British and Irish Lions fans arrive in Australia as 40,000 set to roar side on
A huge travelling army of British & Irish Lions fans are arriving in Australia ahead of tomorrow's match. An estimated 40,000 supporters from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales will be roaring their heroes on in Brisbane in the eagerly anticipated first game of the series.
Among them are Rob and Rachel Kehoe who are even wearing specially made Lions suits for the matches. The couple have saved up to attend the games and reckon it will cost them £10,000 for the trip Rob, 64, is a doctor, a Consultant Psychiatrist, and he is the President of Leeds Medics & Dentists RUFC. He's also a member of Ilkley RUFC & Old Anselmians RUFC. The Lions take on the Aussies in Brisbane on Saturday.
Rachel, 52, from The Wirral on Merseyside said: 'We've been planning the trip for two years and it's costing us an arm and a leg - about £10,000 - but it's the trip of a lifetime! We've had our outfits made especially for this trip as we love to embrace the atmosphere!
'We are really excited to be in Australia for the Lions tour. 'It's a 'Sea of Red' Lions fans here in Brisbane and the atmosphere is really building for the first test match against the Wallabies. We've been planning this trip for two years and we are hoping to roar on the Lions to a great series victory.'
Lions coach Andy Farrell has named a 23 man squad for the game - without a single Welshman in it - for the first time since 1896. He said: 'We are entering the business end of the tour and it is time to put in our best performance to date.' An attendance of 100,000 supporters is expected at the second Test in Melbourne later this month.
Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh opened the official fan zone in Brisbane's King George Square earlier this week. The public can measure their heights against the likes of Maro Itoje and Joseph Suaalii, test the strength of their tackle and even point to which Wallaby or Lion hair do they'd like to emulate at a pop up barbershop.
Former Wallaby Waugh says he's been delighted with how the tour has gone so far: "The build-up has been nice, we've seen record crowds at Western Force, the biggest crowd in twenty years at the Brumbies. I think we really saw this country come alive when the Wallabies beat England last year in Twickenham. Everyone wants to get behind the team. To sell out Suncorp on Saturday night off the back of these records means it's going to be a very exciting two and a half weeks. The team now needs to put the performance out on the park. You want hunger, fight and desperation.''
Tomorrow's British & Irish Lions team is: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje (capt), Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.
And the Replacements are: Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Bundee Aki.
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