The British and Irish Lions landed in Australia earlier this week as their tour Down Under begins properly
With the tour warm-up out of the way and the British and Irish Lions now Down Under, the 2025 tour of Australia is well and truly underway.
The 28-24 defeat to Argentina would have offered a lot to head coach Andy Farrell, with his side showing promising signs in attack but ultimately proving wasteful with their execution. Still, having carried the ball more than any Lions team since the 2013 warm-ups, it was a clear indication of how Farrell’s Lions are going to play.
After three tours with Warren Gatland in charge, this is a very different Lions team when it comes to gameplan.
Possession-based rugby, with multiple carrying options off four-man pods and flankers holding their width on the edges, is straight out of Farrell’s Ireland playbook.
Unsurprisingly, given the Ireland-heavy squad, the tour is likely going to be defined by which players from the other home nations fit best into that system.
That is where the first match on Australian soil will be interesting, as Farrell now has a number of his Leinster contingent available.
Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and full-back Garry Ringrose were injury doubts as the tourists landed in Perth earlier this week, ahead of their Saturday clash with the Western Force.
But, while a decision will have to be made on those two later in the week, it seems likely Farrell’s Leinster Lions, as well as others involved in domestic finals with Bath and Leicester Tigers, will feature this weekend.
The Lions have a number of forwards who didn’t feature in Dublin last Friday after joining up late due to club commitments, so it’s just a question of whether Farrell chucks them straight in or hands them a bench slot.
An all-new front-five of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Will Stuart, Joe McCarthy and Ollie Chessum seems feasible, while Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan should feature in the back-row – with the Lions perhaps needing just a little more directness in the defeat to Argentina.
Bath fly-half Finn Russell, widely tipped as the favourite to start the Tests against the Wallabies, seems perfect for Farrell’s system. The pod system will allow him to sweep behind the bank of options and dictate play with his wide range of passing.
It seems likely he’ll start this weekend, with Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams – having been on the bench against Argentina – likeliest to partner him if Gibson-Park isn’t fit.
Farrell might even decide it’s sensible to start Williams regardless of any late fitness test for the Ireland half-back. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
In midfield, Farrell went for two 12s in Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu against Argentina. Rather than double up on outside centres this time around, he might be tempted to move Tuipulotu back to inside centre and partner him with Scotland team-mate Huw Jones.
In the back-three, it could feasibly be an all-Ireland affair. James Lowe and Mack Hansen could start on the wings.
If Keenan is fit, he’s the only out-and-out full-back currently with the Lions – with Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn still with Toulouse.
If not, Elliot Daly seems a sensible option to start there, unless Farrell wants another look at Marcus Smith in the role.
If Farrell also wants to look at Smith as a fly-half option, then a bench place alongside Ringrose could be an option.
Then it’s probably a case of looking at a number of the forwards used on Friday night.
Tadhg Furlong needs minutes, having barely featured off the bench before being forced off against Argentina. Wales captain Jac Morgan, having been taken off after 49 minutes, makes sense to provide back-row cover this weekend.
Possible Lions team to face Western Force: Elliot Daly/Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Tomos Williams; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Will Stuart, Joe McCarthy, Ollie Chessum, Henry Pollock, Josh van der flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Jac Morgan, Jamison Gibson-Park/Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Garry Ringrose.
