LIVE: First Nations & Pasifika XV v British & Irish Lions, Australia tour 2025
Owen Farrell captains the Lions at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, with kick-off at 11am Irish time.
22 Jul
72′ – TRY FOR FIRST NATIONS & PASIFIKA! Rob Leota in his hometown!
Game on! Excellent, sustained attack by FN&P and Leota eventually breaches the Lions’ goal-line defence.
Beale’s conversion drifts wide left, but...
22 Jul
64′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! Duhan van der Merwe!
Lovely, soft hands by Fin Smith. Owen Farrell with a beautiful dummy. Van der Merwe walks one home on the left, literally. A touch of class by the Lions’ 10-12 axis, there, after a...
22 Jul
46′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! OSBORNE AGAIN!
A spell of pressure inside the FN&P 22′ pays off as Blair Kinghorn, who had an atrocious first half, flings a wonderful left-handed bridge pass to Osborne.
Two tries on his Lions...
And breathe, from a Lions’ perspective. They get the job done in the end. But First Nations & Pasifika can be eternally proud of that effort. They’ve come closer to beating the Lions than any of the Super Rugby or invitational sides so far.
Thanks for joining us for this one. Catch you on Saturday!
22 Jul
12:51PM
80′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: The Lions lose their own lineout in the FN&P half. One last chance for the hosts, but they’ve got a long way to go. Might need a pen or two!
22 Jul
12:50PM
79′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: FN&P now attacking on the Lions’ 10′.
Charlie Gamble has been named man of the match by Australian broadcaster Stan Sport.
And Henry Pollock wins the jackal turnover that should win the game!
Penalty Lions for a neck-roll in the process.
That really should do it.
22 Jul
12:47PM
77′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: Loose pass by the home side drifts into touch on the left. Chance gone.
Hands on heads in the coaching box!
22 Jul
12:46PM
76′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: A FN&P chip through is dealt with well by Blair Kinghorn. Ben White exits to touch just outside the Lions’ 22′.
First Nations smell blood here!
22 Jul
12:45PM
74′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: Big roars from the home side as they force a knock-on at the back of a Lions maul, the ball forced out of Josh van der Flier’s hands.
First Nations win the scrum on halfway. They’ve really exploded back into life here!
Try for the Lions! First Nations & Pasifika 14-24 Lions
64′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! Duhan van der Merwe!
Lovely, soft hands by Fin Smith. Owen Farrell with a beautiful dummy. Van der Merwe walks one home on the left, literally. A touch of class by the Lions’ 10-12 axis, there, after a period of sustained phase attack by the tourists.
Smith’s touchline conversion is off the mark, but the Lions have breathing room at last.
22 Jul
12:30PM
59′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Osborne makes one excellent, saving aerial grab and calls a mark in his 22′. Moments later, he drops a slightly easier one clean. FN&P scrum outside the Lions’ 22′.
Osborne’s had a fine game, but it’s been that type of performance for the Lions overall. Inconsistent.
22 Jul
12:26PM
56′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Charlie Gamble — who won four turnovers for the Waratahs against the Lions — contributes to another there.
Counter-ruck led by Gamble and FN&P win a breakdown pen. Their ball, now, near halfway.
22 Jul
12:24PM
55′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Gregor Brown also on for his Lions debut. Has 10 caps for Scotland. A cousin of Blair Kinghorn’s.
Lions have a lineout outside the home 22′.
22 Jul
12:23PM
54′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Savage goal-line defence by First Nations!
Tom Clarkson came close twice, Ben Earl once, but the invitational side held them out.
Eventually, they force the ball out of Josh van der Flier’s grasp as he tries for the line.
Sensational stand by Kefu’s men!
22 Jul
12:21PM
52′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Lions playing more directly in this second half and dominating it so far.
Repeated infringements by FN&P and the Lions have a lineout near their 5′.
Tom Clarkson on for his Lions debut!
22 Jul
12:19PM
Disallowed try for the Lions!
51′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Josh van der Flier has a close-range finish chalked off after Garry Ringrose just about knocked on a loose ball on the ground as he dove to secure it a couple of metres from the hosts’ line.
There appeared another Lions knock-on earlier in the build-up, too — it would have been a messy score.
First Nations ripped the ball, it pinballed a bit, and then Ben White fly-hacked it upfield where Ringrose eventually knocked on in his effort to secure it.
Try for the Lions! First Nations & Pasifika 14-19 Lions
46′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! OSBORNE AGAIN!
A spell of pressure inside the FN&P 22′ pays off as Blair Kinghorn, who had an atrocious first half, flings a wonderful left-handed bridge pass to Osborne.
Two tries on his Lions debut!
Smith’s conversion from the right is off the mark.
Lions back in front, though, after a positive start to the second half. That spell of pressure came from a nice 50-22′ by Ben White.
The First Nations & Pasifika XV almost score again from an intercept at the break but the ball just falls to the wrong men at the wrong time, and the Lions scramble back to dot down a chip into their in-goal. Good defence by Duhan van der Merwe.
That’ll take us to the break. It looked ominous for FN&P at one point, but the Lions have ceded control of the game since then. Nobody really doing themselves any favours ahead of Saturday — aside from Taniela Tupou on the Australian side, maybe!
Catch you in 15.
22 Jul
11:49AM
38′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: First Nations force a knock-on during the Lions’ transfer at the maul! Great defence.
Hey, have to credit Toutai Kefu’s side here. They’ve looked well-drilled and hellbent on staying in the fight since going down 14-0!
The better team since then, overall.
22 Jul
11:47AM
36′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: Lions win another pen for offside. Some nice carries by Ringrose so far.
Lions lineout about 10 metres from the FN&P line.
22 Jul
11:46AM
35′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: The Lions have been really poor since their own second try, almost as though they gained their 14-0 lead too easily.
James Ryan and Pierre Schoeman have just won a counter-ruck penalty, though, and the tourists are into the First Nations’ half with a lineout.
22 Jul
11:43AM
30′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: First Nations & Pasifika have just won their second scrum pen. Bad day for the Lions tight five so far. Taniela Tupou having a fine game, one dumb penalty aside. Surely Joe Schmidt could use his heft on Saturday, or in the third Test.
22 Jul
11:39AM
29′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: First Nations win their third defensive breakdown pen in their own 22′ as Finlay Bealham goes off his feet to seal Lions ball.
Lions have steadied things since the levelling score but it’s been a scrappy period, all told. Not much to report.
Try for First Nations & Pasifika and yellow card for James Ryan (Lions)! First Nations & Pasifika 14-14 Lions
23′ – TRY FOR FIRST NATIONS & PASIFIKA!
Hello! Tuaina Taii Tualima batters his way over after multiple infringements by the Lions! A converted try, this one hard-earned, and James Ryan is the fall guy for the Lions, getting 10 minutes in the bin.
Try for First Nations & Pasifika! First Nations & Pasifika 7-14 Lions
18′ – TRY FOR THE HOSTS! TRISTON REILLY!
Blair Kinghorn’s long pass towards Owen Farrell is picked off by the opposition wing and he waltzes home under the sticks for Beale to convert.
A score from nothing and a nice moment for the invitational side.
22 Jul
11:24AM
17′ – FN&P 0-14 LIONS: Lions making that change now. Poor Darcy Graham. A shame for his tour to likely end this way — no sooner than it had started, really.
Ringrose into 13 and Osborne out to the right wing.
22 Jul
11:22AM
16′ – FN&P 0-14 LIONS: Graham is actually still on for the moment! Ringrose is stripped and ready to go, but maybe Graham wants to see if he can walk this one off.
22 Jul
11:21AM
14′ – FN&P 0-14 LIONS: Amashukeli has given First Nations a couple of sympathetic penalties at the breakdown.
Gonna need a few breaks to keep them alive here, even this early.
Darcy Graham looks hurt but from a separate collision to the Reilly high tackle. Looks like a leg injury of some kind.
Reilly, incidentally, is on his way back from the bin. But Garry Ringrose is about to come on for the Lions. Likely that Osborne will move to the right wing and Ringrose will move to 13.
Try for the Lions! First Nations & Pasifika 0-14 Lions
11′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! DARCY GRAHAM!
Too easy, especially against 14 men.
Beautiful skip pass off his left hand by Fin Smith. Darcy Graham sprints one home down the right edge and takes it a little bit closer for Smith, who duly converts.
First Nations in bother here already, as would have been expected to be honest.
8′ – FN&P 0-7 LIONS: Triston Reilly’s yellow will remain a yellow. No idea where they found mitigation there, to be honest. Darcy Graham is fine at least.
Try for the Lions! First Nations & Pasifika 0-7 Lions
8′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! JAMIE OSBORNE!
What a start for the Leinster and Ireland centre on his first Lions appearance! Owen Farrell’s left-footed chip over the top is collected by Osborne, who just about grounds the ball.
5′ – FN&P 0-0 LIONS: Lovely break by Fin Smith and Lions debutant Jamie Osborne links nicely with Farrell. Kinghorn eventually feeds Graham down the right and the Scottish wing appears to take a shoulder to the head as he’s tackled into touch.
This will be checked. It looks a cast-iron yellow and bunker review for Triston Reilly on first, second and third viewing.
And it is. Off he goes for at least 10 minutes.
22 Jul
11:06AM
3′ – FN&P 0-0 LIONS: The Lions have a try chalked off as Darcy Graham is found to have had a foot in touch before feeding Duhan van der Merwe for the score.
Beautiful move with Blair Kinghorn showing that electric pace of his in the build-up.
Owen Farrell will captain the Lions from inside centre as he looks to play his way into the Test 23 for Saturday.
Big day for the starting back row, for Garry Ringrose on the bench, and for Blair Kinghorn who returns from injury to start at fullback. All five of those players will fancy their chances of Test involvement.
The First Nations XV are captained by Kurtley Beale, one of six indigenous Australians in their squad. Wallabies tighthead Taniela Tupou starts, as does Australian international winger Filipo Daugunu.
Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli will be your man in the middle this morning.
Owen Farrell and Kurtley Beale at the coin toss. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
FIRST NATIONS & PASIFIKA XV: Andy Muirhead; Triston Reilly, Lalakai Foketi, David Feliuai, Filipo Daugunu; Kurtley Beale, Kalani Thomas; Lington Ieli, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Taniela Tupou; Darcy Swain, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto; Seru Uru, Charlie Gamble, Tuaina Taii Tualima.
Replacements: Richie Asiata, Marley Pearce, Mesake Doge, Mesake Vocevoce, Rob Leota, Harrison Goddard, Jack Debreczeni, Jarrah McLeod.
LIONS: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Jamie Osborne, Owen Farrell (captain), Duhan van der Merwe; Fin Smith, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Jamie George, Finlay Bealham; James Ryan, Scott Cummings; Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Tom Clarkson, Gregor Brown, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Garry Ringrose
The First Nations & Pasifika side, meanwhile, is a fairly hastily-arranged team composed of First Nations peoples, i.e. those who hail from the Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Māori, and Cook Island cultures which contribute to the rugby union community across Australia.
They were chosen as the Lions’ final warm-up opponents due to the collapse last year of Super Rugby’s Melbourne Rebels, who had been due to fill this slot in their home city.
Today will be the invitational side’s first ever game.
The First Nations’ head coach is Tongan-Australian great Toutai Kefu, who won a World Cup in 1999 and starred in the Wallabies’ first ever series win over the Lions in 2001.
Kefu’s assistant coach is All Blacks legend Tana Umaga, whom you might recall played a key role in the Lions’ 2005 tour of New Zealand…
Toutai Kefu in action against Ireland in 2002. INPHO
INPHO
Tana Umaga (R) renewing acquaintances with Brian O'Driscoll for an advertising campaign in 2018. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
How’re we doing, folks? Welcome to The 42′s live coverage of the British & Irish Lions’ final midweek game in Australia. They’ll take on a First Nations & Pasifika side in Melbourne at 11am Irish time.
It’s Gavan Casey with you here, and if you’re not at Marvel Stadium or don’t feel cheeky enough to watch the game during your workday, I’ll keep you up to date here.
Lions fans in Melbourne. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Andy Farrell addressing his side ahead of kick-off. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
The second Test between Australia and the Lions will take place at the 100,000-capacity MCG — known locally as “The ‘G” — in the same city on Saturday.
Today will be the final chance for the likes of Ireland’s Josh van der Flier, Wales’ Jac Morgan and England’s Henry Pollock to force their way into Andy Farrell’s Test 23.
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LIVE: First Nations & Pasifika XV v British & Irish Lions, Australia tour 2025
And breathe, from a Lions’ perspective. They get the job done in the end. But First Nations & Pasifika can be eternally proud of that effort. They’ve come closer to beating the Lions than any of the Super Rugby or invitational sides so far.
Thanks for joining us for this one. Catch you on Saturday!
80′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: The Lions lose their own lineout in the FN&P half. One last chance for the hosts, but they’ve got a long way to go. Might need a pen or two!
79′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: FN&P now attacking on the Lions’ 10′.
Charlie Gamble has been named man of the match by Australian broadcaster Stan Sport.
And Henry Pollock wins the jackal turnover that should win the game!
Penalty Lions for a neck-roll in the process.
That really should do it.
77′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: Loose pass by the home side drifts into touch on the left. Chance gone.
Hands on heads in the coaching box!
76′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: A FN&P chip through is dealt with well by Blair Kinghorn. Ben White exits to touch just outside the Lions’ 22′.
First Nations smell blood here!
74′ – FN&P 19-24 LIONS: Big roars from the home side as they force a knock-on at the back of a Lions maul, the ball forced out of Josh van der Flier’s hands.
First Nations win the scrum on halfway. They’ve really exploded back into life here!
72′ – TRY FOR FIRST NATIONS & PASIFIKA! Rob Leota in his hometown!
Game on! Excellent, sustained attack by FN&P and Leota eventually breaches the Lions’ goal-line defence.
Beale’s conversion drifts wide left, but there’s just a try in it with eight minutes or so to go!
64′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! Duhan van der Merwe!
Lovely, soft hands by Fin Smith. Owen Farrell with a beautiful dummy. Van der Merwe walks one home on the left, literally. A touch of class by the Lions’ 10-12 axis, there, after a period of sustained phase attack by the tourists.
Smith’s touchline conversion is off the mark, but the Lions have breathing room at last.
59′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Osborne makes one excellent, saving aerial grab and calls a mark in his 22′. Moments later, he drops a slightly easier one clean. FN&P scrum outside the Lions’ 22′.
Osborne’s had a fine game, but it’s been that type of performance for the Lions overall. Inconsistent.
56′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Charlie Gamble — who won four turnovers for the Waratahs against the Lions — contributes to another there.
Counter-ruck led by Gamble and FN&P win a breakdown pen. Their ball, now, near halfway.
55′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Gregor Brown also on for his Lions debut. Has 10 caps for Scotland. A cousin of Blair Kinghorn’s.
Lions have a lineout outside the home 22′.
54′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Savage goal-line defence by First Nations!
Tom Clarkson came close twice, Ben Earl once, but the invitational side held them out.
Eventually, they force the ball out of Josh van der Flier’s grasp as he tries for the line.
Sensational stand by Kefu’s men!
52′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Lions playing more directly in this second half and dominating it so far.
Repeated infringements by FN&P and the Lions have a lineout near their 5′.
Tom Clarkson on for his Lions debut!
51′ – FN&P 14-19 LIONS: Josh van der Flier has a close-range finish chalked off after Garry Ringrose just about knocked on a loose ball on the ground as he dove to secure it a couple of metres from the hosts’ line.
There appeared another Lions knock-on earlier in the build-up, too — it would have been a messy score.
First Nations ripped the ball, it pinballed a bit, and then Ben White fly-hacked it upfield where Ringrose eventually knocked on in his effort to secure it.
46′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! OSBORNE AGAIN!
A spell of pressure inside the FN&P 22′ pays off as Blair Kinghorn, who had an atrocious first half, flings a wonderful left-handed bridge pass to Osborne.
Two tries on his Lions debut!
Smith’s conversion from the right is off the mark.
Lions back in front, though, after a positive start to the second half. That spell of pressure came from a nice 50-22′ by Ben White.
41′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: Fin Smith gets us back underway at Marvel Stadium.
The First Nations & Pasifika XV almost score again from an intercept at the break but the ball just falls to the wrong men at the wrong time, and the Lions scramble back to dot down a chip into their in-goal. Good defence by Duhan van der Merwe.
That’ll take us to the break. It looked ominous for FN&P at one point, but the Lions have ceded control of the game since then. Nobody really doing themselves any favours ahead of Saturday — aside from Taniela Tupou on the Australian side, maybe!
Catch you in 15.
38′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: First Nations force a knock-on during the Lions’ transfer at the maul! Great defence.
Hey, have to credit Toutai Kefu’s side here. They’ve looked well-drilled and hellbent on staying in the fight since going down 14-0!
The better team since then, overall.
36′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: Lions win another pen for offside. Some nice carries by Ringrose so far.
Lions lineout about 10 metres from the FN&P line.
35′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: The Lions have been really poor since their own second try, almost as though they gained their 14-0 lead too easily.
James Ryan and Pierre Schoeman have just won a counter-ruck penalty, though, and the tourists are into the First Nations’ half with a lineout.
30′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: First Nations & Pasifika have just won their second scrum pen. Bad day for the Lions tight five so far. Taniela Tupou having a fine game, one dumb penalty aside. Surely Joe Schmidt could use his heft on Saturday, or in the third Test.
29′ – FN&P 14-14 LIONS: First Nations win their third defensive breakdown pen in their own 22′ as Finlay Bealham goes off his feet to seal Lions ball.
Lions have steadied things since the levelling score but it’s been a scrappy period, all told. Not much to report.
23′ – TRY FOR FIRST NATIONS & PASIFIKA!
Hello! Tuaina Taii Tualima batters his way over after multiple infringements by the Lions! A converted try, this one hard-earned, and James Ryan is the fall guy for the Lions, getting 10 minutes in the bin.
The home side draw level!
18′ – TRY FOR THE HOSTS! TRISTON REILLY!
Blair Kinghorn’s long pass towards Owen Farrell is picked off by the opposition wing and he waltzes home under the sticks for Beale to convert.
A score from nothing and a nice moment for the invitational side.
17′ – FN&P 0-14 LIONS: Lions making that change now. Poor Darcy Graham. A shame for his tour to likely end this way — no sooner than it had started, really.
Ringrose into 13 and Osborne out to the right wing.
16′ – FN&P 0-14 LIONS: Graham is actually still on for the moment! Ringrose is stripped and ready to go, but maybe Graham wants to see if he can walk this one off.
14′ – FN&P 0-14 LIONS: Amashukeli has given First Nations a couple of sympathetic penalties at the breakdown.
Gonna need a few breaks to keep them alive here, even this early.
Darcy Graham looks hurt but from a separate collision to the Reilly high tackle. Looks like a leg injury of some kind.
Reilly, incidentally, is on his way back from the bin. But Garry Ringrose is about to come on for the Lions. Likely that Osborne will move to the right wing and Ringrose will move to 13.
11′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! DARCY GRAHAM!
Too easy, especially against 14 men.
Beautiful skip pass off his left hand by Fin Smith. Darcy Graham sprints one home down the right edge and takes it a little bit closer for Smith, who duly converts.
First Nations in bother here already, as would have been expected to be honest.
8′ – FN&P 0-7 LIONS: Triston Reilly’s yellow will remain a yellow. No idea where they found mitigation there, to be honest. Darcy Graham is fine at least.
8′ – TRY FOR THE LIONS! JAMIE OSBORNE!
What a start for the Leinster and Ireland centre on his first Lions appearance! Owen Farrell’s left-footed chip over the top is collected by Osborne, who just about grounds the ball.
Smith converts from close range.
5′ – FN&P 0-0 LIONS: Lovely break by Fin Smith and Lions debutant Jamie Osborne links nicely with Farrell. Kinghorn eventually feeds Graham down the right and the Scottish wing appears to take a shoulder to the head as he’s tackled into touch.
This will be checked. It looks a cast-iron yellow and bunker review for Triston Reilly on first, second and third viewing.
And it is. Off he goes for at least 10 minutes.
3′ – FN&P 0-0 LIONS: The Lions have a try chalked off as Darcy Graham is found to have had a foot in touch before feeding Duhan van der Merwe for the score.
Beautiful move with Blair Kinghorn showing that electric pace of his in the build-up.
Ominous signs for the First Nations & Pasifika.
1′ – FN&P 0-0 LIONS: Nika Amashukeli sounds his whistle and Kurtley Beale kicks us off at Marvel Stadium, where the roof is closed.
Kick-off a few minutes behind schedule. Players just emerging from the tunnel now, led by former England captain Farrell and 95-cap Wallaby Beale.
Pete Samu, who was forbidden for playing for First Nations by the Lions, warmed up with the hosts…
Owen Farrell will captain the Lions from inside centre as he looks to play his way into the Test 23 for Saturday.
Big day for the starting back row, for Garry Ringrose on the bench, and for Blair Kinghorn who returns from injury to start at fullback. All five of those players will fancy their chances of Test involvement.
The First Nations XV are captained by Kurtley Beale, one of six indigenous Australians in their squad. Wallabies tighthead Taniela Tupou starts, as does Australian international winger Filipo Daugunu.
Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli will be your man in the middle this morning.
FIRST NATIONS & PASIFIKA XV: Andy Muirhead; Triston Reilly, Lalakai Foketi, David Feliuai, Filipo Daugunu; Kurtley Beale, Kalani Thomas; Lington Ieli, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Taniela Tupou; Darcy Swain, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto; Seru Uru, Charlie Gamble, Tuaina Taii Tualima.
Replacements: Richie Asiata, Marley Pearce, Mesake Doge, Mesake Vocevoce, Rob Leota, Harrison Goddard, Jack Debreczeni, Jarrah McLeod.
LIONS: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Jamie Osborne, Owen Farrell (captain), Duhan van der Merwe; Fin Smith, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Jamie George, Finlay Bealham; James Ryan, Scott Cummings; Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Tom Clarkson, Gregor Brown, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Garry Ringrose
Referee: Nika Amashukeli [GRU].
The First Nations & Pasifika side, meanwhile, is a fairly hastily-arranged team composed of First Nations peoples, i.e. those who hail from the Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Māori, and Cook Island cultures which contribute to the rugby union community across Australia.
They were chosen as the Lions’ final warm-up opponents due to the collapse last year of Super Rugby’s Melbourne Rebels, who had been due to fill this slot in their home city.
Today will be the invitational side’s first ever game.
The First Nations’ head coach is Tongan-Australian great Toutai Kefu, who won a World Cup in 1999 and starred in the Wallabies’ first ever series win over the Lions in 2001.
Kefu’s assistant coach is All Blacks legend Tana Umaga, whom you might recall played a key role in the Lions’ 2005 tour of New Zealand…
How’re we doing, folks? Welcome to The 42′s live coverage of the British & Irish Lions’ final midweek game in Australia. They’ll take on a First Nations & Pasifika side in Melbourne at 11am Irish time.
It’s Gavan Casey with you here, and if you’re not at Marvel Stadium or don’t feel cheeky enough to watch the game during your workday, I’ll keep you up to date here.
The second Test between Australia and the Lions will take place at the 100,000-capacity MCG — known locally as “The ‘G” — in the same city on Saturday.
Today will be the final chance for the likes of Ireland’s Josh van der Flier, Wales’ Jac Morgan and England’s Henry Pollock to force their way into Andy Farrell’s Test 23.
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