Ruthless Lions run in eight tries to down Force 54-7 in Perth
Tomos Williams and Elliot Daly both crossed twice with skipper Dan Sheehan, Garry Ringrose, Joe McCarthy and Alex Mitchell also scoring as a much-changed Lions team bounced back after their 28-24 loss to Argentina in Dublin last week.
Henry Pollock's first start in a Lions shirt did not disappoint with a line break to set up one try and a chip-and-chase earning the field position for another, as well as a yellow card late in the first half.
Flyhalf Finn Russell, who kicked five of six conversions before being replaced, gave a masterclass in playmaking to reinforce his position as favourite to lead the Lions backline in the test series against Australia in late July and August.
"I think it's an improvement, especially on the scoreline side and how we sort of closed down that game towards the end," said hooker Sheehan.
"But still plenty of things to work on, the discipline was nowhere near good enough and there was too much access for Western Force tonight."
Perfect in Perth for the British and Irish Lions 🦁🔴 #SSRugby | #Lions2025 pic.twitter.com/WdhuSpXrNQ
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 28, 2025
The Force did enough to assuage the fears of Lions management that the tour matches would not be competitive and a solitary try from veteran Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White hardly did justice to their contribution to the contest.
"Disappointed, I don't think that scoreline reflected certainly the first 50 minutes," said White. "We probably left a couple of opportunities out there, but we got stuck right into them and it had a real test match intensity."
Sheehan, making his Lions debut, gave the tourists the perfect start with a try inside two minutes, batting Russell's crosskick to James Lowe then taking a return pass to touch down.
The Force intercepted the restart and came straight back at them, however, and White went over in the fifth minute during a period of sustained pressure that continued for another 10 minutes.
Some of the Lions' defending attracted the ire of Ben O'Keeffe, who will referee the first Wallabies test, but they held out through four penalties before turning the ball over and scoring a second try.
Quick hands from the British and Irish Lions 🦁⚡
📺 Stream #Lions2025 on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/WmUZnYMRxA
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 28, 2025
FORCE WRONG-FOOTED
Good support from Pollock saw the 20-year-old number eight explode through the defensive line before finding Williams off the deck out of the tackle to allow the scrumhalf a short run to the line.
A quickly taken tap penalty from Russell wrong-footed the Force and led to the third try four minutes before the break, the flyhalf racing to within metres of the line before finding fullback Daly in support.
Russell kicked his third conversion to give the Lions a 21-7 lead but the Force charged back again and Pollock paid the price for the earlier indiscipline at the breakdown and was shown a yellow card just before halftime.
The young loose forward was still in the sin bin when the Lions broke out of defence for a fourth try, Lowe again the provider as Williams went in for his second before limping off the pitch with what looked like a hamstring injury.
The Lions continued to show a ruthless streak every time they managed to get the ball wide with centre Ringrose going over in the 52nd minute and lock McCarthy in the 56th after Pollock had turned to his boot to breach the defensive line.
The game got a bit scrappy in the last 10 minutes as the benches were cleared but Williams' replacement Mitchell made sure the tourists had the last say, running away to complete the scoring after the fulltime hooter.
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The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
Sharks, WP remain winless, Bulls humbled
The past weekend delivered another round of thrilling Currie Cup Premier Division action, headlined by the Boland Kavaliers, who secured their third win of the campaign by defeating the Bulls 28-20 on Sunday in Wellington, while there were also important victories for the Lions, Cheetahs, and Griquas. Griquas saw off a spirited challenge from the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV to run out 26-17 winners in Kimberley on Friday. On Saturday in Nelspruit, the Lions edged the Pumas 36-35, while Western Province went down 31-24 to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. With the single-round competition now past the halfway stage, the Cheetahs have moved into pole position with 16 league points, the same amount as second-placed Boland, who have a slightly weaker points differential. Griquas and the Lions each have 15 points and three wins to their credit – the same number of victories as the Cheetahs and Boland. The top four are followed by the Pumas (13 points), Bulls (10 points), and WP and the Sharks XV, who both have a single point and are still winless after four rounds. Griquas continued their impressive home form, securing a hard-fought 26-17 victory over the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV at the Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley on Friday. This win, clinched with four tries to two, marked Griquas' third triumph – all at home – in four league outings. The Sharks XV took an early lead with a penalty goal from Junior Bok flyhalf Vusi Moyo in the 14th minute, but Griquas responded with a try from Caleb Abrahams, converted by George Whitehead, to nudge ahead 7-3, while the visitors' Nick Hatton was in the sin bin. Moyo's SA U20 halfback partner Ceano Everson then managed to score a try, converted by Moyo, to give them a 10-7 half-time lead. Griquas ramped up the pressure in the second half, with Lourens Oosthuizen scoring a crucial try in the 54th minute, though the conversion was missed. 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They were, however, able to earn two valuable bonus points for scoring four tries and losing by a single point. The first half was a try-fest, with both teams exchanging blows. The Pumas opened the scoring through Ruwald Van Der Merwe, converted by Danrich Visagie. The Lions quickly responded with tries from Kelly Mpeku and Angelo Davids, both converted by Lubabalo Dobela. Not to be outdone, the Pumas added further five-pointers from Ross Braude and Darren Adonis, with Visagie adding the extras. The Lions' Renzo du Plessis then crossed, converted by Dobela, to ensure the teams went into half-time deadlocked at 21-21. The second half continued in the same high-tempo fashion. The visitors edged ahead with a penalty goal from Dobela, followed by tries from Dylan Sjoblom and a second for stalwart Du Plessis, with Dobela adding two more points via a conversion. The Pumas fought back valiantly, with Jan-Henning Campher and Tiaan Pretorius scoring late tries, both converted by Visagie, but it wasn't enough to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as the penalty goal by Dobela proved to be the difference in the end. The Cheetahs, despite ending the match with 13 men, secured a gritty 31-24 bonus-point victory over Western Province at Toyota Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This win continues the Free Staters' strong run, while WP earned their first point of the season despite remaining winless. The hosts started with intent as wing Cohen Jasper opened the scoring with a converted try, and flanker Mihlali Mosi added another, pushing them to a 12-3 lead. Western Province, however, showed resilience, with flyhalf Jurie Matthee slotting a penalty goal and Blitzbok speedster Shilton van Wyk scoring a converted try just before half-time, narrowing the deficit to 12-10. 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Hawies Fourie's team trailed 12-7 at half-time and also fell 20-14 behind in the second half of an incident-packed encounter, but despite their indiscretions which saw them earning four yellow cards, they showed enormous character to stay in the fight. The Kavaliers eventually reeled the powerful visiting team in and held off the visitors' rally in the end to secure their biggest win to date, adding the Bulls' scalp to that of the Cheetahs and the Lions. Sidney Tobias, the prolific Donavan Don, Kwezi Mafu, and former Bulls front ranker Dayan van der Westhuizen each scored a try, while playmaker Ashlon Davids added four conversions to keep them in touch with the visitors despite the four yellow cards. Blitzbok Don, the top try scorer in the competition this season, wrestled his way over the whitewash despite the Bulls' defence to score his seventh try of the competition. The meeting was a feisty affair, with the Kavaliers matching the Bulls' famed physicality. With the visitors also losing two players to the sin bin, a total of six yellow cards were flashed in this crunch match. Doctor Booysen, Louis Schreuder, Michael Benadie, and Godlen Masimla were the Kavaliers players shown yellow cards, while Cornel Smit and Junior Bok hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele received cards on the Bulls' side. This coming weekend, the Pumas and Boland kick off the round-five action when they meet from 17:00 in Nelspruit, before the Sharks XV and WP go head-to-head from 19:10 in a match that will hand the winner their first victory this season. On Saturday, the Cheetahs face the Lions from 14:00 in Bloemfontein, while the Bulls and Griquas round up the action on Sunday in their 15:00 kick-off in Pretoria. Griquas 26-17 Hollywoodbets Sharks XV Griquas – Tries: Caleb Abrahams, Dylan Maart, Lourens Oosthuizen, Gurshwin Wehr. Conversions: George Whitehead (3) Sharks XV – Tries: Ceano Everson, Diego Appollis. Conversions: Moyo (2). Penalty goal: Moyo Pumas 35-36 Lions Pumas – Tries: Ruwald van der Merwe, Ross Braude, Darren Adonis, Jan-Henning Campher, Tiaan Pretorius. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (5) Lions – Tries: Kelly Mpeku, Angelo Davids, Renzo du Plessis (2), Dylan Sjoblom. Conversions: Lubabalo Dobela (4). Penalty goal: Dobela Cheetahs 31-24 Western Province Cheetahs – Tries: Cohen Jasper, Mihlali Mosi, Banie Britz, Juan Venter, Neels Volschenk. Conversions: Jasper (3) WP – Tries: Shilton van Wyk, Jared Africa, Enos Ndiao; Conversions: Jurie Matthee, Tristan Leyds (2). Penalty goal: Matthee Boland Kavaliers 28-20 Bulls Boland – Tries: Sidney Tobias, Donavan Don, Khwezi Mafu, Dayan van der Westhuizen. Conversions: Ashlon Davids (4) Bulls – Tries: Jean Erasmus, Jaco Grobbelaar, Nama Xaba. Conversion: Boeta Chamberlain. Penalty goal: Chamberlain Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Cavaliers in dreamland after another Currie Cup upset
The Cavaliers are now joint top of the log with the Cheetahs on 16 points, trailing them on points difference only. The Boland Cavaliers are in dreamland, after another Currie Cup upset saw them down the Bulls 28-20 in Wellington on Sunday afternoon, to put themselves joint top of the log after the fourth weekend of action. The Cavaliers, back in the competition for the first time since 2016, have won three of their four games so far, and upset the Lions and Bulls on consecutive weekends, to put them on 16 points, level with the Cheetahs who sit top on points difference. Their game against the Bulls was an action packed and ill-disciplined affair, as they outscored the visitors four tries to three, while six yellow cards were handed out in the match, four to the Cavaliers. The Bulls took a 12-7 lead into halftime, with prop Jean Erasmus crashing over and lock Cobus Grobbelaar dotting down off a maul, while Cavaliers hooker Sidney Tobias also scored off a maul. A back and forth second half then saw the Bulls slot a penalty through flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain, before Cavaliers outside back Donovan Don scored his seventh try of the season, followed by another maul try to Nama Xaba giving the Bulls a 20-14 lead after 55 minutes. But the Cavaliers finished stronger, as replacement loose forward Khwezi Mafu, and replacement prop Wayrin Losper both powered over for converted scores to give them a stunning come from behind win. Other matches In the other matches on the weekend, the ill-disciplined Cheetahs outlasted a fighting Western Province 31-24 in Bloemfontein, the Lions edged the Pumas 36-35 in Mbombela, and the Griquas beat the Sharks 26-17 in Kimberley. The Cheetahs were grateful that a late red and yellow card didn't cost them in their match against Province, after they held a 31-10 lead with 15 minutes to play, before two late scores from the visitors, and ending the game with 13 men, made it a very nervy finish. At the Nelspruit Rugby Club the Lions and Pumas battled out a thriller, with a back and forth first half seeing the teams locked at 21-all at the break. The Lions then surged ahead at the start of the second half, moving 36-21 ahead after 60 minutes, before a late show from the Pumas saw them go over for two converted scores, the second after the fulltime hooter. In the Griquas and Sharks game, the visitors held a surprise 17-12 lead after 60 minutes, but two converted tries to the hosts in the final 20 secured them a bonus point win. Log taking shape With this year's Currie Cup being played over a single round of fixtures, the log is now finally beginning to take shape after four rounds. Just behind the log leaders sit the Lions in third and Griquas in fourth, one point back, with them also separated by points difference. The Pumas are fifth on 13 points and the Bulls sixth on 10, and those six teams are likely to battle it out for the four playoff places, although the team from Pretoria don't have much wiggle room over the final three rounds. Western Province and the Sharks, who have backed inexperienced youth for the competition, continue to struggle, rock bottom of the log on one point each, with points difference also separating them. This coming weekend sees the Cavaliers going on the road, taking on the Pumas in Mbombela, in one of two Friday night matches, with the second a battle in the basement as the Sharks welcome Western Province to Durban. On Saturday the Cheetahs take on the Lions in Bloemfontein, while the Griquas host the Bulls in Kimberley on Sunday to round out the weekend's action.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Currie Cup result: Cheetahs survive WP scare, Lions surge past Pumas
The Cheetahs held off a late charge by WP, while the Lions got back to winning ways with a win over the Pumas. The Cheetahs withstood a late Western Province fightback in Bloemfontein, while the Lions beat the Pumas in Nelspruit in Saturday's Currie Cup action. Province looked dead and buried when trailing 31-10 with 20 minutes to go, but hit back with tries from replacements Jared Africa and Enos Ndiao to cut the deficit to seven. The drama intensified when Cheetahs centre Marco Janse van Vuren was shown red after a second yellow card. WP thought they had levelled the scores when scrumhalf Ezekiel Ngobeni darted away to score under the posts, but the TMO ruled a knock-on in the build-up. And while the Cheetahs were reduced to 13 men when hooker Marko Janse van Vuren was sent to the bin, they clung on for a 31-24 win that took them to the top of the Currie Cup log. WP's losing bonus point lifted them off the bottom. Earlier, winger Cohen Jasper opened the scoring for the hosts before flyhalf Jurie Matthee added a penalty. Flank Mihlali Mosi extended the lead when he chased down winger Banie Britz's kick, but Van Vuren's deliberate knock-on saw the Cheetahs down to 14. Province took advantage, with winger Shilton van Wyk crossing just before the break to make it 12-10. The Cheetahs struck back soon after the restart when Britz scored after a quick tap from a scrum free kick, with lock Juan Venter and No 8 Neels Volschenk adding further tries to secure the bonus point and build a match-winning cushion. In Nelspruit, the Lions bounced back from last week's loss to Boland with a 36-28 victory over the Pumas. The sides went into half time level at 21-21 after three converted tries apiece, but two third-quarter tries – including a second for flank Renzo du Plessis – swung the match the Lions' way. The result lifted the Lions to second on the log ahead of Sunday's clash between Boland and the Bulls in Wellington. This story was first published on It is republished here with permission.
