Key events
32 min: The Reds find themselves on the edge of the Lions’ 22 thanks to a box-kick and a kind bounce. They’ve worked 10 phases. Paisami – again – provides go forward. Faessler from a standing start keeps the ball alive. Now they go wide to the right but the Lions have pushed them back 15 metres. They still have the ball. That’s 15 phases. Thomas box kicks again but it’s far too long and Daly marks the swirling ball. Good defence from the Lions. A little aimless at times from the Reds.
TRY! Reds 12-14 Lions (Porter, 29)
No stopping them from there! Right in front of the poles, five metres out, the Lions opt to tap an go. Kelleher starts it with a stiff carry himself. Then it’s Porter’s go and with Chessum and others providing heft behind him, he was always going to get over. Russell could have back-heeled that conversion. The Lions, against the run of play to a degree, are in front.
28 min: From a line-out the Lions go down the line, right to left. Daly joins from fullback and fizzes a pass to van der Merwe who meets it at pace. He bursts upfield and takes it to within five metres near the left corner. Gibson-Park recycles and they’re lining up for it in midfield. Have they got over the line with Freeman under the poles? No, just short. But there was a high tackle so they get a penalty five out right between the sticks. The Lions’ first phase play has been very good.
TRY! Reds 12-7 Lions (Flook, 26)
That’s a banger! And it all came from that silly Porter penalty on halfway. The Reds won their line-out on the left then went through the hands. Paisami – the standout player so far – clattered the collision and got his mates on the front foot. Then a kick from Thomas caught the Lions defence cold and a kind bounce allowed the onrushing Flook to storm onto the ball and slide over. Big questions over the Lions midfield defence. They’re all over the place once again.
The conversion is missed.
24 min: Pretty poor from the Lions. On halfway Porter comes diving into a ruck and gives away a needless penalty. So the Reds will come right back at them with a line-out just inside the 22.
23 min: The Reds have a line-out inside Lions territory. Paisami, yet again, is the man tasked with busting over the gainline from midfield. He does so but the Lions then hold the line inside their 22. In fact they’re pushing the Reds back. Paisami – he’s having some game – plays a no-looker off his shoulder. Paisami then kicks to the corner, van der Merwe made a real mess of things and found himself in his own goal area. He shook off a defender with immense strength and then passed to Gibson-Park. Fantastic from the big Scottish winger. Gibson-Park secures the ball and hoofs a long box kick from his 22 to halfway.
TRY! Reds 7-7 Lions (Freeman, 20)
This time they stitch it together! Off the top of the line-out from Itoje’s grab, quick hands, down the line, coast top coast, Daly with the final pass for Freeman who pinned his ears back and finished in the corner. Simple rugby excellently executed. Russell lands the extras from the right touch.
19 min: The Reds win their line-out but scrum-half Thomas chooses to run. He beats one, then another, but finds himself in a corner and Itoje comes in and takes the ball away as if Thomas was a child. Then the Lions get a penalty, they kick to the corner.
18 min: The scrum isn’t working. That’s another scrum penalty against the Lions. Porter this time, pinged for collapsing it. Once again the Reds get a let off after being forced to feed the scrum five out from their own line.
17 min: Van der Merwe and Freeman combine near the right touchline after the ball is pinged down the line off the line-out. Russell with a lovely touch for Duhan to get things going. They then go back the other way, coast to coast, until Daly fails to stitch together a pass back inside from the left tram. They’re moving the ball at pace. And runners are finding space. They just can’t quite string it together just yet. But it’s sharp.
15 min: The Reds fizz off the back of a scrum but Morgan steals the ball on the ground. Excellent work from the flanker. Now the Lions move it left and then right. Morgan gets over the gainline before the Reds rip the ball away in contact. Credit to the hosts. They’ve been mighty so far. Once it’s ripped the ball is cleared out into touch about 10m inside Reds territory on the right.
13 min: Aki, again, knocks on. He’s the big target in midfield with support runners around him. It looks like they want him acting as a pivot in midfield but it’s not quite working. He’s neither running hard or bringing others into the game. He’s picked off by a double tackle and spills in contact. Seems that Farrell is trying something with his battering ram. Not quite working so far.
12 min: No they can’t! The maul is well set but the Reds’ defence holds firm and they hold the ball up over the line. Really solid there, but another wasted opportunity from the tourists. They’re not quite clicking yet.
10 min: Better from the Lions after the restart. Porter charged over the gainline, winning the collision before off-loading to Itoje. They went left down the kine but Aki and Jones made a proper mess of things, spilling the ball under no pressure. Aki on the wrong line I think. Anyway, they had the advantage so Russell nudges to the corner. Five out. Can they maul this over?
TRY! Reds 7-0 Lions (Toomaga-Allen, 9)
Rumbled over! Well then, this is a great start for the hosts. Paisami was all over this try. It was his burst that got things going and then quick passing and around a dozen phases later had the big prop Toomaga-Allen busting over from close range right under the poles. The extras are added. But my goodness, where was the Lions’ midfield defence?
8 min: Paisami bursts through the midfield from a standing start. He has support from McLaughlin-Phillips and the Reds come tearing up field. 10 phases and in a flash they’re camped in the Lions’ 22. Bryant carries close. They’re a metre out and have the penalty advantage….
6 min: Sloppy start for the Lions. A high kick lands near Freeman, who climbs high to gather but spills it. Earlier Itoje caused chaos at the Reds line-out with Stuart coming through to make a big hit off the line. There’s intensity, but little accuracy so far.
5 min: Scrum penalty for the Reds. Stuart penalised. Cheap exit for the Reds who clear to touch and will also have the line-out 10m in their own half.
4 min: The line-out from the Lions is sloppy as Kelleher goes to the tail, but they come away with it after a lucky bounce. Then Gibso-Park keeos the tempo as short passes find runners. They’re making ground. Stuart and Chessum with some big carries. They have the advantage, snake down the line but can’t make the final few yards to find the line and knock on under the poles. Let off for the Reds who have the scrum feed.
2 min: Gibson-Park hoofs a box kick into touch. Brial catches the throw but the Reds stray off-side after a knock-on so Russell nudges it further upfield. The Lions will have the throw just out of the Red’s 22.
Alrighty! Here we go! The Reds, wearing navy blue, kick off.
Also curious to see how Huw Jones goes in midfield. It’s so hard to split the centres. Personally, I’d be backing international combos in the Tests.
So if Jones plays, then so should his Scottish mate Sione Tuipulotu. If Garry Ringrose plays, then so should his Irish pal Bundee Aki.
As it is for tonight, Aki partners Jones.
Not long to go.
Time for one piece from Rob Kitson. This one really is a cracker, mixing sport and nationalism.
Are any of you hung up about the origins of some Lions players? I’d love to hear from you.
The Wallabies picked eight Queensland Reds players in their latest batch, but only two are playing today.
They are Matt Faessler and Hunter Paisami.
‘‘We’re not going out on Wednesday just to participate.’’ said Faessler.
‘‘We want to play our style of footy and take it to them when we can.
“Not a day has gone by that I didn’t think about trying to get back for playing the Lions in some regard.”
The Reds are coached by former Ireland boss, and future Wallabies coach, Les Kiss.
I’m really excited to see how Marcus Smith makes an impact off the bench.
He went well against the Force last week. Another good show could see him make that 23 jumper his own.
Andy Farrell was speaking to Sky Sports:
I want us to be a bit more joined up in our whole game, with a sharper focus on making sure we stay in as many moments as we can. If we do that, we will get some continuity with our players. the obvious stuff from last week was the discipline, the kick-offs, but there is a lot more than that.
Like all the sides we are going to come up against, this is a huge occasion for the Reds. I know they are very well coached with Les [Kiss] at the helm.
They are a well-drilled side that can play in many ways. They are tough in the forwards with great set piece and fundamentals, but also dangerous backs as well. This is a big step up for us. It is about the performance and making sure we are proud of that in the manner we want to.
Tomos Williams is out for the rest of the tour.
The sad news was shared on Monday but it’s worth repeating again. The Welsh scrumhalf, one of only two Welshmen on the tour, tore a hamstring scoring a try against the Western Force on Saturday.
Jamison Gibson-Park was always going to be the main man in the 9 jersey, but who will support him off the bench?
England’s Alex Mitchell is in the match-day group today but he’ll be pushed by Scotland’s Ben White who was drafted into the squad.
How often do Lions teams lose midweek games?
Not often, as it turns out. Full disclosure, I’ve nicked this from Rugbyworld magazine and Richard Edwards (top work, Rich).
They crunched the numbers and found that a team comprising the best players from four nations usually have the beating of provincial club sides. Who knew?
In 2021 in South Africa the Lions had a win rate of 83% in their warm-ups, winning five and losing once to a South Africa A team in Cape Town.
The 2017 Test series in New Zealand was drawn 1-1 but the dirt trackers midweek struggled with a mere 57% win rate.
In 2013 (Australia), 2009 (South Africa) and 2001 (Australia) it was 86%, in 2005 (New Zealand) it was 78% and back in 1997 (South Africa), in perhaps the most famous of Lions tours, the midweek boys managed to win nine of their 10 warm-up games.
Our man on the ground, Rob Kitson, has been busy down under.
While you sit at your desk and pretend to do some work, why not take a glance at a couple of cracking yarns.
This is the latest Breakdown column looking at five selection posers ahead of the first Test:
One dilemma is at fullback. Keenan is unwell but Kinghorn joins the group after a triumphant Top 14 campaign in France:
One area that seems secure is the the tasty tasty half-back pair:
Team news
This is some outfit that Andy Farrell has assembled.
In fact, it looks like a Test team.
A late change sees the unwell Hugo Keenan switched out for Elliot Daly at fullback. But that’s hardly a downgrade, is it?
Skipper Maro Itoje completes an all-England second row and the halfbacks could be the most exciting pair in the game (with the possible exception of a couple of French fellas).
The Reds, who finished fifth in Super Rugby, have nine Australians and two former All Blacks in their ranks. Six Wallabies, though, including flanker Fraser McReight, scrum-half Tate McDermott and fly-half Tom Lynagh, are missing as they are being held back for Australia’s Test match against Fiji on Sunday.
Lions: Daly; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Van der Merwe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Stuart, Itoje (capt), Chessum, Curry, Morgan, Conan
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Bealham, Ryan, Earl, Mitchell, F Smith, Ringrose
Reds: Campbell (capt); Anderson, Flook, Paisami, Ryan; McLaughlin-Phillips, Thomas; Ross, Faessler, Toomaga-Allen, Canham, Salakaia-Loto, Uru, Bryant, Brial.
Replacements: Nasser, Blake, Fa’agase, Smith, Blyth, Vest, Werchon, Henry
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
The Lions have made their way across the great deserts of Australia and landed in Queensland.
They pasted the Western Force last week but I think the Reds will offer a sterner challenge.
The tourists should still have more than enough for a comfortable win and have named a formidable team (more on that in a bit).
But beyond the result, big Faz will be keeping a keen on eye on some combinations. These tune-ups only matter if a couple of cogs can turn together and everyone stays fit.
Of course, no one wants to lose a midweek game. A poor show here and a chance of a Test cap might fade away for a couple of players.
How will they get on today? Let’s find out together!
Kick-off is at 11am UK time, 8pm in Queensland.
Teams and other updates to come.
Fancy writing in? I’d love to hear from you.
#Queensland #Reds #British #Irish #Lions #rugby #union #tour #match #live #Lions #tour
