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The Guardian
a day ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Absorbing Lions tour of Australia shows why best-of-three Test format works
What a richly rewarding few weeks it has been for the British & Irish Lions. Since their training camp in Portugal and pre-departure week in Ireland they have crisscrossed Australia and sampled the contrasting delights of Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne. Winning the series was the squad's primary objective but they have been actively encouraged to enjoy their time on tour, too. A Lions expedition is not just about what happens on the field. Henry Pollock, Duhan van der Merwe and Josh van der Flier have been to the Great Barrier Reef while Pierre Schoeman has been writing poetry. Others have headed to the golf course or strolled the beaches of Bondi and Coogee with their families. The squad's eight games in Australia to date have whizzed past but the players will still return home with plenty of non‑rugby memories. The best-of-three format has also yielded some absorbing storylines, despite the Lions' 2-0 advantage heading into the final Test this weekend. How many would have guessed at half-time in the first Test in Brisbane, for example, that the Lions would be 23-5 down after half an hour the following week in Melbourne? Or that the Wallabies could be so transformed in the space of just eight days? It is the beauty of an old-school series. What happened last Saturday will not necessarily pertain to this week. There will be ebb and flow and, by the end, the players' strengths and weaknesses will have been more fully revealed. So, too, the coaches' ability to change the picture. Even in defeat, the Wallabies' first‑half display was testament to Joe Schmidt's tactical nous. Look at the difference that Rob Valetini and Will Skelton made having sat out the first Test. After a quiet game in Brisbane, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii gave everyone a glimpse of why he is so highly rated. The Lions, for their part, stayed calm when it mattered with their half-backs calling the shots while Hugo Keenan, struck down by illness in the early stages of the tour, did brilliantly to deliver the coup de grace. A tour, in short, has an infinitely more varied, deeper narrative than a standalone Test week. If a northern hemisphere team win a series down south it also has a wider context. Until now the Lions had managed just one series victory since 1997. That gives their achievement here more resonance than, say, a one-off Test involving a team who have only popped in for a week. Hence the reason why not everyone is turning cartwheels at the idea of the new Nations Championship which is scheduled to kick off next year. Instead of the traditional touring arrangements, the six leading European sides will play the top five sides from the southern hemisphere plus Japan. To use England as an example, they are scheduled to have August games against Fiji, South Africa and Argentina in 2026 and then play November Tests against New Zealand, Australia and Japan. At least one head coach of a major nation hates the idea. 'I don't like it at all,' he told me this year, citing the extra travel involved for many teams. Maybe if his side wins the Nations Championship final, set for London next year, Doha in 2028 and New York in 2030, he will change his view but, for now, the jury is very definitely out. The Guardian also understands Fiji's mooted 'home' games next year against England, Wales and Scotland will be played in Europe to ensure more money for the Pacific Island side. That adds up in terms of their longer‑term financial future but kills stone-dead the romantic notion of taking the touring road less travelled. England have not played in Fiji since 1991 and New Zealand have still never played a full-capped international there. At least there continue to be a few pockets of hope, with South Africa and New Zealand having agreed to resume hosting 'proper' tours in each other's countries. Next year the All Blacks are scheduled to head to South Africa for an eight-game trip including three Tests, marking the 30th anniversary of the last traditional tour between the two nations in 1996 when the All Blacks defeated the Springboks 2-1. A reciprocal tour is planned in New Zealand in 2030 with both unions clearly keen to replicate the kind of model that continues to be so successful for the Lions. And with the Lions to travel to face the All Blacks in 2029 and, theoretically, South Africa in 2033 there is clearly still financial mileage in touring if the teams involved are sufficiently box office and the games suitably competitive. Which is another reason why the match last Saturday was significant for Australia. Tim Horan, the great former Wallaby centre, called it 'the most important Test match for the Wallabies since the 2015 World Cup final', not just in terms of the result but the team's ability to reconnect with the nation. Ultimately Australia did not get the result they wanted but clawed back a good deal of respect. They now need to do the same again in Sydney to sidestep a dispiriting 3-0 clean sweep. A 2-1 outcome would unquestionably be a better bargaining chip when the time comes to start negotiating over whether the Lions will return to Australia in 2037 as per the existing tour rota. That is because the other ingredient that makes touring special – besides the off-field fun and camaraderie – is the intensity of the midweek games. It was only in Melbourne in week five that any real matchday jeopardy emerged on this Lions tour, courtesy of the First Nations & Pasifika XV and then the Wallabies. There are plenty who believe France would offer a more compelling fixture list and a spectacular tour experience. Let us all pray, either way, that rugby tours of the future do not become glorified business trips. With a week of the series to go there is still one outstanding issue to be resolved. Who will win the newly rechristened Tom Richards player of the series medal, named after the only Australian-born player to have featured for both the Wallabies and Lions? Tadhg Beirne and Maro Itoje, the respective players of the match in Brisbane and Melbourne, will clearly be in the discussion but so, too, will Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park, Dan Sheehan and Tom Curry. The array of names in the frame reflects the fact this Lions side have not been reliant on one or two individuals; whoever receives the medal will be swift to highlight the efforts of those around him. The Wallabies have already indicated that Saturday's final Test is not a meaningless game from their perspective. And the Lions would dearly love to fly home with a 3-0 series victory. So who should Andy Farrell pick? It makes sense to freshen up the starting XV and the bench to some extent, with Blair Kinghorn, Sione Tuipulotu, Ben Earl and possibly Henry Pollock among those in contention. It also depends on the physical condition of a couple of players at the end of a long season. What Farrell will not be doing, however, is throwing around Lions Test caps like confetti. Farrell is a winner and making life easier for the opposition has never been his style. March 1980: centre Paul Dodge, fly-half Dusty Hare, hooker Peter Wheeler and centre Clive Woodward make up a Leicester quartet of England's XV at Murrayfield before a grand slam decider in the Five Nations. England won 30-18, Hare slotting over two conversions and two penalties. 'I am a bit resentful that some people have labelled us a poor side,' said England's Bill Beaumont. 'It seems like sour grapes. Any team that wins both away matches by scoring heavily must deserve the sort of rewards we earned.' England would not collect another slam until 1991. As they eye a clean sweep, Andy Farrell and his charges stand on the verge of all-time greatness. Maro Itoje has earned his place in the pantheon of Lions greats, reckons Gerard Meagher. And Finn Russell enjoyed the last-gasp nature of getting the job done with a match to spare. There are nine 8/10 scores across the two in Lee Calvert's player ratings from the second Test. And Jack Snape identifies the game Wallabies display as a potential new beginning for rugby in Australia. Meanwhile, in a south Wales village, Andy Bull took in the game alongside members of the amateur club where Jac Morgan started his journey to Lionhood. Away from the Lions, the Wallaroos were stunned by Wales, who ended a staggering 818-day winless streak on the road with victory in Brisbane. To subscribe to The Breakdown, just visit this page and follow the instructions. And sign up for The Recap, the best of our sports writing from the past seven days.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Poetry in motion
Four nations, one very wild crew with dream stitched deep in red, gold, white, green and dark fight for fans, for mums and mates, for childhood fields and heavy, heavy plates. No fancy flair, just grit and grind. A killer edge with heart raise a glass, the Lions are here, with boots and laughs and no damn came as men from different shores to go into Test week, let's hear the Red Sea roar.A corking episode of The Ultimate Test – the British and Irish Lions' in-house documentary – has been released., externalAs well as prop Pierre Schoeman composing the verse above to inspire his team-mates, there is Tom Curry showing off a framed photo of his dog, Duhan van der Merwe regretting not taking a wetsuit to the Great Barrier Reef, Ellis Genge revving up hearts and Sione Tuipulotu rolling the dice.
Al Arabiya
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Lions hold off First Nations and Pasifika XV 24-19 in a rugged tour game in Australia
The British and Irish Lions held off the First Nations and Pasifika XV 24-19 in a tough physical contest on Tuesday in the last of their midweek games on the Australian tour. The Lions can now focus on trying to clinch the three-test series against the Wallabies on Saturday in Melbourne after winning the first match 27-19 last weekend in Brisbane. 'We've given ourselves a bit of a fright,' Lions head coach Andy Farrell said. 'Congratulations to the First Nations and Pasifika team; (they) made it a hard-fought contest, that's for sure.' The Lions are now 7-0 in Australia, including the test match victories over Super Rugby franchises Western Force, Queensland Reds, Waratahs, and Brumbies, and two invitational teams. Jamie Osborne scored the opening tries of each half Tuesday, and the Lions twice had big leads before being pinned back by the First Nations and Pasifika team, which was drawn from players with Indigenous Australia and Pacific Islands heritage. Making the most of a penalty advantage, the Lions took a 24-14 lead when Owen Farrell dummied a pass to unsettle the defense and send an unmarked Duhan van der Merwe over in the left corner with 15 minutes to play. But the invitational team rallied again, cutting the lead to five points in the 71st when Rob Leota scored a try from close range and sustaining pressure right until fulltime. It had been 14-14 at halftime after each team scored two converted tries and spent 10 minutes giving up a numerical advantage because of yellow cards. The Lions were up 14-0 after center Osborne chased through Fin Smith's chip kick and touched down while winger Darcy Graham crossed out wide. From a lineout win by Henry Pollock, the Lions created an overlap with players looping in midfield and sent a long floating pass to the unmarked Scottish winger. But Graham had to leave the field soon after with an injury. Triston Reilly, who was yellow-carded early, returned to score the First Nations and Pasifika's opening try after an intercept on the quarter-line. Blindside flanker Seru Uru picked up and reached over amid three tacklers in the 23rd minute, and Kurtley Beale converted to level the score, ensuring the touring Lions knew they were in a contest. 'I'm thankful we got the job done in the end,' skipper Owen Farrell said.
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Lions have to battle for win over First Nations and Pasifika team in Melbourne
The British and Irish Lions emerged from the toughest test of their Australia tour with an edgy 24-19 victory over First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne. For the first time in seven matches Down Under there was a sense of jeopardy as scratch opponents comprising players with First Nations or Pacific Island heritage threatened to cause an upset at Marvel Stadium. A 64th minute try by Duhan van der Merwe propelled the Lions 10 points clear in what appeared to be the decisive moment, but big-hitting FNP refused to concede and struck again through Rob Leota to set up a tense finish. The closing exchanges belonged to FNP, who replaced Melbourne Rebels after the Super Rugby franchise went into administration, and when they pinched a late line-out the Lions had to weather one last storm. Owen Farrell was captain for the first time in his four Lions tours and while he was solid enough, few players put their hands up for selection for Saturday's second Test against the Wallabies. Jac Morgan and James Ryan were replaced early in the second half, suggesting they might be involved in the Melbourne Cricket Ground showdown in some capacity, but in performance terms all the stars wore white – and none more than their brilliant openside Charlie Gamble. If the Lions were lulled into a false sense of security by running in early tries through Jamie Osborne and Darcy Graham, they soon woke up. Graham, one of nine late call-ups in the matchday 23, experienced 16 eventful minutes after being presented with two-half chances, finishing an easier third and being on the receiving end of a dangerous tackle from Triston Reilly. Reilly was sin-binned and soon after Graham limped off with what appeared to be an ankle injury. The Lions were too frantic and the tide turned quickly when Reilly – whose yellow card was not upgraded on review – picked off a poor pass by Blair Kinghorn to touch down. Van der Merwe's work in defence has been exposed all tour and his hesitation in dealing with a kick was the prelude to FNP drawing level when a series of forward drives ended with Seru Uru powering over. All the small wins were coming from the underdogs as they won a scrum penalty, defended their line manfully and then pickpocketed a Lions line-out. Seeking a reaction, Farrell barked 'let's go, let's go' at his players, but instead Kinghorn threw another loose pass and this time van der Merwe came to the rescue as FNP threatened to score. The Lions' conviction returned early in the second half and was evident as Farrell, Fin Smith and Kinghorn threw passes that provided Osborne with a simple run in. They continued to be met with thunderous defending but eventually struck for the fourth time with Farrell sending van der Merwe over. FNP were not done, however, as they advanced downfield to win a line-out through their determined harrying before Rob Leota found a way through. And the Lions were waiting for the final whistle to blow as they faced down a series of late attacks.
Associated Press
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Lions hold off First Nations and Pasifika XV 24-19 in a rugged tour game in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The British and Irish Lions held off the First Nations and Pasifika XV 24-19 in a tough, physical contest on Tuesday in the last of their midweek games on the Australian tour. The Lions can now focus on trying to clinch the three-test series against the Wallabies on Saturday in Melbourne after winning the first match 27-19 last weekend in Brisbane. 'We've given ourselves a bit of a fright,' Lions head coach Andy Farrell said. 'Congratulations to the First Nations and Pasifika team, (they) made it a hard-fought contest that's for sure.' The Lions are now 7-0 in Australia, including the test match, victories over Super Rugby franchises Western Force,Queensland Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies and two invitational teams. Jamie Osborne scored the opening tries of each half Tuesday and the Lions twice had big leads before being pinned back by the First Nations and Pasifika team, which was drawn from players with Indigenous Australia and Pacific Islands heritage. Making the most of a penalty advantage, the Lions took a 24-14 lead when Owen Farrell dummied a pass to unsettle the defense and send an unmarked Duhan van der Merwe over in the left corner with 15 minutes to play. But the invitational team rallied again, cutting the lead to five points in the 71st when Rob Leota scored a try from close range and sustaining pressure right until fulltime. It had been 14-14 at halftime after each team scored two converted tries and spent 10 minutes giving up a numerical advantage because of yellow cards. The Lions were up 14-0 after center Osborne chased through Fin Smith's chip kick and touched down, while winger Darcy Graham crossed out wide. From a lineout win by Henry Pollock, the Lions created an overlap with players looping in midfield and sent a long, floating pass to the unmarked Scottish winger. But Graham had to leave the field soon after with an injury. Triston Reilly, who was yellow-carded early, returned to score the First Nations and Pasifika's opening try after an intercept on the quarter-line. Blindside flanker Seru Uru picked up and reached over amid three tacklers in the 23rd minute and Kurtley Beale converted to level the score, ensuring the touring Lions knew they were in a contest. 'I'm thankful we got the job done in the end,' skipper Owen Farrell said. ___ AP rugby:
