Lions vs Australia: First Test kick-off time, TV channel, live stream, team news, lineups, h2h, odds
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Why Andy Farrell is favourite to lead the Lions again despite letting golden opportunity slip
After plenty of good, and a little bit of bad, the ugly arrived for the British and Irish Lions in the third Test. On a wretched night, it was a wretched performance, the tourists beaten in just about every area by an Australian side better adjusting to conditions of a kind that few involved had ever seen. And so a golden opportunity has been missed – confirming many of the assumed truths about this Lions crop. Andy Farrell had set the lofty goal of going unbeaten in Australia and completing the first series sweep since 1927, a scenario that looked likely after edging the second Test at the MCG. But Lions tours are tough. The Wallabies have plenty of talent and showed real fighting spirit. By contrast, Farrell's men looked tired at times, while the easing of the stakes with a series secure may have been a factor. 'I hope not,' Farrell said on that front. 'Otherwise we are not being true to ourselves in everything we talked about this week. I certainly hope not. Subconsciously I guess I will never know the answer to that question.' So the 2025 Lions are a good side, but not a great one; a team capable of fantastic highs and passages of thrilling rugby but without an 80-minute showing to really be proud. They threatened to run rampant in the first half in Brisbane, but thereafter, with Will Skelton back amongst things, Australia won four of the five remaining 40-minute periods in the series. Overmatched opposition they were not. The Lions, though, set high standards and asked to be judged on them - in that context, they did not succeed, and they will be disappointed to go out on a damp squib. Those facts should not at all take away from what the Lions have achieved in Australia. It is a real feat to secure a series with a game to spare – this was only the second time it had occurred in the professional era. Given the limited opposition the Lions faced in the warm-up fixtures, the intensity they found in that first Test was impressive, with Farrell's bold selection calls backing up his faith. The brutal toll of Sydney was clear for all to see but the Lions had already experienced some rough luck on this tour, from the loss of captaincy contender Caelan Doris on the eve of the squad naming through to the Garry Ringrose situation before Test two. It has been not been perfect by any means but Farrell and his staff merit huge credit for the way they have kept the Lions squad together. It remains quite the logistical feat that the tour ran so smoothly – even a broken bus on the day of the third Test only delayed the Lions by a couple of minutes. The wider team beyond the rugby coaching and playing unit were highlighted by Farrell as a key part of the Lions' success. 'Not only are they fantastic at their jobs but they are bloody good people who muck in,' Farrell said. 'Everyone knows the logistical nightmare that this tour could have been but these boys think that it is easy because of the people that we've had on tour. Not just the coaching staff, every single member of the staff has been a pleasure to work with.' While he has slightly dodged the question, the thought is that Farrell will probably desire the head coaching role again in four years' time in New Zealand. His love for the Lions has been clear throughout this trip, and the Englishman is exceptionally well liked by his players and members of the hierarchy. A Lions cycle is a long time in a fast-moving sport threatened again by behind-the-scenes noises made by proposed breakaway league R360 but it would be stunning to see Farrell's stock plunge in the intervening period, even if there are a few niggling concerns over an Ireland side coming out of a glorious peak. This Lions team should probably have won this series 3-0, yes, but speak to his squad and the admiration they have for Farrell is clear. 'He doesn't treat you like a schoolteacher in any way,' Tadhg Furlong said. 'He treats you like a man. He gives you responsibility, and it's up to you to take it. He gives you a freedom, and it's up to you to be a good man within that, or a good teammate within that. That's what I respect about him. You look up to Faz.' The ability to instil collective buy-in has been a theme of the tour. Farrell has a natural presence and charisma, not necessarily needing to say much to inspire. Players who haven't featured in the Tests have beamed their pride nonetheless; those not involved have done all they can to help out the side. 'He's been really good at getting everyone closer,' Huw Jones explained. 'I don't really know how he's done it but it's worked. 'He's very calm and relaxed a lot of the time and when he's on, he's pretty intense. He sees everything so he's prepared to call you out in the middle of the session if something's not good enough. He sees it all and he'll then have it clipped up and you'll see it in reviews. There's no hiding place, his standards are so high. He knows exactly what he wants from everyone.' Selection criticism is a natural by-product of a venture like this but much of Farrell's work in that regard looks strong in retrospect. He may reflect that he could have refreshed his pack, particularly, for the affair in Sydney but those involved had earned the chance to go again. Tadhg Beirne, something of a surprise selection for the first Test, was named player of the series; the impact made by a beefed up bench at the MCG was pivotal. The arrival of Owen Farrell, too, added an extra competitive edge and experienced head to a squad that probably needed it - though his third Test showing was not his best outing. Suggestions of an Irish bias do not necessarily stand up to real scrutiny given how strong the men in green have been over the last few years and how many of them stood up in the heat of battle. It is impossible to avoid such an accusation, anyway. The idea of a neutral coach plucked from outside of the coaching staffs of the four unions in a neat one in theory, yet the international and club games are vastly different. Of those currently coaching the unions, Steve Borthwick is tracking well and, like Farrell, has the benefit of a Lions tour as an assistant. A strong next two years and World Cup with England, which looks increasingly within reach, would see him really press his candidacy. But much the same could be said of the man in possession, and right now it would be a surprise if it is not Farrell coaching the Lions in New Zealand. 'Everyone knows what I think about this concept,' he said late on Saturday night. 'I love everything that the Lions is about and I've thoroughly enjoyed the last eight weeks. There's always ups and there's always downs but the inner circle is a special place to be. 'We all know how hard it is to be successful on a Lions tour against a good side like Australia. When we get a bit of time to ourselves we will be unbelievably proud of what we have achieved. Lions tours are tough. The legacy for us is in that changing room. The togetherness of the whole group has been an absolute delight.'
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Andy Farrell not ruling out leading the Lions for New Zealand tour
The Lions' dream of finishing their tour Down Under with a 100 per cent record ended with a 22-12 defeat in the final Test at a rain lashed Accor Stadium, but they return home having achieved the main objective. A first series triumph since 2013 puts Farrell in pole position to take charge of the next expedition to New Zealand and the Ireland boss admits his passion for the Lions has only grown over the last two months. 'I love everything that the Lions is about and I've thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed the last eight weeks. 'There are always ups and there are always downs, but the inner circle is a special place to be. 'Read into that what you want but I suppose four years, there's a long time between drinks isn't there?' An extraordinary third Test that produced three failed HIAs and saw James Ryan knocked out was paused for 37 minutes early in the second-half after the players left the field because of lightening strikes in the area. Australia then used up the full 10 minutes available to warm-up for the resumption of play, while the Lions only took five minutes. TV footage from the Lions' changing room during the break showed Finn Russell and Tom Curry using their phones. 'We agreed on 10 minutes for the warm-up and through the advice from our experts in that field we only made the call to come out five minutes before so that we would be ready to go,' Farrell said. 'I hope I'm not in a game like that again, actually. Rigor mortis was setting in at one stage there for the lads! I suppose that is what you come to expect with a schedule like the Lions schedule. We have seen it all now haven't we! 'We were trying to work out what the rules were and what was going to happen. At one stage it looked like it was going be 45 minutes then it was pulled back to 30 minutes. A huge thank you to: Australia 🇦🇺Our Support Staff 👨⚕️The Sea of Red 🌊🔴The Players 🏉 …and everyone who helped make the #Lions2025 Tour a truly unforgettable experience 🙏 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) August 2, 2025 'There were updates constantly coming in but the lads stayed relaxed enough, had five minutes of a warm-up and got the show back on the road. 'What came off the back of that is Australia hit the ground running and thoroughly deserved their win.' Australia boss Joe Schmidt revealed his side had prepared for the incoming bad weather. 'We had been warned that there might be a bit of lightning, so we had a plan and with that plan we made sure that guys kept moving,' Schmidt said. 'We'd four balls in the changing room so guys could throw them around, so that guys could stay connected. 'We had a couple of bikes and different guys were rotating on and off the bikes. The rest of the time, it was just trying to get us organised for the restart.'
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Footy coach Andy Farrell erupts as his British and Irish Lions players are busted in a shocking act in the dressing room on live TV
British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has slammed any suggestions of player complacency as 'completely, utter rubbish' in the aftermath of a 'bittersweet' third-Test loss to the Wallabies. While Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt had been alert to the possibility of a lightning break and said they had a 'plan' to deal with it as wild weather struck, the television broadcast showed Lions players on their phones in the change rooms during a 38-minute delay of the eventual 22-12 defeat in Sydney. Players had been ordered off the field due to lightning striking near Accor Stadium early in the second half, when the Lions were trailing 8-0. Both sides were given 10 minutes to warm up, with the Wallabies shooting out to a 15-0 lead shortly after play resumed. Grilled by the critical British press to clarify the procedures surrounding the lightning delay, Farrell disputed any suggestions his players had failed to use the time productively. 'That's completely utter rubbish. Utter rubbish,' Farrell said. 'You don't know until you know, and when you do know, then you have to agree that the warm-up time allocated is going to be acceptable to both teams. 'We agreed on 10 minutes for the warm-up, and through our advice from our experts in that field, we only made the call to come out five minutes before and stay there so that we'd be ready to go.' Farrell's Wallabies counterpart Schmidt said he had wanted his players to remain connected during the delay. 'We had been warned that there might be lightning, so we had a little bit of a plan,' Schmidt said. 'We wanted to make sure that players kept moving, so we had different guys rotating on the bikes. 'We had four balls in the change room that we were just throwing around, just so they could stay connected.' The Wallabies emerged the better side following the delay, with Farrell labelling winger Max Jorgensen's stunning 50-metre runaway try in the 55th minute as 'the try that broke the camel's back'. 'I suppose what came off the back of that is that Australia hit the ground running and thoroughly deserved their win,' Farrell said. 'Rigor mortis was setting in at one stage there for the lads. 'Anyway, I suppose that's what you come to expect with a schedule like a Lions schedule, so we've seen it all now, haven't we?' A serious head knock to Lions lock James Ryan had soured the opening minutes of the second half, just minutes before the lightning delay. Ryan had to be stretchered off after copping an accidental knee to the head from Will Skelton, but Farrell confirmed the 29-year-old was in 'good spirits'. 'He's up and talking. He was out there for a good few minutes,' Farrell said. 'But he's back up in good spirits, so hopefully he's going to be fine.' Lions lock Tadhg Beirne, named player of the series, could only describe the loss as a 'bittersweet moment'. 'We lost tonight, which is obviously a bit crap for us,' Beirne said. 'But as "Faz" says, we'll get over that because at the end of the day, we still won the series. 'It's the last time we'll be in that change room together as a group, and I suppose that's the bitter part, that we won't get that moment again.'
