All eyes are on the Adelaide Oval this morning as Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions play their final warm-up match before the big business of the Test series begins this day next week.
For a handful of players, this morning’s meeting with the Australia/New Zealand Invitational XV will be their final chance to catch Andy Farrell’s eye and force their way into the starting team for next week’s clash against the Wallabies.
There’s lots on the line, and kick-off is at 11am Irish time. We’ll have the team news momentarily.
12 Jul
10:41AM
TEAM NEWS: No shortage of Irish interest in the Lions team, as per usual, and once again Tadhg Beirne gets the nod as captain — but will he be one of the first 15 names on the team-sheet next Saturday?
Lions
15. Hugo Keenan
14. Mack Hansen
13. Huw Jones
12. Sione Tuipulotu
11. Duhan van Der Merwe
10. Fin Smith
9. Ben White
1. Pierre Schoeman
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie
3. Will Stuart
4. James Ryan
5. Tadhg Beirne (captain)
6. Henry Pollock
7. Jac Morgan
8. Ben Earl
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher
17. Andrew Porter
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Scott Cummings
20. Josh van der Flier
21. Alex Mitchell
22. Marcus Smith
23. Owen Farrell
12 Jul
10:44AM
TEAM NEWS: Here’s Les Kiss’s side, featuring no fewer than 14 full internationals. This looks set to be a right test for the Lions.
AUNZ Invitational XV
15. Shaun Stevenson
14. AJ Lam
13. Ngani Laumape
12. David Havili (co-captain)
11. Marika Koroibete
10. Tane Edmed
9. Folau Fakatava
16. Kurt Eklund
17. Joshua Fusitu’a
18. George Dyer
19. Matt Philip
20. Joe Brial,
21. Kalani Thomas
22. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips
23. Jock Campbell
12 Jul
10:47AM
Fair to say that the Lions have looked good in flashes, and after strong second halves to put away the Force and the Reds, they were made to work for their recent wins against the Waratahs and Brumbies.
For the record, the pre-match market has them as 14-point favourites today against AUNZ.
12 Jul
10:50AM
While you’re counting down the final few minutes to kick-off, here’s one of Murray Kinsella’s many pre-match pieces, running the rule over those who will be hoping to impress this morning:
[Farrell] said this isn’t a “last chance” for the players involved on Saturday because some of them will likely be needed in the second and third Tests if injuries strike, but the reality is that they have one final opportunity to state their claim for the first Wallabies clash.
With Scotland fullback Blair Kinghorn having gone for a scan after his knee injury against the Brumbies, the time is ripe for Hugo Keenan to make a big statement in the number 15 shirt against the AUNZ side.
Skipper Tadhg Beirne is too good to be written off from first Test involvement before he shows what he’s all about on Saturday, his lock partner James Ryan will look to be physical and accurate, while Mack Hansen must feel it’s a big chance to give Farrell a tough decision to make between him and Tommy Freeman for the first Test.
12 Jul
11:02AM
KICK OFF: We’re underway in the Adelaide Oval
12 Jul
11:03AM
1 min — AUNZ 0-0 Lions: What a marker from Jac Morgan. He thumps David Havili in the tackle and forces a knock-on. The Lions will have an early scrum deep in AUNZ territory.
12 Jul
11:04AM
2 mins — AUNZ 0-0 Lions: A first chance for the Lions backs to move the ball through hands, but Duhan van der Merwe is stood up in the tackle and then spills the ball forward. AUNZ put-in to the scrum.
12 Jul
11:06AM
3 mins — AUNZ 0-0 Lions: Hugo Keenan puts boot to ball and Mack Hansen is first man on the scene to contest. He doesn’t win it cleanly but does enough in the air to make sure it comes back on the Lions side.
12 Jul
11:07AM
5 mins — AUNZ 0-0 Lions: Fin Smith tries to hang one up but overcooks it slightly; Edmed claims an easy mark in his own 22 and then clears to the half-way line.
12 Jul
11:08AM
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-5 Lions (Van der Merwe, 7′)
Magnificent opportunism from the Lions, and they have the game’s opening try. Hugo Keenan is fully switched on as an AUNZ kick goes straight into touch, and before attack or defence can reset, he has taken the lineout quickly. Ben White is on the same wavelength, as is Duhan van der Merwe, who takes the pass off White’s shoulder and runs it in in the corner.
Smith’s conversion hangs right and wide, but the Lions lead.
Ruthless from the Lions, who are spotting any lapses in concentration from AUNZ and punishing them. This time, it’s Ben White who spots a bit of space around the fringes of a ruck and darts through the gap to run it in under the posts.
12 mins — AUNZ 0-12 Lions: Edmed flights a lovely kick in behind, which has Duhan van der Merwe all in a knot and scrambling. He dives to try and stop the ball going into touch but doesn’t quite get there in time. The Lions come away from the lineout with possession and can clear their lines.
12 Jul
11:19AM
16 mins — AUNZ 0-12 Lions: Edmed tries to pick out Koroibete with a crossfield kick but Mack Hansen’s positioning is spot on and he snuffs out the danger. He tries his own little bit of heads-up rugby to turn defence into attack, taking a quick tap and kicking into space, but the ball skews off his boot unfortunately.
12 Jul
11:20AM
17 mins — AUNZ 0-12 Lions: Huw Jones breaks the AUNZ line and charges downfield. He kicks ahead, and Fin Smith leads the chase, but AUNZ scramble to clear — and the clearing kick is touched, which will give them the lineout throw and a chance to further relieve the pressure.
12 Jul
11:22AM
19 mins — AUNZ 0-12 Lions: Very nearly a third for the Lions, but Henry Pollock is just held up in the corner. They could have scored a few times there – Schoeman was inches short a couple of moments before that. It’s back for a penalty advantage for AUNZ offside, and the Lions will tap and go…
12 Jul
11:22AM
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-17 Lions (Van der Merwe, 21′)
Beautiful backline play from the Lions, and it ends with Van der Merwe running in his second of the afternoon without an AUNZ jersey laying a finger on him.
White digs it out of the ruck, Tuipulotu is at first receiver, Smith is on the loop, and Hansen ships it on quickly to make sure that DVDM has the time and space to score, and to run it back a little bit closer to the posts.
It’s a similar-ish position to Smith’s first conversion attempt, which he missed right… and he misses this one left. Not his finest start from the tee, but the Lions are 17-0 up.
12 Jul
11:29AM
25 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: A brief break in play to allow Andrea Piardi to consult the TMO; Shannon Frizell was driving for the line. The replay show that the ball was ripped — illegally, as it happens — by Huw Jones, but it’s all immaterial as there was an earlier AUNZ knock-on a phase earlier. Lions scrum.
12 Jul
11:35AM
30 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: My word, Huw Jones. He carves open AUNZ with not one, but two, big breaks in quick succession. It deserves a try but when Hansen takes the pass, he’s quickly bottled up. He gets his hands free to release Cowan-Dickie in the corner, but it’s all very tight, and he can’t gather the ball under pressure before it bobbles dead.
12 Jul
11:37AM
32 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: Promising moment let slip from the Lions as Fin Smith’s pass drifts between Tuipulotu and Keenan. Keenan gets half a hand on it as he reaches, but only to knock it forward. Had that gone to hand, the Lions had the numbers in good positions and could very well have been in again.
12 Jul
11:41AM
36 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: AUNZ on the front foot in Lions territory as Edmed drops the ball over Hugo Keenan, and under pressure, it bounces forward off his chest and into the hands of Laumape. Before the attack can develop, play is stopped so that Luke Cowan-Dickie can get medical attention. It looks like he’s taken a knee to the head.
12 Jul
11:44AM
Play is still stopped here while Cowan-Dickie is attended to…
12 Jul
11:46AM
Worrying scenes as Luke Cowan-Dickie is driven from the field in a stretcher and neck brace. Hopefully it is all largely precautionary, and he gets the all-clear and is back on his feet soon. Ronan Kelleher is on the replace him.
12 Jul
11:48AM
38 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: We restart with a few phases of AUNZ attack, but the Lions defence does well to hold them up and drive them back, before Ben Earl forces a turnover. Keenan clears, and is within a bounce of a brilliant 50/22. AUNZ send it right back with change, and it’ll be Ronan Kelleher’s first lineout throw just outside the Lions 22.
12 Jul
11:50AM
40 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: Last attack of the half as AUNZ claim their own lineout on halfway.
12 Jul
11:50AM
HALF TIME: AUNZ 0-17 Lions
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto makes a break for it down the line, and Shannon Frizell is there in support, but as he tries to keep the attack alive, he runs out of space, and Hugo Keenan doesn’t need to be asked twice before running the ball into touch to end the half.
Plenty for the Lions to be happy with there. We’ll be back in a few.
12 Jul
12:04PM
Some breaking news here from Murray Kinsella in Adelaide, as Garry Ringrose has emerged as an injury doubt for next Saturday’s first Test.
12 Jul
12:05PM
Assistant coach Andrew Goodman is speaking to Sky Sports, but has no further update yet on Luke Cowan-Dickie’s condition following that first-half injury. Hopefully there will be some positive news shortly.
12 Jul
12:07PM
SECOND HALF: We’re back underway in Adelaide – and Ben Earl wastes no time in getting started with a great line break off the restart.
12 Jul
12:09PM
43 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: Here come the Lions! AUNZ let the ball go to ground and Huw Jones is quickest to react, hacking the ball deep into AUNZ territory. Hansen is first on the scene, but the ball bobbles unkindly, which forces him to pounce on it rather than it sitting up kindly. The Lions pile forward and when play breaks down, it back for an advantage.
12 Jul
12:10PM
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-24 Lions (Tuipulotu, 44′)
And there’s the Lions fourth try — a clever feint switches the point of attack, and a gap opens up in front of Tuipulotu, which he powers through. Smith converts.
12 Jul
12:13PM
Sam Warburton is on analysis duty for Sky Sports, and with the Lions’ lead now looking comfortable, he feels that they should set themselves the goal of holding AUNZ to nil.
12 Jul
12:15PM
47 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Penalty to AUNZ inside the Lions 22 — it looks like it is for Tadhg Beirne not releasing in the tackle. AUNZ tap and go through Salakaia-Loto, who tries to drive it up the middle…
12 Jul
12:17PM
49 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Pete Samu is dragged down by Duhan van der Merwe, but AUNZ keep coming forward, and then as the attack gets clogged up close to the line, they’re pinged for crossing.
12 Jul
12:17PM
50 mins — Lions substitution: Here comes Owen Farrell! He’s on to replace Huw Jones in midfield.
12 Jul
12:19PM
As well as Farrell, Marcus Smith and Finlay Bealham are also on for Fin Smith and Will Stuart respectively.
12 Jul
12:21PM
54 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Lovely flash of magic from Henry Pollock who tries a little dink over the top of Shaun Stevenson and then comes within a fingernail of gathering on the other side.
12 Jul
12:22PM
55 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Pollock bringing good width to the Lions attack again, and it looks like he’s put Ben White away for White’s second try of the afternoon, but the ball drifts just forward out of Pollock’s hands, and Andrea Piardi is on it in a flash.
12 Jul
12:25PM
56 mins — AUNZ 0- 24: Marcus Smith keeps deep in search of a 50/22, but Edmed is equal to it, and returns the ball into Lions territory. The Lions secure the lineout, and go to the air again, and though Hansen competes well, it’s knocked on by Pollock as he goes to gather.
12 Jul
12:26PM
58 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Finlay Bealham is pinged at that scrum for stepping around, giving Edmed a chance to get AUNZ back on the front foot.
12 Jul
12:26PM
Lions substitution: That’s the end of Tadhg Beirne’s afternoon as the captain heads off to be replaced by Scott Cummings.
12 Jul
12:27PM
60 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Brilliant breakdown work from the Lions as they isolate George Dyer and force the turnover penalty.
12 Jul
12:28PM
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-31 Lions (Cummings, 61′)
Ben White pulls the strings brilliantly off a Lions attacking lineout, and it ends with a Scott Cummings try with one of his first involvements off the bench. There’s big carries in there from Owen Farrell and from Ben Earl, but White is the man linking it all together until Cummings powers over to score. Marcus Smith tacks on the extras.
12 Jul
12:30PM
Lions substitution: And that is Ben Earl’s last involvement, as he makes way for Josh van der Flier.
12 Jul
12:31PM
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-36 Lions (Van der Merwe, 64′)
DUHAN VAN DER MERWE HATTRICK! The Lions are really starting to enjoy themselves now as they rack up a score. Owen Farrell stands in at first receiver to take the pass, skips Marcus Smith, and then there’s quick hands from both Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan to put DVDM away on the wing. He still has to run it home, but it’s wide open space in front of him as he cruises in for his hattrick.
Smith’s conversion attempt tries to just draw back in off the right upright – but hits the post.
68 mins — AUNZ 0-36 Lions: Another breakdown penalty against AUNZ for going in off their feet at the breakdown, and the Lions will go hunting try number seven off the back of this lineout…
12 Jul
12:37PM
69 mins — YELLOW CARD! Shannon Frizell collapses the lineout maul, and that’s one team infringement too many in the eyes of Andrea Piardi.
12 Jul
12:38PM
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-41 Lions (Kelleher, 69′)
Not for the first time today, AUNZ switch off – and the Lions switch on! This time, the quick thinking comes from Ronan Kelleher who takes the lineout short to Pierre Schoeman at the front. Schoeman gives it back to Kelleher, who drives through both Kalani Thomas and Tane Edmed to score in the corner. Marcus Smith’s conversion effort is well right this time.
12 Jul
12:41PM
72 mins — AUNZ 0-41 Lions: Another big involvement from Ben White — this time on defence — as he bundles Shaun Stevenson into touch as the AUNZ fullback looks to make something happen.
12 Jul
12:43PM
73 mins — AUNZ 0-41 Lions: Edmed kicks over the head of Van der Merwe — and again, he doesn’t look the most comfortable in dealing with it, fumbling it backwards before scooping it up at the second attempt.
12 Jul
12:44PM
74 mins — AUNZ 0-41 Lions: Mack Hansen’s another Lion who has had plenty of bright spots tonight, and he drives through a gap left by David Havili before he’s brought to earth by a tap tackle.
12 Jul
12:44PM
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-48 Lions (Pollock, 76′)
That is outstanding hustle from Henry Pollock, and it fully deserves a try. Farrell spots space in behind Edmed and kicks through, and though the AUNZ 10 is first to the ball, his pass back inside to Harry McLaughlin-Phillips is loose. As McLaughlin-Phillips dives to ground the ball in goal, Pollock is right there too and reaches his hand through to ground it first. The TMO has a quick look, and confirm, and Pollock checks his pulse while Marcus Smith lines up another conversion. He makes this one.
12 Jul
12:49PM
79 mins — AUNZ 0-48 Lions: Frizell is back on, restoring AUNZ to their full complement for the final 60 seconds.
12 Jul
12:50PM
79 mins — AUNZ 0-48 Lions: The TMO has stepped in now to review a clearout by Joshua Fusitu’a on Jac Morgan.
12 Jul
12:51PM
YELLOW CARD! Fusitu’a is off to the bin for a dangerous clearout, with a bunker review to follow.
12 Jul
12:53PM
FULL TIME: AUNZ 0-48 Lions
The Lions press for the score that will take them through the 50-point mark, but the ball is lost forward — and that’s that.
A very impressive performance from all involved today, holding AUNZ to nil — and there’ll be plenty of those involved today who’ll feel that they’ve given Andy Farrell and his staff something to mull over before next Saturday’s opening Test.
12 Jul
12:56PM
Ben Earl is the Player of the Match.
12 Jul
12:57PM
That’s all from us for now, but stay with us throughout the day for lots more reporting, reaction and analysis from Murray Kinsella in Adelaide.
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As it happened: Lions v AUNZ Invitational XV, Australia Tour 2025
AUNZ 0-48 Lions
All eyes are on the Adelaide Oval this morning as Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions play their final warm-up match before the big business of the Test series begins this day next week.
For a handful of players, this morning’s meeting with the Australia/New Zealand Invitational XV will be their final chance to catch Andy Farrell’s eye and force their way into the starting team for next week’s clash against the Wallabies.
There’s lots on the line, and kick-off is at 11am Irish time. We’ll have the team news momentarily.
TEAM NEWS: No shortage of Irish interest in the Lions team, as per usual, and once again Tadhg Beirne gets the nod as captain — but will he be one of the first 15 names on the team-sheet next Saturday?
Lions
15. Hugo Keenan
14. Mack Hansen
13. Huw Jones
12. Sione Tuipulotu
11. Duhan van Der Merwe
10. Fin Smith
9. Ben White
1. Pierre Schoeman
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie
3. Will Stuart
4. James Ryan
5. Tadhg Beirne (captain)
6. Henry Pollock
7. Jac Morgan
8. Ben Earl
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher
17. Andrew Porter
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Scott Cummings
20. Josh van der Flier
21. Alex Mitchell
22. Marcus Smith
23. Owen Farrell
TEAM NEWS: Here’s Les Kiss’s side, featuring no fewer than 14 full internationals. This looks set to be a right test for the Lions.
AUNZ Invitational XV
15. Shaun Stevenson
14. AJ Lam
13. Ngani Laumape
12. David Havili (co-captain)
11. Marika Koroibete
10. Tane Edmed
9. Folau Fakatava
1. Aidan Ross
2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa
3. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
4. Angus Blyth
5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (co-captain)
6. Shannon Frizell
7. Pete Samu
8. Hoskins Sotutu
Replacements:
16. Kurt Eklund
17. Joshua Fusitu’a
18. George Dyer
19. Matt Philip
20. Joe Brial,
21. Kalani Thomas
22. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips
23. Jock Campbell
Fair to say that the Lions have looked good in flashes, and after strong second halves to put away the Force and the Reds, they were made to work for their recent wins against the Waratahs and Brumbies.
For the record, the pre-match market has them as 14-point favourites today against AUNZ.
While you’re counting down the final few minutes to kick-off, here’s one of Murray Kinsella’s many pre-match pieces, running the rule over those who will be hoping to impress this morning:
[Farrell] said this isn’t a “last chance” for the players involved on Saturday because some of them will likely be needed in the second and third Tests if injuries strike, but the reality is that they have one final opportunity to state their claim for the first Wallabies clash.
With Scotland fullback Blair Kinghorn having gone for a scan after his knee injury against the Brumbies, the time is ripe for Hugo Keenan to make a big statement in the number 15 shirt against the AUNZ side.
Skipper Tadhg Beirne is too good to be written off from first Test involvement before he shows what he’s all about on Saturday, his lock partner James Ryan will look to be physical and accurate, while Mack Hansen must feel it’s a big chance to give Farrell a tough decision to make between him and Tommy Freeman for the first Test.
KICK OFF: We’re underway in the Adelaide Oval
1 min — AUNZ 0-0 Lions: What a marker from Jac Morgan. He thumps David Havili in the tackle and forces a knock-on. The Lions will have an early scrum deep in AUNZ territory.
2 mins — AUNZ 0-0 Lions: A first chance for the Lions backs to move the ball through hands, but Duhan van der Merwe is stood up in the tackle and then spills the ball forward. AUNZ put-in to the scrum.
3 mins — AUNZ 0-0 Lions: Hugo Keenan puts boot to ball and Mack Hansen is first man on the scene to contest. He doesn’t win it cleanly but does enough in the air to make sure it comes back on the Lions side.
5 mins — AUNZ 0-0 Lions: Fin Smith tries to hang one up but overcooks it slightly; Edmed claims an easy mark in his own 22 and then clears to the half-way line.
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-5 Lions (Van der Merwe, 7′)
Magnificent opportunism from the Lions, and they have the game’s opening try. Hugo Keenan is fully switched on as an AUNZ kick goes straight into touch, and before attack or defence can reset, he has taken the lineout quickly. Ben White is on the same wavelength, as is Duhan van der Merwe, who takes the pass off White’s shoulder and runs it in in the corner.
Smith’s conversion hangs right and wide, but the Lions lead.
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-12 Lions (White, 10′)
Ruthless from the Lions, who are spotting any lapses in concentration from AUNZ and punishing them. This time, it’s Ben White who spots a bit of space around the fringes of a ruck and darts through the gap to run it in under the posts.
Smith converts and the Lions are motoring.
12 mins — AUNZ 0-12 Lions: Edmed flights a lovely kick in behind, which has Duhan van der Merwe all in a knot and scrambling. He dives to try and stop the ball going into touch but doesn’t quite get there in time. The Lions come away from the lineout with possession and can clear their lines.
16 mins — AUNZ 0-12 Lions: Edmed tries to pick out Koroibete with a crossfield kick but Mack Hansen’s positioning is spot on and he snuffs out the danger. He tries his own little bit of heads-up rugby to turn defence into attack, taking a quick tap and kicking into space, but the ball skews off his boot unfortunately.
17 mins — AUNZ 0-12 Lions: Huw Jones breaks the AUNZ line and charges downfield. He kicks ahead, and Fin Smith leads the chase, but AUNZ scramble to clear — and the clearing kick is touched, which will give them the lineout throw and a chance to further relieve the pressure.
19 mins — AUNZ 0-12 Lions: Very nearly a third for the Lions, but Henry Pollock is just held up in the corner. They could have scored a few times there – Schoeman was inches short a couple of moments before that. It’s back for a penalty advantage for AUNZ offside, and the Lions will tap and go…
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-17 Lions (Van der Merwe, 21′)
Beautiful backline play from the Lions, and it ends with Van der Merwe running in his second of the afternoon without an AUNZ jersey laying a finger on him.
White digs it out of the ruck, Tuipulotu is at first receiver, Smith is on the loop, and Hansen ships it on quickly to make sure that DVDM has the time and space to score, and to run it back a little bit closer to the posts.
It’s a similar-ish position to Smith’s first conversion attempt, which he missed right… and he misses this one left. Not his finest start from the tee, but the Lions are 17-0 up.
25 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: A brief break in play to allow Andrea Piardi to consult the TMO; Shannon Frizell was driving for the line. The replay show that the ball was ripped — illegally, as it happens — by Huw Jones, but it’s all immaterial as there was an earlier AUNZ knock-on a phase earlier. Lions scrum.
30 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: My word, Huw Jones. He carves open AUNZ with not one, but two, big breaks in quick succession. It deserves a try but when Hansen takes the pass, he’s quickly bottled up. He gets his hands free to release Cowan-Dickie in the corner, but it’s all very tight, and he can’t gather the ball under pressure before it bobbles dead.
32 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: Promising moment let slip from the Lions as Fin Smith’s pass drifts between Tuipulotu and Keenan. Keenan gets half a hand on it as he reaches, but only to knock it forward. Had that gone to hand, the Lions had the numbers in good positions and could very well have been in again.
36 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: AUNZ on the front foot in Lions territory as Edmed drops the ball over Hugo Keenan, and under pressure, it bounces forward off his chest and into the hands of Laumape. Before the attack can develop, play is stopped so that Luke Cowan-Dickie can get medical attention. It looks like he’s taken a knee to the head.
Play is still stopped here while Cowan-Dickie is attended to…
Worrying scenes as Luke Cowan-Dickie is driven from the field in a stretcher and neck brace. Hopefully it is all largely precautionary, and he gets the all-clear and is back on his feet soon. Ronan Kelleher is on the replace him.
38 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: We restart with a few phases of AUNZ attack, but the Lions defence does well to hold them up and drive them back, before Ben Earl forces a turnover. Keenan clears, and is within a bounce of a brilliant 50/22. AUNZ send it right back with change, and it’ll be Ronan Kelleher’s first lineout throw just outside the Lions 22.
40 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: Last attack of the half as AUNZ claim their own lineout on halfway.
HALF TIME: AUNZ 0-17 Lions
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto makes a break for it down the line, and Shannon Frizell is there in support, but as he tries to keep the attack alive, he runs out of space, and Hugo Keenan doesn’t need to be asked twice before running the ball into touch to end the half.
Plenty for the Lions to be happy with there. We’ll be back in a few.
Some breaking news here from Murray Kinsella in Adelaide, as Garry Ringrose has emerged as an injury doubt for next Saturday’s first Test.
Assistant coach Andrew Goodman is speaking to Sky Sports, but has no further update yet on Luke Cowan-Dickie’s condition following that first-half injury. Hopefully there will be some positive news shortly.
SECOND HALF: We’re back underway in Adelaide – and Ben Earl wastes no time in getting started with a great line break off the restart.
43 mins — AUNZ 0-17 Lions: Here come the Lions! AUNZ let the ball go to ground and Huw Jones is quickest to react, hacking the ball deep into AUNZ territory. Hansen is first on the scene, but the ball bobbles unkindly, which forces him to pounce on it rather than it sitting up kindly. The Lions pile forward and when play breaks down, it back for an advantage.
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-24 Lions (Tuipulotu, 44′)
And there’s the Lions fourth try — a clever feint switches the point of attack, and a gap opens up in front of Tuipulotu, which he powers through. Smith converts.
Sam Warburton is on analysis duty for Sky Sports, and with the Lions’ lead now looking comfortable, he feels that they should set themselves the goal of holding AUNZ to nil.
47 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Penalty to AUNZ inside the Lions 22 — it looks like it is for Tadhg Beirne not releasing in the tackle. AUNZ tap and go through Salakaia-Loto, who tries to drive it up the middle…
49 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Pete Samu is dragged down by Duhan van der Merwe, but AUNZ keep coming forward, and then as the attack gets clogged up close to the line, they’re pinged for crossing.
50 mins — Lions substitution: Here comes Owen Farrell! He’s on to replace Huw Jones in midfield.
As well as Farrell, Marcus Smith and Finlay Bealham are also on for Fin Smith and Will Stuart respectively.
54 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Lovely flash of magic from Henry Pollock who tries a little dink over the top of Shaun Stevenson and then comes within a fingernail of gathering on the other side.
55 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Pollock bringing good width to the Lions attack again, and it looks like he’s put Ben White away for White’s second try of the afternoon, but the ball drifts just forward out of Pollock’s hands, and Andrea Piardi is on it in a flash.
56 mins — AUNZ 0- 24: Marcus Smith keeps deep in search of a 50/22, but Edmed is equal to it, and returns the ball into Lions territory. The Lions secure the lineout, and go to the air again, and though Hansen competes well, it’s knocked on by Pollock as he goes to gather.
58 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Finlay Bealham is pinged at that scrum for stepping around, giving Edmed a chance to get AUNZ back on the front foot.
Lions substitution: That’s the end of Tadhg Beirne’s afternoon as the captain heads off to be replaced by Scott Cummings.
60 mins — AUNZ 0-24 Lions: Brilliant breakdown work from the Lions as they isolate George Dyer and force the turnover penalty.
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-31 Lions (Cummings, 61′)
Ben White pulls the strings brilliantly off a Lions attacking lineout, and it ends with a Scott Cummings try with one of his first involvements off the bench. There’s big carries in there from Owen Farrell and from Ben Earl, but White is the man linking it all together until Cummings powers over to score. Marcus Smith tacks on the extras.
Lions substitution: And that is Ben Earl’s last involvement, as he makes way for Josh van der Flier.
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-36 Lions (Van der Merwe, 64′)
DUHAN VAN DER MERWE HATTRICK! The Lions are really starting to enjoy themselves now as they rack up a score. Owen Farrell stands in at first receiver to take the pass, skips Marcus Smith, and then there’s quick hands from both Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan to put DVDM away on the wing. He still has to run it home, but it’s wide open space in front of him as he cruises in for his hattrick.
Smith’s conversion attempt tries to just draw back in off the right upright – but hits the post.
68 mins — AUNZ 0-36 Lions: Another breakdown penalty against AUNZ for going in off their feet at the breakdown, and the Lions will go hunting try number seven off the back of this lineout…
69 mins — YELLOW CARD! Shannon Frizell collapses the lineout maul, and that’s one team infringement too many in the eyes of Andrea Piardi.
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-41 Lions (Kelleher, 69′)
Not for the first time today, AUNZ switch off – and the Lions switch on! This time, the quick thinking comes from Ronan Kelleher who takes the lineout short to Pierre Schoeman at the front. Schoeman gives it back to Kelleher, who drives through both Kalani Thomas and Tane Edmed to score in the corner. Marcus Smith’s conversion effort is well right this time.
72 mins — AUNZ 0-41 Lions: Another big involvement from Ben White — this time on defence — as he bundles Shaun Stevenson into touch as the AUNZ fullback looks to make something happen.
73 mins — AUNZ 0-41 Lions: Edmed kicks over the head of Van der Merwe — and again, he doesn’t look the most comfortable in dealing with it, fumbling it backwards before scooping it up at the second attempt.
74 mins — AUNZ 0-41 Lions: Mack Hansen’s another Lion who has had plenty of bright spots tonight, and he drives through a gap left by David Havili before he’s brought to earth by a tap tackle.
TRY FOR THE LIONS! AUNZ 0-48 Lions (Pollock, 76′)
That is outstanding hustle from Henry Pollock, and it fully deserves a try. Farrell spots space in behind Edmed and kicks through, and though the AUNZ 10 is first to the ball, his pass back inside to Harry McLaughlin-Phillips is loose. As McLaughlin-Phillips dives to ground the ball in goal, Pollock is right there too and reaches his hand through to ground it first. The TMO has a quick look, and confirm, and Pollock checks his pulse while Marcus Smith lines up another conversion. He makes this one.
79 mins — AUNZ 0-48 Lions: Frizell is back on, restoring AUNZ to their full complement for the final 60 seconds.
79 mins — AUNZ 0-48 Lions: The TMO has stepped in now to review a clearout by Joshua Fusitu’a on Jac Morgan.
YELLOW CARD! Fusitu’a is off to the bin for a dangerous clearout, with a bunker review to follow.
FULL TIME: AUNZ 0-48 Lions
The Lions press for the score that will take them through the 50-point mark, but the ball is lost forward — and that’s that.
A very impressive performance from all involved today, holding AUNZ to nil — and there’ll be plenty of those involved today who’ll feel that they’ve given Andy Farrell and his staff something to mull over before next Saturday’s opening Test.
Ben Earl is the Player of the Match.
That’s all from us for now, but stay with us throughout the day for lots more reporting, reaction and analysis from Murray Kinsella in Adelaide.
Thanks for reading!
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