Queensland Reds v Lions preview, teams and how to follow
The British and Irish Lions will seek to build on their convincing win over Western Force when they play Queensland Reds in their second tour match in Australia on Wednesday.The Lions cruised to an eight-try 54-7 victory in Perth on Saturday but Wednesday's game is expected to be much tougher.The tourists will then play three more matches before the opening Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on 19 July.From Queensland Reds' form, to team news and how to follow the game on BBC Sport - here's all you need to know.
Where is the match being played?
Wednesday's match will take place at the 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium - the venue for the first Test on 19 July, as it was in the Lions' triumphant 2013 series.Like every Lions match in Australia, the game will kick off at 11:00 BST (20:00 local time).The Lions edged out the Reds 22-12 when the teams met during the 2013 tour with Owen Farrell kicking 17 points and Ben Youngs scoring the side's only try in a physical contest.The Reds will seek to emulate the class of 1971 who beat the Lions 15-11 in the opening match of that tour.
How can I follow the game on BBC Sport?
You can follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, with build-up starting from 10:00 BST. There will also be post-match reaction and analysis online and via Radio 5 Live and the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, which is now producing daily episodes.Make sure to follow BBC Sport's dedicated British and Irish Lions page for updates from our reporters in Australia.The game is being shown live on Sky Sports.
Queensland Reds' recent form
The Reds won eight and lost six matches to finish fifth in the Super Rugby Pacific standings.They beat Western Force 28-24 in both their matches and were the second-best Australian team in the league after ACT Brumbies, who finished in third place.The Reds' league season ended on 6 June when they lost 32-12 to eventual champions Crusaders in the play-offs.Les Kiss' side thrashed a young Bristol team 82-21 before overcoming Ulster 38-31 during a pre-season tour of the northern hemisphere.
British & Irish Lions team news
Head coach Andy Farrell has made 14 changes to his starting line-up, with fly-half Finn Russell the only player to keep his place.Maro Itoje returns to captain the Lions after sitting out the match against Western Force.Ireland's Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park make their first appearances on tour at full-back and scrum-half. Gibson-Park steps in for Tomos Williams, who is now out of the squad through injury.
Who is in Western Force's team?
The Queensland Reds team includes nine Australian internationals and two former All Blacks as they seek to cause an upset.However, six Wallabies, including flanker Fraser McReight, scrum-half Tate McDermott and fly-half Tom Lynagh, are missing as they are being held back for Australia's Test match against Fiji on Sunday.The pack has been strengthened by the arrival of prop Aidan Ross, who signed for the Reds after playing for the Waikato Chiefs in the Super Rugby final.Ross, who played a Test for the All Blacks in 2022, will form a front row with Wallaby hooker Matt Faessler and former New Zealand prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen."We have to be very good at the breakdown and aerially," said Kiss, who is set to take over from Joe Schmidt as head coach of Australia next year."They've shown their attacking side too. We have to meet those challenges but we'll put our brand of rugby out there as well. "We'll keep backing ourselves. Why can't we put our best foot forward, rip in and see what happens? This is a great opportunity for our Reds players."
Line-ups
Queensland Reds: Campbell (capt); Anderson, Flook, Paisami, Ryan; McLaughlin-Phillips, Thomas; Ross, Faessler, Toomaga-Allen, Canham, Salakaia-Loto, Uru, Bryant, Brial.Replacements: Nasser, Blake, Fa'agase, Smith, Blyth, Vest, Werchon, HenryBritish and Irish Lions: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Van der Merwe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Stuart, Itoje (capt), Chessum, Curry, Morgan, ConanReplacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Bealham, Ryan, Earl, Mitchell, F Smith, Ringrose
Who are the match officials?
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (New Zealand)Assistant Referee 2: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO): Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
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