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The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Lions sober up in Sydney as Aussie anger over 'the incident' continues
THE CELEBRATIONS CONTINUED in Sydney on Sunday. Having toasted their series success with their families and friends in Melbourne, the Lions kicked on after the short flight north yesterday. Monday is a day for much-needed recovery, with training and media obligations shelved. After the rain and cooler temperatures of Melbourne, the sun on the skin in Sydney has been very welcome. It's back to work tomorrow though, with Andy Farrell's men determined to finish this series with a third win. The last time the Lions enjoyed a series whitewash was back in 1927 when they won all four of their Tests in Argentina. So it truly would be a slice of history if they can complete the clean sweep at the 83,500-capacity Accor Stadium on Saturday. It will be intriguing to see how Farrell selects for this one. 'Everyone wants to play,' said out-half Finn Russell on Saturday night after the Lions had clinched the series. Farrell is usually not one for giving out starts for sentimental reasons. He is more aware than anyone of how precious a Lions Test cap is. If someone has earned the jersey, Farrell will be reticent to hand it to someone else for the sake of giving them a chance. Advertisement Joe McCarthy and Mack Hansen, who missed the second Test with foot injuries, have been hoping to return for this third clash with the Wallabies, while it's still unclear how Garry Ringrose is recovering from the effects of his concussion. Even if those Irishmen aren't available, Farrell has plenty of options to consider. A player as good as Josh van der Flier has yet to feature in the Tests. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO But it's clear that the Lions won't be treating this weekend as a bit of fun before flying home. They set a target of winning the series 3-0 and Farrell will be holding them to the highest standards. 'I think if we can make it a 3-0 series, that's amazing,' said Russell. Everyone's going to be gunning for that. There might be changes next week to the team, I don't know what Faz is going to do. But I think it will be a brilliant occasion for everyone playing.' While the Lions nurse their hangovers today following all the celebrations, there are plenty of Australians still wallowing in the misery of the narrow second Test defeat. The fallout has been bitter in some quarters. Joe Schmidt was livid about the final clearout decision that went against the Wallabies and many in the Aussie media have a similar view of Jac Morgan's actions. 'ROBBED,' read the headline on the back page of the Sunday Telegraph, while pundits like former Wallabies centre Morgan Tirinui have been demanding an explanation from World Rugby. Not that this stuff is limited just to the media. Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh has publicly backed Schmidt's comments about the last-gasp decision and demanded that World Rugby respond to the questions about Morgan's clearout. Rather sadly, this focus on a refereeing decision has dominated the discourse after a thrilling Test match, one of the best in Lions history. The Wallabies were brilliant for a large part of the game at a packed MCG but there hasn't been much discussion of that in Australia since. Most eyes have simply been on Andrea Piardi and his refereeing team. Second Test referee Andrea Piardi. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO It took just 30 seconds of today's Wallabies press conference with Nick Frost and Max Jorgensen for what some in Australia are calling 'the incident' to come up. When the chat moved on, the Wallabies pair underlined their determination to finish this series with a bang and make their fans proud. 'We're keen to rip in,' said second row Frost. 'It's a massive match. You're going out there and playing in front of your friends, family, for your nation and on top of that, playing against the Lions – it's a massive game.' The Wallabies are up for it, so as the Lions get back into training at the North Sydney Oval tomorrow, there is still business to get done in this series.
The 42
3 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Keenan's last-gasp try seals the series for the Lions at the MCG
Australia 26 Lions 29 WITH SIX MINUTES left, we were told that a new record crowd of 90,307 was here at the MCG in Melbourne. It's the second-biggest crowd ever at a Lions Test and the biggest on Australian soil in history. At that moment, Wallabies fans must have been worried that their men were running dangerously close to empty after a stunning performance that had Joe Schmidt's fingerprints all over it. They were right to feel that anxiety. With the Lions' bench making a big impact, the tourists' supporters must have sensed that there was some inevitability to this, that their men would find the last surge to overturn a two-point deficit. And that proved the case as Hugo Keenan's superb last-minute try sealed the series for them. The Lions' celebrations were briefly put on hold as the TMO, Eric Gauzins, spotted potential head contact from Jac Morgan on Carlo Tizzano in a ruck, but referee Andrea Piardi was happy it was legal. And so, the party kicked off properly. The Lions' brilliant team score in the last minute means they grabbed victory in one of the greatest Test matches they have been part of. It was an utterly thrilling and enthralling contest at this magnificent stadium in Melbourne. The Lions were 18 points down at one stage in the first half, making this the biggest comeback win ever in one of these series. Captain Maro Itoje came up with some huge moments in the second half, Tadhg Beirne was as brilliant ever, Jamison Gibson-Park showed his class, Bundee Aki gave a barnstorming performance, while replacements like James Ryan, Ellis Genge, and Blair Kinghorn were pivotal. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO After all the disrespectful chat that the Lions shouldn't come to Australia again and that this has been a terrible series, the wonderful Wallabies turned up in impressive style. Led by tireless skipper Harry Wilson, they didn't deserve to lose. They nearly shocked the Lions, who were widely expected to have too much quality. Andy Farrell's men had to show their steel to grab it at the death but they had the composure required to hold onto the ball through multiple phases before Keenan surged over on the left-hand side. The Wallabies played some brilliant rugby, even as sub scrum-half Tate McDermott had to spend more than 60 minutes on the wing due to an injury. Schmidt's side took advantage when Lions wing Tommy Freeman was in the sin bin during the first half, scoring two tries in that period. The returning Will Skelton and Rob Valetini had a massive impact with their physicality but it was a smart, well-planned Wallabies performance too. That big-hitting duo were replaced relatively early and while the Lions bench impacted hugely, the hosts faded. The Lions always had a bit of muscle when they needed it, winning three scrum penalties, and putting together some superb attack as Dan Sheehan, Tom Curry, Huw Jones, Tadhg Beirne, and Keenan scored their five tries. Advertisement At times, the Wallabies simply couldn't cope with that Lions power and precision. Though Farrell's men had wobbly moments, Farrell will be proud at how they never stopped believing. Now they'll look to make it 3-0 in Sydney next weekend. There was a huge crowd at the MCG. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO The first half was sensational, the Wallabies scoring 17 unanswered points in one spell, then the Lions responding with 12 unanswered points of their own just before the break to drag themselves back into the game. Schmidt's men were brutally powerful and direct from the off, earning a 6-0 lead through two Tom Lynagh penalties before the Lions responded with a smart score from hooker Dan Sheehan, who tapped a five metre penalty and dove over Dave Porecki and James Slipper, who were expecting a low carry. Russell hit the post with his conversion and the Lions were soon under the pump at the other end after more outstanding Australian ball-carrying. The Wallabies said no to an easy three points from in front of the posts, kicked into the left corner, and Slipper snuck underneath Jack Conan and Russell to score. Referee Piardi had lost patience with the Lions' poor discipline and sin-binned right wing Tommy Freeman for being offside in that passage. And the Wallabies prospered against 14 men as Tom Wright kicked a brilliant 50:22 then more savage carrying across 17 phases left scrum-half Jake Gordon in position to snipe between Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong to score. Straight from the restart, wing Max Jorgensen nearly broke out from deep in his own half before centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii cut the Lions to shreds by scything inside Bundee Aki and past Porter before sending Wright clear from 40 metres out. Lynagh again missed the conversion but the Wallabies were 23-5 in front. Will Skelton was in the thick of everything. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO And it was a knock-on from Lynagh that gave the Lions' an invite to attack again, with Jamison Gibson-Park making a smart decision to go into the shortside in the Wallabies' 22, with Conan classily giving Tom Curry the chance to finish smartly in the right corner. A good line kick from Russell after the Wallabies came in the side of a breakdown gave the Lions one final chance before the break. And they took it. Sheehan and Conan were among those to carry powerfully before an emphatic finish from centre Huw Jones. But even with Valetini off at half time and Skelton joining him soon after, the Wallabies returned to nailing the fundamental skills in attack and earned themselves a penalty that Lynagh kicked for 26-17. The Wallabies nearly broke away for another brilliant score soon after as Langi Gleeson, on for Valetini, surged into the Lions' half and connected with Fraser McReight, who found Suaalii. But just when it looked like Suaalii would move the ball on again into space, Curry appeared from nowhere and forced a knock-on. It was a crucial tackle. Because only minutes later, the Lions were down the other end landing a big blow. Aggressive carrying from the superb James Ryan and Ellis Genge, both just off the bench, helped to build momentum before left wing James Lowe wonderfully preserved space down the left and then Tadhg Beirne blasted over. Dan Sheehan celebrates his first-half try. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Russell's excellent conversion left the Lions training by just two with a quarter of the game still to go. With their beefy bench being rolled out, momentum seemed to be on the Lions' side, captain Maro Itoje winning a breakdown turnover they kicked into the left corner. The Wallabies kept fighting for everything, sub back row Carlo Tizzano earning a crucial poach just in front of his own tryline to lift the siege. The Lions' scrum continued to prosper, winning a third penalty but they couldn't crack the Wallabies down in the 22 after a brilliant break from replacement wing Blair Kinghorn. This time, sub tighthead Will Stuart rolled on the ground after being tackled, denying Gleeson a poach attempt. Itoje came up with another big play as he led a maul turnover that gave his team another chance, only for Genge to knock on as they looked to enter the Wallabies' 22. But the Lions had one more sting left in their tail. Keenan had the final say. Australia scorers: Tries: James Slipper, Jake Gordon, Tom Wright Conversions: Tom Lynagh [1 from 3] Penalties: Tom Lynagh [3 from 3] Lions scorers: Tries: Dan Sheehan, Tom Curry, Huw Jones, Tadhg Beirne, Hugo Keenan Conversions: Finn Russell [2 from 5] AUSTRALIA: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter (Tate McDermott '20); Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper (Angus Bell 'HT), David Porecki (Billy Pollard '57), Allan Alaalatoa (Tom Robertson 'HT); Nick Frost, Will Skelton (Jeremy Williams '48); Rob Valetini (Langi Gleeson 'HT), Fraser McReight (Carlo Tizzano '61), Harry Wilson (captain). Replacements not used: Ben Donaldson LIONS: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman (yellow card '24), Huw Jones (Owen Farrell '61), Bundee Aki, James Lowe (Blair Kinghorn '61); Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park (Alex Mitchell '); Andrew Porter (Ellis Genge '55), Dan Sheehan (Rónan Kelleher '65), Tadhg Furlong (Will Stuart '65); Maro Itoje (captain), Ollie Chessum (James Ryan '55); Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry (Jac Morgan '55), Jack Conan. Referee: Andrea Piardi [Italy].
The 42
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'There has to be a step up' - Sheehan looks to go to next level with Lions
THIS HAS ALREADY been an impressive season for Dan Sheehan, even though he missed the first half of it. His comeback from an ACL injury has been outstanding, with the Leinster and Ireland hooker hitting the ground running. He hasn't slowed up since. With 14 tries in 14 appearances for province and country, as well as all of his class and power around the pitch, Sheehan has reestablished his position as one of the game's leading hookers. A Lions series is one of the best places to copper-fasten that status, even if Sheehan and his team-mates insist it's all about the collective. Sheehan will look to take his game to the next level and so will everyone else on Andy Farrell's Lions team. 'We've talked about it, there has to be a step up,' said Sheehan this week in Brisbane. 'What we've done so far has been great and I think we've done a good job doing it. But we talked about, there has to be a visible difference this week and this is why we're here. Advertisement 'I think we should be able to feel the energy off people. You should be able to see the collisions, the carries. I think everything is just going to be up a level. 'With that, you have to somehow bring the accuracy with you which can be the tricky part when you get psyched up for a game of this intensity. It's trying to bring the accuracy which we've struggled at times over the last couple of games. That will be crucial. Bringing both accuracy and physicality.' Farrell's Lions team are all about changing the recent record of the touring side. The last series that the Lions won was in 2013, their last visit to Australia. Sheehan is set to start on Saturday in Brisbane. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO So all this group is worried about is leaving with a series victory. 'A win,' said Sheehan when asked what legacy they want to leave. 'It would be a good story and a good legacy to have a winning series. We haven't delved too much into the wider picture. We did at the start when we were trying to frame the mindset, but this week has been all about Saturday, and how our prep goes into winning this game on Saturday, and we're going to throw everything at that. 'There's going to be no holding anything back, or waiting for the next two Tests. It's all about Saturday. 'I think we're in a good spot. Lads are hungry, and we're expecting the Wallabies to be hungry. I think it'll be a good Test and fireworks on Saturday.' And Sheehan said the Lions are convinced that winning is the only true way they can repay their travelling support in Australia. 'Performance is the way to do that. Yeah, we can give them a cheer and a clap after the game but ultimately that's not what they came for, they came for a good game of rugby,' said the Irish hooker. 'If we do that, they'll feel part of it. That's a goal of ours, to make sure if we have a big crowd on Saturday which we probably will, that we bring them into the game and make it feel almost like a 50/50 game that could be anywhere in the world. 'But I still think it's down to what we put out on the pitch, that's how you get the crowd in behind you.'
The 42
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'I'm an Irish-Australian, more than an Australian who's Irish'
IT'S NO WONDER that Ruaidhrí Murphy has made a success of coaching in Japanese rugby. He has embraced a nomadic sort of lifestyle from the beginning. Murphy was born in Dublin but moved with his family to Australia at the age of two. 12 years later, they returned to Ireland. He came through the Leinster system, then moved to Exeter before shifting to Australia again. Two years later, he was back on Irish soil with Ulster, but fast forward another couple of years, and Murphy was Down Under again. It makes sense that the coffee shop he and his wife, Celeste, own in Canberra is called Nomad. 38-year-old Murphy is coaching with Suntory Sungoliath in Tokyo these days, but he and his family are regular visitors back to Canberra, where he played and coached with the Brumbies and still has the coffee shop, a house, and a car. He was on Aussie soil last week along with a couple of other Suntory coaches. They were in with the Waratahs and then Stephen Larkham's Brumbies, observing both sides' preparations to face the touring Lions. That meant an opportunity to sit down and discuss what has been an intriguing journey in rugby and life so far. 'I'm an Irish-Australian, I would say more than an Australian who's Irish,' said Murphy in a quiet hotel café in Canberra. 'Heart is probably Irish, but this here is really familiar. You don't feel wrong here at all, or foreign here or fake here, not pretending when we're here, it feels like home as well. It's a weird mix. 'But yeah, I would say we're Irish-Australians, not the other way.' It was his father's work as an electrician that started the love affair with Australia in 1989. Oz was booming and there was a shortage of tradespeople and nurses. The Murphys went to a fair at the RDS and jumped at the opportunity, moving to Perth. 'That became home,' said Murphy, who was 14 when his parents decided to go back to Ireland. They had both lost their fathers and it was a case of 'now or never.' Murphy playing for Lansdowne in 2008. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Murphy loved being around his cousins but didn't like it in Irish school when they moved home to Arklow in County Wicklow. Things settled when he went off to boarding school at Castleknock College in Dublin. He had played more rugby league and baseball in Australia, but Murphy started to make a name for himself as a loosehead prop with Castleknock, playing for Leinster and Ireland Schools before featuring in an excellent Ireland U20s squad that won a Grand Slam in 2007. 'It was a great group,' said Murphy. 'You had people like Cian Healy, who was locked in and was going to develop quickly.' The U20s forwards coach, Dan McFarland, tried to convince Murphy to come across to Connacht on a senior contract, but he opted for an academy deal with his native Leinster. He never got a senior debut for his province but learned huge amounts from being in the Leinster set-up in the years before they took the step to winning their first Heineken Cup in 2009. 'I guarantee it's still the same today, the academy's elite,' said Murphy. 'There's an ethic, there's a standard because you might have your three-year cycle in the academy, but you've got to earn your progression through that cycle. There's no given there.' Advertisement With Healy fast-tracked, Ollie Le Roux there, and CJ van der Linde coming in at loosehead, opportunities were scarce and Murphy decided to move to Exeter, then in the English Championship. He helped them get promoted to the Premiership and stay there, before the Brumbies popped up. Current Wallabies assistant Laurie Fisher, who was on his way back to Canberra from Munster, made the connection. He had noticed the Irishman with an Aussie accent. Murphy jumped at signing for an 'iconic' team like the Brumbies. It was an exciting time. Jake White had taken over in the wake of a disastrous 2011. Murphy was one of 16 new players. Aled Walters, the Lions' and Ireland's head of S&C, was there. Larkham and Fisher were on the coaching staff, and Dan McKellar was involved too. 'Jake put in world-class people to make systems and processes and expectation,' said Murphy. 'And then he obviously left because he got another bigger calling, but the foundation was laid and it was never let go.' Murphy playing Super Rugby for the Brumbies. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Murphy excelled to the point that he was briefly being discussed as a possible Wallabies call-up, even though he was classified as a non-Australian player despite living there for 12 years as a child. It was 2014 when the call came from Ulster. The idea of being back home in Ireland near his family was hard to resist. Murphy had just turned 27 and it was an interesting move at the time. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. 'It was a bit of a mess,' said Murphy. 'I signed for Mark Anscombe and David Humphreys, and when I rocked up, they were both gone.' Murphy missed pre-season because the Brumbies made the Super Rugby semi-finals and was always playing catch-up. His second season started more promisingly but then he broke his hand twice and that proved to be the end of his playing career. 'My hand's still busted, it never became 100% again,' said Murphy. 'I broke my finger and paralysed the hand, so I can't close my fist. For a front rower… 'For the first year, if I accidentally knocked it against anything, it would blow up. I saw a surgeon back here after we came back and I was trying to get her to cut it off. It was that bad.' The whole experience back in Ulster left Murphy mentally scarred. Forced into early retirement, he felt he was done with rugby altogether. He and Celeste had just got engaged and their plan was to 'rip into life' in Canberra. In hindsight, though, Murphy was probably always destined to be a coach. He feels fully at home in this profession. 'I'm a super diligent person,' he said. 'I'm on the edge of OCD, planning helps me. I've been that way apparently since I was born. Like, line up cars, sort out my own uniforms, I was self-sufficient across organisational stuff.' He was also a very technical, thoughtful player. 'I had to be fit, strong, and technical because I wasn't naturally an angry player. 'I didn't have natural pig and anger, I wasn't in your face, it wasn't my game ever. You play a nasty position, so I had to find a different way to do it. 'And I reckon you probably need that at an elite level, it probably held me back. I was the best Monday to Friday. I probably didn't have enough good Saturdays.' Murphy was with Ulster from 2014 to 2016. Presseye / Matt Mackey/INPHO Presseye / Matt Mackey/INPHO / Matt Mackey/INPHO Being around the likes of Michael Cheika, Rob Baxter, White, Fisher, and Larkham rubbed off on him too. It was the Brumbies who gave him the chance to coach, initially working with their U20s. As he launched the coffee shop, Murphy also began coaching with the Gungahlin Eagles, Mack Hansen's club, then he was involved with the Canberra Vikings in the now-defunct National Rugby Championship before two happy years as an Australia U20s assistant coach. Murphy threw himself into coaching, taking every opportunity to improve his craft, something he continues now with coaching development visits to clubs around the world, as with last week's trip back to Australia. He ended up getting the Brumbies' scrum coaching gig in Super Rugby and loved being there until the Japan chapter opened in 2020. The Ricoh Black Rams in Tokyo needed a young, energetic forwards coach and there was a two-year offer on the table. The Brumbies wanted to keep Murphy but head coach McKellar told him it was an offer they couldn't match. The Covid-19 pandemic made the initial stages of life in Japan difficult, even if the Murphys and their first daughter, Alana, got to Ireland at one stage. 'We were the only people on the plane from Tokyo to Dublin,' said Murphy. 'I can't tell you, it was the weirdest experience. 'Just the three of us on the plane with the cabin crew. It was so strange.' Last year, Murphy made the short move across town to Suntory Sungoliath, one of the biggest clubs in Japan, and is enjoying the experience of working with top-class players like Sam Cane and Cheslin Kolbe. 'The only thing acceptable at Suntory is winning,' said Murphy. His parents and two siblings have enjoyed visiting Japan on a couple of trips from Ireland, while Murphy's own family have integrated wonderfully into Japanese life. Alana is now six-and-a-half, her brother Geordan is three, and little Ronan arrived in February of this year. Murphy at training in Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath Suntory Sungoliath 'We've got no support in Japan, it's us,' said Murphy. 'And in Japan, it's trains everywhere, up and down. The kids love it. They say they want sushi for dinner or they want to go eat ramen. 'Alana speaks Japanese, goes to school with Japanese kids, they just crack on. My wife, if she didn't like it, it would be hard. But she loves it there. It's safe. The old Irish way, we can send Alana to the shop to get something, no problem.' Murphy himself understands how moving around when you're young gives you a resilience and an openness to the world that never leaves. His family back in Ireland remain hopeful that Ruairidh's journey has another twist ahead, one that brings him back home. He's not someone who has a great master plan, although he'd love to be involved in a World Cup at some stage and feels he could manage the step up to being a head coach in the future. 'Long story short, if something came up for me to do in Ireland, my family would beg me to take it,' he said. 'And we would love to, what an opportunity.'
The 42
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Farrell's Lions blow AUNZ away in final warm-up for Wallabies Tests
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. Advertisement 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].
