the Wallabies in the first Test at Brisbane last weekend. They can wrap up the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 26 and are aiming to write their names in the history books. 'If you can't get up for what's coming, we're all in the wrong place,' Farrell said after a second-string Lions weathered a storm against a First Nations and Pasifika XV on July 22. 'To me, this is the biggest game of our lives for every one of us who is part of our squad.' The Lions beat the Pasifika side 24-19 to maintain their perfect record on Australian soil, but it was not always pretty with the hosts' physicality and never-say-die attitude creating problems. 'There will have to be plenty of improvement to get to the point where there's a win on the cards because we know that Australia are going to be a lot better,' Farrell added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kick in Business Singapore's digital banks finding their niche in areas like SMEs as they narrow losses in 2024 Asia Japan Prime Minister Ishiba to resign by August, Mainichi newspaper reports World Trump says US will charge 19% tariff on goods from Philippines, down from 20% Singapore Two found dead after fire in Toa Payoh flat Singapore 2 foreigners arrested for shop theft at Changi Airport Opinion Most companies onboard the wrong way – here's how to get it right Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving 'We started to play the game a little bit like an exhibition match and it was never going to be like that. We weren't earning the right to play.' Farrell said before the match it was a late chance for players to make a case for selection in the Test 23 and a decision must now be made on whether Scottish fullback Blair Kinghorn did enough to oust Ireland's Hugo Keenan from the starting side. British media reports suggested first-choice lock Joe McCarthy and wing Mack Hansen will not be fit for the clash against Australia, with those positions also at stake. Farrell's son Owen, who was overlooked for the first Test, skippered the side on July 22 and was both composed and influential. Four-time Lions head coach Ian McGeechan told Sky Sports the 'Test-match animal' made a strong case to be included in the matchday squad. Asked about his son's performance, Farrell only said: 'Nice little chip off the left peg. Some good things from him.' Should Owen Farrell get the nod, Marcus Smith appears the likely fall guy. Smith came on as a replacement against Pasifika but departed for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA), which Farrell said he passed and was available for selection. AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store