THE LUCK OF THE LIONS

Somehow the Lions made it through that.

The final kick was gut-wrenching. Watching Kurtley Beale line up that shot at goal, I had my heart in my mouth. For all my talk of finding it hard to support the Lions, I must admit for those last ten minutes I did want to see the visitors finish on the right side of the scoreline. They made it a lot closer than it should have been, but they did it, and that’s all that matters.

Don’t look into this too much. The last two series where the Lions won the first match, they went on to lose the next two and lose the series altogether. This series is not over, do not think that for a moment. The Wallabies will be back stronger – they did not have any match fitness before the game and it showed. The Lions got very lucky in this regard. They won’t next week.

By now it should have become very apparent from my blogs that I am not overly concerned whether the Lions win or not. At times my support wavered between the two teams and whenever Israel Folau ran in his first try I thought it would be one-way traffic. However the Lions fought their way back into it, and George North’s superb solo try was worth the match ticket alone. For a while it looked like it would be an all-out battle between the two wingers for who could outdo their opposite number.

In the end it all came down to two kickers. No, scrap that, three kickers. On one side was Leigh Halfpenny who was nearly flawless with the boot, missing one kick and keeping the Lions’ scoreboard ticking over. Meanwhile, the Wallabies were all over the place. First was James O’Connor who, after his first kick went sailing wide, never had a good day with the boot. He was eventually dropped from kicking duties for Kurtley Beale who was promising, but missed the two crucial kicks at the end.

That’s where the game was lost and won. Where the Lions had a reliable goal-kicker who kept putting points on the board, Australia had to rely on kicks in front of the posts and tries to keep in touch. In this sense, you could say the Lions were already a step ahead. With an easy way of maintaining their lead, the Lions just had to get into the right areas and force Chris Pollock’s hand. They played it well.

Needless to say – job done, move on. The Lions lead the series 1-0 and preparations must be made for the second test in order for them to finish off the job a week early.

Before that however, there is the small matter of a midweek match against the Melbourne Rebels. The “youngest” of the Australian Super Rugby teams, they should simply be a speed bump on the way to the second test this Saturday where a few players can show Warren Gatland that they can still play a part in the tests should injuries come into play.

Congratulations to Tom Court who, by complete chance, has been called up to the Lions squad due to an injury scare over Alex Corbisiero. Not to sound hypocritical or anything since I did condone the inclusion of Shane Williams in the match versus the Brumbies, I do not think Court was the best option for Warren Gatland to choose, he was simply the convenient option. But you take your chances, and if Corbisiero could start the first test after being flown out late, then who knows what chance Court has?

Gatland has been smart with his selection. None of the players that started the first test are involved tomorrow and it allows as many players a chance to put their hands up for selection. Precisely what a midweek match is for and exactly what some of the players needed. There are certainly a lot of players who have a good opportunity to take one of the twenty-three spots available for the second test.

I’m excited for this one. Not sure why, but with the Rebels having nothing left to play for in the Super Rugby championship, they may fancy a scalp, especially after seeing the Brumbies do it a week ago. Look forward to a match with a lot more to play for than just the win!

British & Irish Lions vs. Melbourne Rebels

Tuesday 25^th June, 10:30

AAMI Park, Melbourne

Mid-week match

Live on Sky Sports 2

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15. Rob Kearney (Ireland), 14. Sean Maitland (Scotland), 13. Manu Tuilagi (England), 12. Brad Barritt (England), 11. Simon Zebo (Ireland), 10. Owen Farrell (England), 9. Conor Murray (Ireland); 1. Ryan Grant (Scotland), 2. Richard Hibbard (Wales), 3. Dan Cole (England), 4. Richie Gray (Scotland), 5. Ian Evans (Wales), 6. Dan Lydiate (captain, Wales), 7. Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 8. Toby Faletau (Wales).

16. Rory Best (Ireland), 17. Tom Court (Ireland), 18. Matt Stevens (England), 19. Tom Croft (England), 20. Justin Tipuric (Wales), 21. Ben Youngs (England), 22. Billy Twelvetrees (England), 23. Stuart Hogg (Scotland).

MELBOURNE REBELS

15. Jason Woodward, 14. Tom English, 13. Mitch Inman, 12. Rory Sidey, 11. Lachlan Mitchell, 10. Bryce Hegarty, 9. Luke Burgess; 1. Nic Henderson, 2. Ged Robinson, 3. Laurie Weeks, 4. Cadeyrn Neville, 5. Hugh Pyle, 6. Jarrod Saffy, 7. Scott Fuglistaller, 8. Gareth Delve (captain).

16. Pat Leafa, 17. Cruze Ah Nau, 18. Paul Alo-Emile, 19. Luke Jones, 20. Jordy Reid, 21. Nic Stirzaker, 22. Angus Roberts, 23. Cooper Vuna.

Referee: Glen Jackson (NZ)

TEST TROUBLES

It is 11:19 on Thursday morning as I sit down to write this blog entry. The European Tour golf is on the TV beside me, yet I find myself thinking about the Lions match against the Wallabies on Saturday. With only two days until the big match it’s hard to conceal your excitement – a month of drawn out preparation will either pay dividends this Saturday, or it will be all for nothing.

But based on Tuesday’s match against the Brumbies it seems that the latter shall be more likely. In a lethargic, drab performance the Lions were bested all over the park and deservedly lost to the Super Rugby leaders, who have recorded what is likely to be the most impressive victory of their entire careers. Any club side that beat the Lions go down in history – the last time it happened was in 1997 by Northern Transvaal which proves the rarity of that occurring.

I am ashamed to say I did cheer on the Brumbies.

I said I was becoming disillusioned with this Lions tour and it all came to a head when I found them playing my favourite Super Rugby team. I decided I had to support the hosts. Don’t get me wrong, for the next three weeks I will still (slightly begrudgingly) support the Lions, they are my home team. But when up against a side that I have supported for a while, I couldn’t help but enjoy watching the Lions slowly become more frustrated as the game got beyond them.

Meanwhile, over in Brisbane, Robbie Deans and his Wallaby team will be absolutely delighted. Before the game I criticised Warren Gatland’s team selection as, quite rightly, he learned nothing from his backline, and they did not deliver a win either. The Lions either had to win that game or the backs had to give Gatland something to think about ahead of the first Test. They did neither.

Tuesday was simply a shambles. It is by far the worst Lions performance on the tour so far and, quite rightly, it resulted in the first Lions loss of the tour. Gatland will be horribly disappointed and he called it a ‘reality check’ in the aftermath of the game. It is not the ideal way to go into the first Test at all.

So, to the first Test we go then. The Lions will head back to Brisbane and the Suncorp Stadium to face the Wallabies tomorrow and in my opinion, no matter how much Australia have declined as a rugby nation, the Lions are still up against it. So far there has been nothing from the Lions which has proved they will be a handful for the Wallabies and they will really have to pull a performance out of the bag to simply be competitive.

It’s the backline that worries me most. It was where the Lions struggled on Tuesday, it is where Australia will be very strong. Christian Lealiifano has been very impressive for the Brumbies, while the Waratahs duo of Adam Ashley-Cooper and Berrick Barnes are very experienced. The Australians will look to provide themselves with a solid platform up front and then use their skill in the backline to convert it to points.

The Lions are in for a battle. To win this series I think the Lions have to win this game otherwise they will face an uphill battle to return to the British Isles with a win. Will they do it? Based on the games that have come before it, no. But who knows, weirder things have happened.

Here’s to a great game of rugby!

British & Irish Lions vs. Australia

Saturday 22^nd June, 11:00

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

First test

Live on Sky Sports 1

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), 14. Alex Cuthbert (Wales), 13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), 12. Jonathan Davies (Wales), 11. George North (Wales), 10. Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 9. Mike Phillips (Wales); 1. Alex Corbisiero (England), 2. Tom Youngs (England), 3. Adam Jones (Wales), 4. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), 5. Paul O’Connell (Ireland), 6. Tom Croft (England), 7. Sam Warburton (captain, Wales), 8. Jamie Heaslip (Ireland).

16. Richard Hibbard (Wales), 17. Mako Vunipola (England), 18. Dan Cole (England), 19. Geoff Parling (England), 20. Dan Lydiate (Wales), 21. Conor Murray (Ireland), 22. Owen Farrell (England), 23. Sean Maitland (Scotland).

AUSTRALIA

15. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs), 14. Israel Folau (NSW Waratahs), 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs), 12. Christian Lealiifano (ACT Brumbies), 11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds), 10. James O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels), 9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds); 1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs), 2. Stephen Moore (ACT Brumbies), 3. Ben Alexander (ACT Brumbies), 4. James Horwill (captain, Queensland Reds), 5. Kane Douglas (NSW Waratahs), 6. Ben Mowen (ACT Brumbies), 7. Michael Hooper (NSW Waratahs), 8. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs).

16. Saia Fainga’a (Queensland Reds), 17. James Slipper (Queensland Reds), 18. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs), 19. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds), 20. Liam Gill (Queensland Reds), 21. Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels), 22. Pat McCabe (ACT Brumbies), 23. Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels).

Referee: Chris Pollock (NZ)

Assistant Referees: Craig Joubert (RSA), Romain Poite (FFR)

TMO: Vinny Munro (NZ)

Assessor: Clayton Thomas

TEAM TROUBLES

If I was questioning the Lions tour last week, I’m downright confused this week. Another crushing win, this time over the Waratahs, can wait, even in the aftermath of that there are more pressing matters to attend to. As has appeared to become accustomed during this tour, the next Lions team is announced a day after the previous match.

This week the Lions are going across Australia to Canberra where the surprise Super Rugby package the Brumbies lie in wait. But the problem for once does not lie with the Australians’ team selection, but with the Lions’. Because Warren Gatland has completely messed up with his final warm-up match choices.

I realise that he will want his squad to be fresh ahead of the first test on Saturday and that he will want to give a few other players a chance to impress before he makes his most important selection of his life, but some of Gatland’s team choices rate from puzzling to completely bizarre. Against a side that will be as competitive as the Brumbies, there’s no place for that.

Face it – a side that features six players that weren’t named in the initial thirty-seven man squad is a bit of a farce. We’ll excuse Rory Best since he was drafted in before the tour began, but apart from that, you’re looking at five guys who definitely don’t stand a chance at making it into the test squad. And even then Rory doesn’t stand much of a chance either.

Warren Gatland has simply selected a few squad fillers for this game. In many respects, the Lions have done a Force – selected a side that has one eye firmly on the weekend’s game instead of the task at hand. Everybody criticised the Force for selecting their second string side, but I don’t think you’ll find many calling out Warren Gatland on his selections.

I will. That side is a mockery to the Lions. It still contains plenty of quality players yes, but make no doubt about it, that is a weakened Lions team. For the majority of the Brumbies’ players this will be the only time they will face a side that has the might of the Lions, and their experience has been slightly ruined. In writing they will still face the Lions. In reality, they will face the Lions 2^nd XV.

I could go on forever, but it’s probably about time that I move on to the match itself. As I have already mentioned, the Brumbies will be the sternest test the Lions have faced so far, they aren’t top of the Australian conference in Super Rugby for nothing. In Matt Toomua they have a lethal fly-half and in the forwards they have two Wallabies in prop Scott Sio and loose forward Peter Kimlin. They are a well drilled unit and they will target the Lions as a potential win, especially with the side that Gatland has chosen.

One good bit of news on the Lions front is the captaincy has gone to Rory Best. On the flipside, his selection for this game means that it is very unlikely he will play any part against Australia on Saturday. Rob Kearney will get his first start of the tour too as he aims to stake his claim for a spot in the test squad.

The Lions should still have enough, even with the players that aren’t available through injury or just haven’t been selected. As poor as I think Shane Williams’ selection was on the wing, it will be exciting to see him back in a Lions’ shirt again too. For the first time in a while I will get to see a whole Lions game without having to record it, so bring on the Brumbies!

British & Irish Lions vs. ACT Brumbies

Tuesday 18^th June, 10:30

Canberra Stadium, Canberra

Warm-up match

Live on Sky Sports 2

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15. Rob Kearney (Ireland), 14. Christian Wade (England), 13. Brad Barritt (England), 12. Billy Twelvetrees (England), 11. Shane Williams (Wales), 10. Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 9. Ben Youngs (England); 1. Ryan Grant (Scotland), 2. Rory Best (captain, Ireland), 3. Matt Stevens (England), 4. Ian Evans (Wales), 5. Richie Gray (Scotland), 6. Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 7. Justin Tipuric (Wales), 8. Toby Faletau (Wales).

16. Richard Hibbard (Wales), 17. Alex Corbisiero (England), 18. Dan Cole (England), 19. Geoff Parling (England), 20. Dan Lydiate (Wales), 21. Conor Murray (Ireland), 22. Owen Farrell (England), 23. Simon Zebo (Ireland).

ACT BRUMBIES

15. Jesse Mogg, 14. Henry Speight, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 12. Andrew Smith, 11. Clyde Rathbone, 10. Matt Toomua, 9. Ian Prior; 1. Ruan Smith, 2. Siliva Siliva, 3. Scott Sio, 4. Leon Power, 5. Sam Carter, 6. Scott Fardy, 7. Colby Fainga’a, 8. Peter Kimlin (c).

16. Joshua Mann-Rea, 17. Jean-Pierre Smith, 18. Chris Cocca, 19. Etienne Oosthuizen, 20. Jordan Smiler, 21. Mark Swanepoel, 22. Robbie Coleman, 23. Zack Holmes.

Referee: Jerome Garces (FFR)

TOUR TROUBLES

I’m starting to question the credibility of some of the matches on this tour. The latest shambles took place last Tuesday and to be quite frank, knowing what the result would be, I put a record on Sky+ for it and then quickly fast forwarded through it before I went out that afternoon. You may be questioning how I call it a shambles for the Lions whenever it resulted in another crushing victory, but there are plenty of reasons why.

It’s all well and good giving the Country team the chance to realise their dreams and play against the might of the Lions. Giving guys like these the opportunity to have a crack at some of the Northern Hemisphere’s best is a nice concept. But watching the match you realise how unbelievably flawed that concept is.

No offence to the Country players, but they are the equivalent of the AIL players we get here in Ireland, as I mentioned in my last blog. Pitting them against the cream of the British crop is a complete mismatch and to be honest I’m very surprised the Lions only put 64 points on them. This, in my opinion, causes big issues.

People have started to question the credibility of the Lions tour, and this match combined with the Western Force game will have done nothing to dispel the rumour that the matches the Lions face are less than standard. People can argue that this goes back to previous Lions tours where they would travel for months and play teams of all qualities and from all over the respective countries, but times have changed and the Lions must move on.

Facing sides that are sub-standard will not get them anywhere. OK, I’ll concede that the Force weren’t expected to roll over like they did, but playing a Country side that consisted of reserve Super Rugby players and Australian League players proves absolutely nothing to Warren Gatland and his team. The Wallabies are probably sitting back and watching in glee as their touring opponents beat teams that are put together simply for the match, and learn nothing.

My question is this – is there not an Australian second side that the Lions can play instead of these part-time amateurs? In past years the Lions have faced the New Zealand Maoris and the Emerging Springboks as part of their warm-up matches – two formidable teams whom the Lions did not actually beat. They will have learned far more from those games than a 64-0 drubbing of the Country team.

This tour is threatening to go downhill, and quickly. Warren Gatland will be very disappointed that his side could only manage 64 points against a severely weak side that has never played before, and there is a case of the Lions possibly coming into the first test undercooked. They face two big tests against the Waratahs and the Brumbies tomorrow and next week, and they will have to start praying that those two give them a bit of a fight.

Sydney slam

Forget about Tuesday, we’re moving on from Newcastle to Sydney. Allianz Stadium is the destination for the Lions’ fourth match of the tour, and the New South Wales Waratahs are the opponents. Although they aren’t as good as the Queensland Reds, or as good as the Brumbies should be next Tuesday, the Waratahs will provide stiff opposition for the Lions.

If anyone was worried about the Lions before the Country match, they’ll be petrified now. This is a chance to dispel those fears – certainly it will be the easiest match the Lions will face before the end of the tour and they have to make the most of it. A big win is required, and it will have to be a convincing win at that.

Sam Warburton has been faced with the difficult news that he may not make the test side at all with the form that Justin Tipuric has been in and this is his chance to prove himself to Warren Gatland. Expect a big match from the Lions skipper. Simon Zebo will be up for the game too – called up as injury cover for Tommy Bowe, he will be desperate to make any chance he gets count.

This is where the tour really starts in my opinion. The Reds game came at the wrong time, sandwiched between the Force mauling and the Country embarrassment. But now we begin the build-up to the first match against the Wallabies, which unbelievably is only a week away. As I said, a convincing win tomorrow starts that build-up in the perfect fashion.

Easier said than done though.

B&I Lions vs. NSW Waratahs

Saturday 15^th June, 10:30

Allianz Stadium, Sydney

Warm-up match

Live on Sky Sports 2

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), 14. Sean Maitland (Scotland), 13. Jonathan Davies (Wales), 12. Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11. Simon Zebo (Ireland), 10. Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 9. Mike Phillips (Wales); 1. Mako Vunipola (England), 2. Tom Youngs (England), 3. Adam Jones (Wales), 4. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), 5. Paul O’Connell (Ireland), 6. Tom Croft (England), 7. Sam Warburton (captain, Wales), 8. Jamie Heaslip (Ireland).

16. Richard Hibbard (Wales), 17. Alex Corbisiero (England), 18. Dan Cole (England), 19. Geoff Parling (England), 20. Dan Lydiate (Wales), 21. Ben Youngs (England), 22. Owen Farrell (England), 23. Rob Kearney (Ireland).

NEW SOUTH WALES WARATAHS

15. Drew Mitchell, 14. Cam Crawford, 13. Rob Horne, 12. Tom Carter, 11. Peter Betham, 10. Bernard Foley, 9. Brendan McKibbin; 1. Jeremy Tilse, 2. John Ulugia, 3. Paddy Ryan, 4. Will Skelton, 5. Ollie Atkins, 6. Jed Holloway, 7. Pat McCutcheon, 8. Dave Dennis (captain).

16. Luke Holmes, 17. Richard Aho, 18. Sam Talakai, 19. Lopeti Timani, 20. AJ Gilbert, 21. Matt Lucas, 22. Ben Volavola, 23. Tom Kingston.

Referee: Jaco Peyper (RSA)

Assistant Referees: Jerome Garces (FFR), Glen Jackson (NZ)

TMO: Keith Brown (NZ)

Assessor: Scott Young/Andrew Cole (Aus)

LIONS ARE ON TRACK

So now that the Queensland Reds are out of the way, you’d say that the Lions tour really has started. With the first real test completed, it’s time for the Lions to push on and use their latest win to start their preparations for the tests against Australia.

The Good

As I have said, the first test has been negotiated well. Despite an early scare against the Reds, the Lions battled back well and closed the match out with the professionalism and skill required. That is what will please Warren Gatland the most – his side proved that they can up their game when they have to. After two easy games to ease themselves in, the Lions appear to really be hitting their stride now.

However, the best part of the game (for me anyway) was Luke Morahan’s incredible solo try in the first half. Before the game many were touting Rod Davies as the dangerous winger on the Reds’ team, but Morahan made a nuisance of himself all game and fully deserved his try which he took well.

The Lions on the other hand will be satisfied with the improvements they have made since last Wednesday’s game against the Western Force. Especially in the scrum where the front row managed to make their driving dominance pay off with plenty of penalties being awarded by stand-in referee Jerome Garces. The line-out operated fairly smoothly as well, a change from the usual mistake-ridden performances we’ve been used to recently.

The Bad

Much like Ulster this season, the Lions started poorly. While they weren’t punished for it, the Reds had the lion’s share of possession (pun intended) and should have probably scored again in the first half. While the Reds could not take advantage of their ascendancy, Australia will have the precision and talent to finish off the chances that the Reds did not.

But for that, however, Warren Gatland will be very happy with his side’s performance.

The Ugly

The list of injured Lions has now reached four. After Gethin Jenkins’ late withdrawal for Saturday’s match it finally came to light that he would miss the tour completely and he became the second loosehead prop to be ruled out after Cian Healy’s injury against the Force proved to be tour-ending also.

However it is the most recent injury that concerns Ulster fans most – Tommy Bowe breaking a bone in his hand. Bowe may return before the end of the tour, but as a precaution Simon Zebo has been called up to the squad as cover. Every Lions and Ulster fan will be hoping for good news in the aftermath of his operation.

On the upside though, the injury list looks likely to be reduced to three as Rob Kearney is set to play some part against the Waratahs on Saturday. Warren Gatland will be very relieved at this – he’s well overdue some good news on the injury front.

Country clash

To say tomorrow’s match is an experimental game would be an understatement – the NSW-QLD side has been put together at short notice for this one-off match, and some of their players are no better than some AIL players from Ireland. This should be no more than a formality for the Lions.

That’s not to say that there are no talented players in the Country side. Beau Robinson played for the Reds on Saturday against the Lions, while Tim Metcher and Phoenix Battye both have previous experience of the Lions this summer too. Nevertheless, it still should be a sizable scoreline in favour of the Lions.

Rory Best will provide the Ulster representation, this time off the bench though. He has a lot of ground to make up on Youngs and Hibbard though, after Saturday’s match. Stuart Hogg will get a rare start at fly-half too as Warren Gatland looks to avoid relying on just Owen Farrell and Jonathan Sexton. In some ways it is also an experimental side for the Lions as well. You will still back a hefty win for the tourists however.

Time for the Lions to go hunting for a big morale boosting win…

British & Irish Lions vs. New South Wales-Queensland Combined Country

Tuesday 11^th June, 10:30

Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, Australia

Warm-up match

Live on Sky Sports 2

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15. Sean Maitland (Scotland), 14. Alex Cuthbert (Wales), 13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), 12. Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11. George North (Wales), 10. Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 9. Conor Murray (Ireland); 1. Alex Corbisiero (England), 2. Richard Hibbard (Wales), 3. Dan Cole (England), 4. Richie Gray (Scotland), 5. Ian Evans (Wales), 6. Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 7. Justin Tipuric (Wales), 8. Jamie Heaslip (Ireland).

16. Rory Best (Ireland), 17. Ryan Grant (Scotland), 18. Matt Stevens (England), 19. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), 20. Toby Faletau (Wales), 21. Mike Phillips (Wales), 22. Jonathan Davies (Wales), 23. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales).

NEW SOUTH WALES-QUEENSLAND COMBINED COUNTRY (Likely team)

15. Nathan Trist (Sydney University), 14. Tom Cox (ACT Brumbies), 13. Tereta-Junior Siakisini (GC Breakers), 12. Alex Gibbon (S Districts), 11. Dale Ah-Wong (B-Trinity Bulls), 10. Angus Roberts (Melbourne Rebels), 9. Michael Snowden (Western Force); 1. Haydn Hirsimaki (SC Stingrays), 2. Joshua Mann-Rea (ACT Brumbies), 3. Tim Metcher (S Districts), 4. Phoenix Battye (Western Force), 5. Blake Enever (Queensland Reds), 6. Jarrad Butler (Queensland Reds), 7. Beau Robinson (Queensland Reds), 8. Tim Davidson (Melbourne Rebels).

16. Tom Kearney (Noosa Dolphins), 17. Rikki Abraham (Teachers West), 18. Dylan Evans (Wanderers RUC), 19. Richard Stanford (E Suburbs), 20. Trent Dyer (Melbourne Rebels), 21. Adam McCormack (Hastings Valley), 22. Lewie Catt (Wanderers RUC), 23. Ben Greentree (The Cockatoos).

Referee: Jerome Garces (FFR)

FORCE FLATTENED

I sat down on Wednesday morning in anticipation for a Lions mauling and they didn’t disappoint. A 69-17 drubbing of a weakened Western Force side was a nice way to keep the tour going and here is the low-down…

The Good

That try from Brian O’Driscoll was simply majestic. The beautiful little inside pass from Manu Tuilagi set O’Driscoll away for another brilliant try in Perth for the talismanic Irishman. On the topic of tries, both Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell proved that fly halves don’t just create tries, but can score them too, with two identical tries. Throwing dummies to fool the defenders, Sexton and Farrell both cruised over for easy tries in an easy victory.

Despite the strength of the opponents, nine tries is very impressive, and it shows the strength of the Lions’ attacking play. Leigh Halfpenny must be given a lot of credit too for his flawless kicking performance – eleven kicks went over, and plenty of them were tricky shots from the touchline. He hasn’t done his chances of making the test side any harm.

One player I have been very impressed with so far is Mako Vunipola. Having come on for the injured Cian Healy, the Saracens player was everywhere, making big runs and scrummaging well too. I would say he has a very strong chance of starting the tests against Australia, and on his form, who would argue with that call?

The Bad

The side sent out by the Western Force was nothing short of a disgrace. It’s not very often a club side gets to face a touring side of the Lions’ magnitude, and the Force decided to sacrifice this game in order to prepare for their meaningless Super Rugby game against the Waratahs on Sunday. I’m sure a lot of the Force players will be very upset to miss out on the chance to play against the Lions. Very disappointing, and not much of a test for the tourists.

Everybody presumes that Rory Best was omitted from the original 37-man squad due to his poor line-out throwing for Ulster and Ireland. Unfortunately he did nothing to suggest he has sorted it out, throwing it over the head of Alun-Wyn Jones on two occasions in the first half. If the Ulsterman wishes to take the chance he has been given by Warren Gatland, he’ll need to improve quickly.

The Lions will also be very disappointed that they couldn’t make their scrum advantage count. Clearly going forward in the set piece, the Lions could never force the penalties that they will need against Australia, and they will have to focus on converting that dominance into points, because they won’t score nine tries against the Wallabies.

The Ugly

Cian Healy’s injury did not look good. Sadly we will not see him back in a Lions jersey before the end of the tour and he will fly home. Hopefully he will be alright for the new season. Also rather ugly was a citing involving Healy too. As replays proved, Healy was not guilty of biting Brett Sheehan, and it is disappointing that the citing happened in the first place. Thankfully Healy has been cleared.

Red rising

Tomorrow the Lions move to Brisbane to face the Queensland Reds in Brisbane. And this match should be their first real test on this 2013 tour. The side that the Reds have selected is far stronger than the Western Force team, which shows one thing – they are taking this game very seriously indeed.

It’s hard for the Lions to care about results here. As we have seen in Hong Kong and Perth, the Lions are susceptible to turning down very kickable penalties simply to go for the corner and get their attacking moves working. But the Reds are a world renowned great team, and if the Lions begin to worry too much about getting the moves working, they could actually lose this game.

With extra places left in the Australian squad, there will be some of the Reds players looking to grab one of those spots, none more so than fly half Quade Cooper, who was a shock omission from the initial squad. This is a bit more than just a match against a touring side for the Reds – this is a chance for them to prove themselves to Robbie Deans.

So this will be a big game for the Lions, to really see how their side will compete in Australia. If they’re not up to the standard required, they could end up with egg on their faces tomorrow…

British & Irish Lions vs. Queensland Reds

Saturday 8^th June, 10:30

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Warm-up match

Live on Sky Sports 2

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 14. Alex Cuthbert (Wales) 13. Manu Tuilagi (England), 12. Jonathan Davies (Wales) 11. Tommy Bowe (Ireland), 10. Owen Farrell (England), 9. Ben Youngs (England); 1. Mako Vunipola (England), 2. Tom Youngs (England), 3. Matt Stevens (England), 4. Richie Gray (Scotland), 5. Geoff Parling (England), 6. Dan Lydiate (Wales), 7. Sam Warburton (captain, Wales), 8. Toby Faletau (Wales).

16. Richard Hibbard (Wales), 17. Dan Cole (England), 18. Adam Jones (Wales), 19. Paul O’Connell (Ireland), 20. Justin Tipuric (Wales), 21. Conor Murray (Ireland), 22. Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 23. George North (Wales).

QUEENSLAND REDS

15. Ben Lucas, 14. Rod Davies, 13. Ben Tapuai, 12. Anthony Fainga’a, 11. Luke Morahan, 10. Quade Cooper (captain), 9. Nick Frisby; 1. Ben Daley, 2. James Hanson, 3. Greg Holmes, 4. Adam Wallace-Harrison, 5. Ed O’Donoghue, 6. Ed Quirk, 7. Beau Robinson, 8. Jake Schatz.

16. Albert Anae, 17. Sam Denny, 18. Jono Owen, 19. Radike Samo, 20. Jarrad Butler, 21. Jono Lance, 22. Michael Harris, 23. Dom Shipperley.

Referee: Jaco Peyper (RSA)

Assistant Referees: Jerome Garces (Fra), Garratt Williamson (NZ)

TMO: tba (NZ)

Assessor: Scott Young/Andrew Cole (Aus)

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE SWEATY

One game down, and what a weird game it was. In my new Lions breakdowns you’ll get the views and news from all the Lions tests…

The Good

A 59-8 win is nothing to be sniffed at, albeit against the Barbarians. No better way to start your tour than with a crushing win, and you’d expect that effort to be maintained right up until the end.

As in all warm-up matches, the players are given a chance to impress and try and win a test squad place. A few players did not disappoint, most notably being Welsh winger Alex Cuthbert and scrum-half Mike Phillips who got a brace of tries each. Cuthbert used his pace superbly well to ghost past the Barbarians’ defence, while Phillips was quick and efficient from the back of the scrum, and took his chances well.

It was also positive for the Lions to see their scrum being so dominant at such an early stage. It was a good platform for them to build their attacks on, and it bodes well for the three tests at the end of June.

All in all, it was a good start to the tour.

The Bad

It was the Barbarians. While it’s a good game to start the tour with, it was really just for the sponsors. The Barbarians were never going to be competitive – they are a ramshackle team thrown together at short notice. If anybody expected the Lions to be run close by the invitational side then they were kidding themselves. In all honesty, if the Lions hadn’t won by such a commanding scoreline then it probably would have been a rather disappointing start for Warren Gatland.

Some of the players didn’t cover themselves in much glory either. Owen Farrell was the worst player on the park, apart from his goal kicking. But take that away and Farrell was poor all-round. Loose passes, poor kicks from hand and a bust-up with Saracens team-mate Schalk Brits epitomised Farrell’s performance – very poor. Sexton seems nailed on at 10 now. Mako Vunipola went missing around the park as well, as did Toby Faletau who will be hoping to wrestle the 8 jersey off Jamie Heaslip with a few better performances.

Where the scrum succeeded, the line-out failed. Both Richard Hibbard and his replacement Tom Youngs struggled to hit their jumpers and this is a simple thing they must get right. Best will be given his chance tomorrow, and you feel he must exploit his rivals’ failings and take that chance.

The Sweaty

Humidity reached 90% in Hong Kong during the match, and temperatures soared to just under 100°F. You have to admire the players’ fitness and resolve to play under those conditions. Needless to say, it’s good preparation for playing in the sweltering heat of Australia, however you’d like to think the conditions will be slightly more favourable in the land of Oz!

Fighting the Force

So now the Lions leave the Hong Kong heat behind and head to Perth to take on the Western Force. This game will take the same emphasis as the match in Hong Kong – with fifteen changes to the side that started against the Barbarians, it is a chance for the twenty-three players to impress in front of Warren Gatland again.

It is also very good to see that Ireland are well represented with eight players in the starting fifteen, including both Ulster representatives, Tommy Bowe and Rory Best. And by this time tomorrow we’ll have a better understanding of where those Irishmen stand in the Lions pecking order.

The Western Force won’t roll over – on their day they can provide some cracking rugby, and can beat anyone. Don’t let their poor Super Rugby record fool you, they can cause some damage. However, you would expect the Lions to have another handy win, and should they play to their full potential then there should be no problem.

Time for the Ulster Lions to roar!

British & Irish Lions vs. Western Force

Wednesday 5^th June, 11:00

Paterson’s Stadium, Perth

Warm-up match

Live on Sky Sports 1

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), 14. Tommy Bowe (Ireland), 13. Brian O’Driscoll (captain, Ireland), 12. Manu Tuilagi (England), 11. George North (Wales), 10. Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 9. Conor Murray (Ireland); 1. Cian Healy (Ireland), 2. Rory Best (Ireland), 3. Dan Cole (England), 4. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), 5. Ian Evans (Wales), 6. Tom Croft (England), 7. Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 8. Jamie Heaslip (Ireland).

16. Tom Youngs (England), 17. Mako Vunipola (England), 18. Matt Stevens (England), 19. Geoff Parling (England), 20. Toby Faletau (Wales), 21. Ben Youngs (England), 22. Owen Farrell (England), 23. Sean Maitland (Scotland).

WESTERN FORCE

15. Sam Christie, 14. Dane Haylett-Petty, 13. Ed Stubbs, 12. Chris Tuatara-Morrison, 11. Corey Brown, 10. Sam Norton-Knight, 9. Brett Sheehan; 1. Salesi Manu, 2. James Hilterbrand, 3. Salesi Ma’afu, 4. Toby Lynn, 5. Phoenix Battye, 6. Angus Cottrell, 7. Matt Hodgson (captain), 8. Richard Brown.

16. Hugh Roach, 17. Sione Kolo, 18. Tim Metcher, 19. Ben Matwijow, 20. Lachlan McCaffrey, 21. Alby Mathewson, 22. Nick Haining, 23. Junior Rasolea.

Referee: Glen Jackson (NZ)

Assistant Referees: Jaco Peyper (RSA), Garratt Williamson (NZ)

TMO: tba (NZ)