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The Irish Sun
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
What TV channel is Australia vs British & Irish Lions on? Stream, kick-off time and odds for Farrell's date with destiny
THE British and Irish Lions face Australia in their first of three Test meetings on Saturday morning. Andy Farrell's side have won all of their warm-up matches barring the 2 The 50-year-old was a defence coach for the Lions' Australia Tour in 2013 2 The former Ireland manager has been with Australia since replacing Eddie Jones last year Since the , Andy Farrell's squad have played matches in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide before landing back in 'Brissie' on Sunday. T he Lions will be hoping to win their first series since their Tour of Australia back in 2013 having lost and drawn their last two series. Here's everything you need to know before watching the Test: WHAT TIME IS KICK-OFF? The first of three Test matches kicks-off at 11am Irish time today in the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. That is 8pm local time. Read more on Irish sport WHERE CAN I WATCH THE TEST? The Lions' clash with Australia will be exclusively shown on Sky Sports on the 'Main Event' and 'Action' channels with coverage starting at 10am. It will be available to stream through WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Farrell's side are favourites to win the first Test at 3/10. The odds for an Australia win is set at 7/2 while a draw is 30/1. Most read in Rugby Union The Lions to win the series is 1/3 while for Australia to replicate A draw series - which occurred on the New Zealand Tour in 2017 - is set at 30/1. Inside Scotland and Lions hero's stunning house that boasts giant basement room with bar for FIFTY people to party WHAT HAS BEEN SAID IN THE BUILD-UP? Winger Hugo Keenan is named at full-back, with Tommy Freeman and James Lowe on the wing. The Lions have had a gruelling schedule compared with Joe Schmidt's Aussies — just one warm-up game, an unconvincing 21-18 win over Fiji ten days ago. Lions back rower "We have to make that count. There's no replacement for playing rugby. We're in a good spot.' Mari Itoje's efforts to distract Australia could be Shot Down in Flames — thanks to a bunch of Aussie rock legends. Wallabies forwards coach Geoff Parling, the ex-England lock, has had AC/DC blaring out at full volume — knowing Lions skipper Itoje will try to put them off at lineouts by yelling so they cannot hear their set-piece codes. Aussie lock Jeremy Williams said: 'We have been using music as a tool to try to distract the boys from the calls, so when we get into the arena we can react and listen to the calls. The music's been loud, bit of AC/DC.'
NDTV
05-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Shubman Gill Breaks Virat Kohli's Decade-Old Captaincy Record With Fiery Show In Edgbaston Test
India captain Shubman Gill continued his dominance with the bat in the ongoing 2nd Test against England at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. Gill, who scored a record-breaking 269 in the first innings, slammed a half-century in the second innings, as India stretched their lead to over 400 in the second session. During his knock, Gill registered yet another record, leaving Virat Kohli behind in the process. Gill now has the most runs by an Indian batter in his debut series as captain. He went past Kohli's tally of 449 runs which he achieved during the Tour of Australia in 2014-15, having taken over the captaincy from MS Dhoni halfway into the series. He only led India in two matches. Most runs by an India batter in debut series as captain 459* - Shubman Gill vs ENG (Away, 2025, 4 innings) 449 - Virat Kohli vs AUS (Away, 2014/15, 4 innings) 347 - Vijay Hazare vs ENG (Home, 1951/52, 7 innings) 319 - Nari Contractor vs PAK (Home, 1960/61, 6 innings) 305 - Dilip Vengsarkar vs WI (Home, 1987/88, 5 innings) 303 - Mohammad Azharuddin vs NZ (Away, 1989/90, 4 innings) India are chasing history at Edgbaston, having yet to win a Test here in eight previous apperances. They have lost seven times while the other game ended in a draw all the way back in 1986. However, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said India should be bold in deciding if they are willing to take the risk of going for a win. "England will go for a chase of 450, 500, so India could be fearful of that. But that also gives you more opportunities to take wickets. Ultimately, the captain and coach have to be aligned that it is okay to risk losing - however remote that is - to be able to win. I would like to see them dangle England a little carrot."
NDTV
05-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Shubman Gill Breaks Virat Kohli's Decald-Old Captaincy Record With Fiery Show In Edgbaston Test
India captain Shubman Gill continued his dominance with the bat in the ongoing 2nd Test against England at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. Gill, who scored a record-breaking 279 in the first innings, slammed a half-century in the second innings, as India stretched their lead to over 400 in the second session. During his knock, Gill registered yet another record, leaving Virat Kohli behind in the process. Gill now has the most runs by an Indian batter in his debut series as captain. He went past Kohli's tally of 449 runs which he achieved during the Tour of Australia in 2014-15, having taken over the captaincy from MS Dhoni halfway into the series. He only led India in two matches. Most runs by an India batter in debut series as captain 459* - Shubman Gill vs ENG (Away, 2025, 4 innings) 449 - Virat Kohli vs AUS (Away, 2014/15, 4 innings) 347 - Vijay Hazare vs ENG (Home, 1951/52, 7 innings) 319 - Nari Contractor vs PAK (Home, 1960/61, 6 innings) 305 - Dilip Vengsarkar vs WI (Home, 1987/88, 5 innings) 303 - Mohammad Azharuddin vs NZ (Away, 1989/90, 4 innings) India are chasing history at Edgbaston, having yet to win a Test here in eight previous apperances. They have lost seven times while the other game ended in a draw all the way back in 1986. However, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said India should be bold in deciding if they are willing to take the risk of going for a win. "England will go for a chase of 450, 500, so India could be fearful of that. But that also gives you more opportunities to take wickets. Ultimately, the captain and coach have to be aligned that it is okay to risk losing - however remote that is - to be able to win. I would like to see them dangle England a little carrot."
The Irish Sun
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Rob Kearney's hilarious boozy night out story after infamous lowpoint in Brian O'Driscoll's Lions career
EVEN stories about Brian O'Driscoll's darkest days tend to paint him in a good light. So it proved as Rob Kearney recalled him getting dropped for the third Test of the British and Irish Lions' 2013 Tour of Australia. 2 Kearney was a bit-part player in 2013 whereas he played a starring role on the 2009 Tour Credit: Sportsfile 2 There was outrage when Warren Gatland dropped O'Driscoll for the third Test against Australia Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription Kearney teed things up by recalling how when O'Driscoll was initially called to a meeting with head coach Warren Gatland, the assumption was that he was going to be made captain for it. He cited how their fellow Ireland legend Kearney told the "All the players were shocked. But Brian mucked in to be fair to him. Read More On Irish Sport "Some of us went out for drinks that night and I texted him 'Are you coming down to the pub for a few pints?' "But he replied 'No, I'm doing video analysis with Jonathan Davies'. So I responded 'You're a bigger man than me!' "It was class of him because it would've been very easy for him to say 'Sod all of this, I'm going on the beer.' "Especially because Twitter was around then so we were able to feel the absolute uproar and rage from back home here." Most read in Rugby Union Host Joe Molloy tacked on the point that it's not like the then 34-year-old had to keep in Gatland's good books in case he was in charge of the next Tour in 2017. Ultimately, the Kiwi was able to point to the result in that third match-up with the Wallabies to justify his contentious selection call as they walloped their hosts 41-16 to secure a 2-1 series triumph. 'Cried like a baby didn't ya-' - Watch Andy Farrell embarrass Ireland star over reaction to Lions call-up They had been pipped 16-15 in the previous encounter while they took the first battle 23-21. Kearney predicted another 2-1 victory for the all-star squad in this summer's edition of the fabled rugby tradition. Andy Farrell's outfit play the first of 10 total fixtures Wednesday saw him The prop has not played since He is joined in the replacements by Rónan Kelleher, the only other Leinster player involved because they were involved in There are still three Irish players in the starting XV with 2021 tourists Bundee Aki of Connacht and Munster's Tadhg Beirne included, along with Bealham. Aki and Bealham's provincial teammate Farrell has not included any Bath representatives with the side involved in the Premiership final against Leicester Tigers on Saturday. Lions: M Smith (England), Freeman (England), Tuipulotu (Scotland), Aki (Ireland), van der Merwe (Scotland), F Smith (England), Mitchell (England), Genge (England), Cowan-Dickie (England), Bealham (Ireland), Itoje (England), Beirne (Ireland), Curry (England), Morgan (Wales), Earl (England). Replacements: Kelleher (Ireland), Schoeman (Scotland), Furlong (Ireland), Cummings (Scotland), Pollock (England), Williams (Wales), Daly (England), Hansen (Ireland)
Daily Mirror
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Maro Itoje on being first black Lions captain, wife's response and Australia
The England and Saracens second row joins an illustrious group of men to lead the Lions as they head Down Under to face Australia with Itoje taking on his third captaincy role in less than 12 months As a keen studier of literature, philosophy and politics, Maro Itoje may already be aware of Aristotle's maxim that 'everything that is perfect comes in threes'. That has certainly been the case for the 30-year-old when it comes to leadership roles. Having succeeded Owen Farrell as Saracens captain last summer, Itoje then took the England reins from Jamie George before this year's Six Nations. And perhaps the greatest honour of all was still to come, with Itoje installed as British & Irish Lions captain for the 2025 Tour of Australia. Itoje, of course, was informed of his selection for the role before the Thames-side selection showpiece – and risked a domestic rift after hearing the news. 'My fiancé (now wife) was in the room with me as I finished the conversation with Andy (Farrell),' he said. 'I dropped the phone, I looked at her, and I had a quizzical look on my face. She looked at me and said 'why are you looking at me like that', with a little bit of an attitude. 'But then I told her the news and she was very, very happy, jumped for joy. I told my parents as well later on that day, they were super pumped, super excited. It was really nice.' Itoje has often recalled the cultural values which were drummed into him by his Nigerian parents – 'respect, respect for seniority, culture, the food we eat, and all of those things that are different to Western norms or British culture' – and says it 'became normal to operate in two different worlds' while growing up. He did not have any awareness of rugby until the age of 11, with Neil Harris, head of rugby at St George's School in Harpenden, earmarked as a key influence for a young Itoje. The school also counts Farrell, George and George Ford among its alumni and Itoje was something of a sporting all-rounder. He excelled at basketball and athletics, proving particularly strong over 200m and in shot put, at which he was once ranked second in the country for his age. Rugby ultimately won the battle for his affections and his leadership skills were honed when he captained England Under-20s to Six Nations and World Championship glory in 2014. Two – soon to be three – Lions tours, five Premiership titles and three European Champions Cup titles later, Itoje is ready for the ultimate leadership test. He gained an insight into what to expect at a 'captain's dinner' the night before the squad was announced, with Martin Johnson – the most recent English captain of the Lions – among those in attendance. 'He was very gracious, I enjoyed hearing his stories of yesteryear and he has offered his support with anything I need,' Itoje said. 'I'm sure I'll be tapping into that at some point. The dinner was quite cool, quite surreal. It reminded me of the prestige this jersey holds and what it means to a lot of people. 'The Lions is an elite environment but it also feels like one of the few remaining old school rugby environments in terms of the membership of it, the exclusive nature of it. It was amazing to break bread with some of those legends who I look up to.' There is far more to Itoje than the gifted second-rower and inspirational leader visible on the rugby field. He has embraced his status as a role model and never shied away from taking a stance on issues beyond his sport. Itoje spoke out in the wake of George Floyd's death, for example, outlining a desire to educate people. "Racial bias affects everyone - so black people have racial bias, white people have racial bias,' he told the BBC. "But what happens is, when white people have this racial bias and they then get into positions of power - they become teachers, become university professors, politicians, broadcasters - it affects everybody. "Once that happens, they then act unconsciously - some consciously and unconsciously - on this racial bias, and produce a system which is not equal opportunity for all." Now installed as the Lions' first black captain, Itoje will continue to use his status as a force for good and build on the work done by The Pearl Fund, a charity he launched in 2023 funding education in Ghana, Nigeria and other African countries. The lock, who graduated with an MBA from Warwick Business School in January 2024, has also been vocal about his urge to build a career outside of rugby when his playing days are over. But his immediate focus is on etching his name into Lions folklore. Having taken on the England captaincy from his long-time Saracens and Lions teammate George at the start of the year, he played a key role as Steve Borthwick's much-improved side finished second. He will now join forces with those on the opposing side in that competition to try and repeat the exploits of the 2013 tourists, who were successful Down Under. 'I was at school during that time, which sounds crazy now,' he said. 'One of the key bits for me was George North, when he picked up Izzy Falau and ran a few yards, that got the whole crowd on their feet. 'Then there was Leigh Halfpenny's kicks, one of them to win the game, the drama in and around that. And there was a lot of noise in and around the final Test selection, with Brian (O'Driscoll) being dropped, and how they went to dominate that last game. All round, it was a great tour full of drama.' The second-row is renowned as a serious thinker and determined operator but is also prioritising enjoyment for the Lions' class of 2025, having been part of the squad on the ghost tour four years ago which saw strict Covid rules in place and no fans present. 'You can tell the energy for the Lions is at an all-time high, so it's going to be special,' he said. 'I can't wait to see that Sea of Red again. There is a long list of players here in this squad who I've gone to battle with and against for a number of years and haven't had the opportunity to play with, which is really exciting.' Itoje once put his initial love of rugby down to three things - a desire to make friends, loving being part of a team and being 'obsessed' with wearing the county club tie. The colour of the tie may have changed but the first two principles remain firmly in place as he prepares for the challenge of a lifetime. 'First and foremost, the most important thing is performance,' he said. 'Being captain doesn't necessarily mean you are going to play, you have to perform at a high level. Through your performance, everything else follows. That will be at the front of my mind. 'Ultimately, it comes down to how we all come together. The success of this tour will be how we buy in, how we connect. 'The rugby will take care of itself, the real success of the tour will be how tight we can be as a team and a group of men.'
