British & Irish Lions

Lauren Jenkins
BBC Sport in Australia

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A 30-man Invitational AU & NZ squad has been confirmed to face the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

Coach Les Kiss’ squad includes 10 Wallabies and a strong All Black contingent.

Twenty players will already have had a taste of facing the Lions - either on this tour or in 2017.

All Black Ngani Laumape, who started the third Test at Eden Park, is joined by countrymen David Havili, Hoskins Sotutu and Shannon Frizell.

Eleven players from the Reds have been named including prop Aidan Ross, who could be facing the Lions with his fourth team having represented NZ Provincial Barbarians and the Chiefs in 2017.

There is also a spot for Waratahs wing Darby Lancaster, who beat four Lions defenders to score a try in Saturday‘s match.

Other Wallabies include Jock Campbell, Angus Blyth, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Matt Philip, Tane Edmed and Seru Uru.

They join the likes of Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Marika Koroibete and Pete Samu, whose places had already been confirmed.

"As the first AUNZ side to be assembled in 36 years, we have the chance to do something pretty special here,” said Kiss, who will be assisted by former NZ head coach Ian Foster.

Saturday’s match will be the Lions‘ last before the Test series begins at Suncorp Stadium on 19 July.

Lauren Jenkins
BBC Sport in Australia

Image source, Getty Images

Australia's first-choice fly-half Noah Lolesio has been cleared of any serious injury after being stretchered off during Australia's 21-18 victory over Fiji.

Lolesio left the field in a neck brace with twenty minutes to go after his head hit the ground during a tackle, but the 25-year-old was later discharged from hospital. The Wallabies confirmed he rejoined the team at their hotel with his symptoms improving.

Lolesio, who started in 11 of 13 Tests last year, would have been the favourite to start the series at 10. However, it's only been two months since he left the pitch in similar circumstances playing for the Brumbies.

Western Force fly-half Ben Donaldson was the replacement against Fiji and the Reds' Tom Lynagh - who has two caps to his name - also remains in contention to face the Lions.

Schmidt will name a revised squad on Friday for the three-Test series.

Nigel Ringland
BBC Sport Senior Journalist in Canberra

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Australia had the opportunity on Sunday to ignite interest in the Lions series had they played well and beaten Fiji handsomely.

That didn’t happen and there is now fear that the pre-Tour predictions of a Lions 3-0 series sweep could come to fruition.

That’s despite the Lions' ropey win over the Waratahs.

The Australian newspaper ran a damning editorial with the headline, “They beat Fiji, but the Wallabies are on track for a train wreck.”

The article goes on the say, “Australian rugby is spiralling out of control towards another train wreck that the code may struggle to recover from.

"Already heavy underdogs to overcome the combined forces of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Australia's lucky 21-18 win over Fiji at Newcastle on Sunday was an embarrassment that has now guaranteed the Lions will start at shorter odds to win the three-match series.”

The daily newspaper did offer one caveat.

”The only hope is if the Aussies are foxing and trying to pull off rugby's version of the rope-a-dope when Muhammad Ali let George Foreman pummel him until he exhausted himself.

“If only that was the case because the brutal reality is that with less than two weeks before the first Test in Brisbane on 19 July, the Wallabies appear clueless and are running out of time to mount a serious challenge to the Lions.”

Rugby Union already plays second fiddle to rugby league in this part of the world and to other sports like Aussie Rules.

This once in 12 years series is hugely important to Rugby Australia from a financial point of view and for keeping the sport in the shop window and at the forefront of Aussie sports fans minds.

For all these reasons the Australian side need to show up and challenge the Lions.

The Aussie media has its doubts.

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Huw Jones expects more success from the British and Irish Lions' centre pairings after his two tries against New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday.

Jones and his Scotland and Glasgow Warriors team-mate Sione Tuipulotu were paired together in the midfield for the first time on tour in the Lions' 21-10 win over the Waratahs.

Tuipulotu's no-look pass to set up Jones' first try demonstrated the benefits of playing regularly with the same centre partner.

Head coach Andy Farrell is yet to pair Ireland centres Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose together in Australia.

"As a centre group we have been working really hard to get the connections with all of us," said Jones.

"For the first try, Sione knows where I'm going to be. We have played loads together and it's all about timing.

"It worked against the Waratahs, but there's no saying it wouldn't have worked with any other player.

"We have worked as a unit in building those sorts of connections, whatever combination plays in the next couple of games, so hopefully we will see more results like that.

"We bounce loads of ideas off each other in terms of rugby stuff, but socially as well it has been great to get to know the others.

"It has been a really enjoyable couple of weeks, but once we get on the field we are giving each other all the secrets and trying to help each other out as much as we can."

British and Irish Lions chair Ieuan Evans and chief executive Ben Calveley attended a wreath laying ceremony for Robert Seddon, the first Lions captain, who drowned in the Hunter River during the first Lions tour to Australia in 1888.

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England back row Ben Earl says no player representing the British and Irish Lions can become complacent because of the illustrious history of the team.

The 27-year-old produced his best performance on tour in the Lions' unconvincing 21-10 victory over New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday.

Andy Farrell's side put over 50 points on Western Force and Queensland Reds in their opening two games in Australia, but could only muster up three tries in Sydney.

The Lions number eight registered 21 carries, the most of any player from both sides, and also made the most metres (114).

"How can you be complacent when you're playing for the Lions?" Earl told BBC Sport.

"You get complacent, you let down the badge, you let down the honour.

"You're never complacent when you pull on a Lions shirt."

The Saracens star responded to the performance of Wales flanker Jac Morgan, who was named player of the match on Wednesday against Queensland Reds.

Ireland's Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan have also impressed in Australia, while Henry Pollock, who missed Saturday's game because of a tight calf, had multiple eye-catching breaks in the win over Western Force.

Tom Curry started all three Tests against South Africa in 2021, but has yet to hit his best form on tour.

With the competition for a place in the back row intensifying in the build-up to the first Test against Australia on 19 July, Earl hopes his strengths will persuade head coach Farrell to pick him.

"I never want to copy the way Jac Morgan plays the game because I wouldn't be true to myself," added Earl.

"It is about finding a balance to what you're trying to do, but also, I'm just trying to be a good team-mate as that is what the Lions is about.

"I want to be remembered as being a good team-mate.

"If it doesn't go my way in Brisbane, come two weeks today, so be it.

"I have not come in with an expectation of saying 'I want to play in this Test'."

Chris Jones
Rugby union Correspondent

The Lions remain unbeaten in Australia but were far from convincing in their 21-10 win over New South Wales Waratahs.

It is two weeks before the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane and former England wing Chris Ashton joins me to look at how that team for the opener is shaping up.

We discuss why Andy Farrell's side haven't been able to hit their top level yet and what they need to improve on for the next match against ACT Brumbies on Wednesday.

Listen here to BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

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Head coach Andy Farrell said "Wednesday is too soon" for his son Owen Farrell to feature for the Lions after he called him up to replace the injured Elliot Daly.

Owen watched the Lions' 21-10 win over NSW Waratahs from the stands of the Allianz Stadium after arriving in Sydney on Friday.

"I don't honestly know, but I would think Wednesday is too soon as far as jetlag and the protocols you need to go through in regard to that," the Lions head coach said.

Former England captain Owen is on his fourth Lions tour after donning the famous red jersey during the 2013 series win in Australia as well as the 2017 and 2021 tours.

With Andy ruling his son out of the Lions' fixture against the ACT Brumbies on Wednesday, Owen could be in line for a first matchday call-up to face the Invitational Australia and New Zealand side next Saturday.

That is the Lions' final match before the three-match Test series against Australia begins on 19 July.

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British and Irish Lions captain Tadhg Beirne said the side were again limited by "too many errors and turnovers" in their stuttering 21-10 win over the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney.

The tourists claimed their third-successive win on Australian soil but, two weeks out from the first Test against the Wallabies, the performance contained a host of errors in promising attacking positions.

"It was quite frustrating out there that we couldn't get a hold of things in the game the way we would have liked to," said Beirne, who led the side in the absence of tour skipper Maro Itoje.

"I'd a few dropped balls myself and individual errors cost us a bit of continuity in terms of our attack.

"That's something we're definitely going to have to look at and figure out how to improve so it doesn't happen again."

Beirne noted that Andy Farrell's side "kept at it" and, with a more clinical streak, could have racked up the type of 50-point tally they had against the Reds and Western Force.

While those victories also contained similar passages lacking in rhythm, Beirne thought their latest win displayed the strides being made elsewhere.

"We've had a lot of improvements," added the 33-year-old Munster forward.

"Our scrum improved a lot, our line-out was really good. We'll take some really good positives as well."

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Scrum-half Alex Mitchell says building combinations "takes time" on British and Irish Lions tours and believes he is starting to find his feet with the players around him.

England's Mitchell scored a well-taken try and was a standout performer in the Lions' 21-10 win over New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday in Sydney.

With Tomos Williams' tour ending through injury, Mitchell is now in a strong position to likely back up Jamison Gibson-Park in the first Test against Australia on the 19 July in Brisbane.

"Different people see the game differently," Mitchell, who is known for his running game, told BBC Sport.

"It has been a fantastic couple of weeks now we're really starting to gel.

"There is times you need to stick with the shape and go through moves, but they [the coaching staff] give me a full licence to bring my running game alive.

"I thought times today the lads were fantastic at getting off me.

"It takes time with these combinations. The players we have got on the tour are going to be exciting."

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New South Wales Waratahs skipper Hugh Sinclair says the British and Irish Lions are just "15 blokes on a field" and are "beatable" after his side were defeated 21-10 in Sydney.

Sinclair's side avoided a heavy defeat which was predicted after Australian sides Western Force and Queensland Reds both shipped over 50 points against the Lions.

Despite not having all of their Wallabies, NSW Waratahs caused Andy Farrell's side numerous problems.

"Super proud, the Aussie media had a crack at us thinking we're going to get beat by 90, or 50, or 60, and we showed them," said Sinclair, who was playing his last game of professional rugby.

"Obviously the game was scrappy. The Lions would be disappointed by that, but we showed they're beatable.

"They're 15 blokes on a field, put some pressure on and things can happen."

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In what was a stop-start game for both sides, the British and Irish Lions' 14 handling errors prevented them making the most of the possession they enjoyed.

They also hit double figures with penalties conceded.

FT: NSW Waratahs 10-21 British and Irish Lions

Tries: 2-3

Metres made: 213-505

Possession: 39%-61%

Territory: 25%-75%

Clean breaks: 4-10

Defenders beaten: 13-36

Turnovers conceded: 4-10

Tackles made/attempted: 121/88 - 157-101

Penalties conceded: 11-13

Getty Images and PA Media present a selection of some of the best images from the British and Irish Lions' 21-10 victory over NSW Waratahs at Allianz Stadium, Sydney.

Image source, PA Media

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Former Australia lock Justin Harrison says Owen Farrell's experience of being in winning environments will be "gold dust" to the British and Irish Lions.

The 33-year-old earned a call-up to his fourth Lions tour on Thursday after Elliot Daly's tour ended through injury.

The former England captain, who is short of match minutes after struggling with injuries last season, was part of the victorious 2013 Lions tour to Australia.

"When you introduce someone like Owen Farrell, you don't need to wait to see what he does on the training field, he's already arrived in this squad before he's got here," Harrison told BBC Sport.

"Yes he may have sent a ripple of energy and shock and surprise but he'll also bring a calmness and reassurance that the right person has come in.

"Owen Farrell has shared experiences with some of the senior members of this group in winning Lions environments and winning national campaigns. That's gold dust."