Farrell's Lions blow AUNZ away in final warm-up for Wallabies Tests

The 42

12-07-2025

AUNZ 0
Lions 48
IT FELT LIKE the Lions tour was properly coming to life around Adelaide today. It was impossible to miss the rising tide of red jerseys.
And while it will take next weekend's first Test to bring it all to fever pitch, the Lions fans were treated to a crisp performance by their team. Andy Farrell's men started with a vicious intent and though they had a couple of lulls, it was convincing stuff a week out from the opener against the Wallabies.
This was a much snappier and more focused showing than we've seen from the Lions up until now. While many of this team won't play in the first Wallabies clash, their mindset spoke of a squad who are moving into Test mode. Defence coach Simon Easterby will be delighted at nilling a team featuring lots of individual talent.
The Lions only conceded six penalties, whereas AUNZ had two yellow cards, while the tourists' lineout and scrum were rock solid. The breakdown, an issue in previous games, was much more consistent. The backs will grab the headlines but forwards like the hard-working Ben Earl, Tadhg Beirne, and James Ryan did much of the dirty work.
The AUNZ Invitational XV admittedly didn't offer much collective quality in front of a crowd of 43,124 at the Adelaide Oval, with their hastily assembled defence struggling to cope with the tourists.
Scotland centre Huw Jones impressed for the Lions with his cutting edge in attack, a timely display of his quality given that Garry Ringrose has emerged as an injury doubt for next weekend.
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Mack Hansen was excellent. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Jones' Scotland team-mate, Sione Tuipulotu, delivered a tidy, try-scoring performance here too, and it will be intriguing to see who combines in midfield next weekend, with Bundee Aki firmly in contention too.
Ireland right wing Mack Hansen also cut loose for Farrell's side against the AUNZ, showcasing his relentless work rate with a complete performance that means the Lions have a tough decision to make between Hansen and Tommy Freeman for the first Test.
Connacht man Hansen did it all for the Lions, winning the ball in the air, making good defensive reads, and swinging from touchline to touchline to create overloads for his team in attack.
Scrum-half Ben White was alert and clever on his first Lions start, darting over for a try, while Owen Farrell impressed off the bench as he played a key role in tries for replacement lock Scott Cummings and Scottish wing Duhan van der Merwe.
The powerful van der Merwe ran in a hat-trick without having to work too hard for it, benefitting early on from fullback Hugo Keenan's swift thinking on a quick lineout, then slick handling from White and Jones.
Keenan looked far more like his usual self in the number 15 shirt as he surely nailed that slot down for next weekend. He has put injury and illness behind him and with Blair Kinghorn a major doubt for the first Wallabies clash, Keenan looks ready to shine.
After White sniped home at speed following a Jones carry and a potent clearout from Hansen and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
The Lions were to lose their starting hooker to a nasty head injury before half time, with Irishman Rónan Kelleher coming on to score a second-half try from a clever trick play at a five-metre lineout. With Cowan-Dickie now a big doubt, Kelleher looks set to back up Dan Sheehan in the first Test. Thankfully, Cowan-Dickie was seen walking away from the medical room after he was carted off in a neck brace.
Before Cowan-Dickie was forced off, van der Merwe got his second as out-half Fin Smith and Hansen swung slick passes wide to the left. There were two other close calls, back row Henry Pollock being held up in the left corner, and Cowan-Dickie failing to hold an offload from Hansen following a big Jones linebreak.
The Lions were humming with a 17-0 lead at the interval and they kept the foot down thereafter, with Tuipulotu surging over from outstanding number eight Earl's sweep pass off a clever five-metre tap penalty play.
Cummings surged over following a purposeful carry and offload from Farrell as he made an impression, while van der Merwe wrapped up his hat-trick in the 65th minute following razor-sharp passing from Farrell, Hansen, and Keenan.
Kelleher got in on the act with 10 minutes to go, with AUNZ's Shannon Frizell in the sin bin, while Pollock did very well to chase a Farrell grubber and force Harry McLaughlin-Phillips into spilling the ball in his own in-goal area before winning the race to ground it.
Lions scorers:
Tries: Duhan van der Merwe [3], Ben White, Sione Tuipulotu, Scott Cummings, Rónan Kelleher, Henry Pollock
Conversions: Fin Smith [2 from 4], Marcus Smith [2 from 4]
AUNZ XV: Shaun Stevenson; AJ Lam (Harry McLaughlin-Phillips '46), Ngani Laumape, David Havili (co-captain), Marika Koroibete (Jock Campbell '44); Tane Edmed, Folau Fakatava (Kalani Thomas '56); Aidan Ross (Joshua Fusitu'a '50 (yellow card '80)), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Kurt Eklund '40), Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (George Dyer '40); Angus Blyth (Matt Philip '56), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (co-captain); Shannon Frizell (yellow card '68), Pete Samu, Hoskins Sotutu (Joe Brial '65).
LIONS: Hugo Keenan (Alex Mitchell '74); Mack Hansen, Huw Jones (Owen Farrell '53), Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van Der Merwe; Fin Smith (Marcus Smith '53), Ben White, Pierre Schoeman, Luke Cowan-Dickie (Rónan Kelleher '37), Will Stuart (Finlay Bealham '47); James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne (captain) (Scott Cummings '59); Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl (Josh van der Flier '63).
Replacement not used: Andrew Porter.
Referee: Andrea Piardi [Italy].