46 Mins: The camera focuses on a pretty deflated looking Joe Schmidt. Australia have a scrum just before the 22, but Australia end up giving away a penalty for obstruction. A bit unlucky, as Tom Curry nearly got in the way when he was well offside, but the ref wasn’t interested.
Australia 5 – 24 Lions
43 Mins: Joe McCarthy makes way for Ollie Chessum. McCarthy is getting a bit of treatment, but it doesn’t look too serious.
Australia 5 – 24 Lions
42 Mins: Try for the Lions! And it’s Dan Sheehan! Gibson-Park kicks for touch straight away, and the long Australia lineout is intercepted by Curry. Jones drives in further, and then those two combine a couple of phases later to play in Dan Sheehan for the first Irish try of the Lions tour! Russell converts from a really tight angle.
Australia 5 – 24 Lions
The teams are back out on the pitch at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Here’s Tuipulotu’s try, the first of the 2025 Lions test series.
It’s been a dominant first half for the Lions, who could have put more scores on the board really. Jorgensen’s try was a bit of individual brilliance by the Wallabies winger, but was an isolated moment in a half where Australia failed to carve out many chances.
Half-time: Australia 5 – 17 Lions
39 Mins: Good turnover by Australia, but they don’t follow it and Lowe boots it back under little pressure. Lions lineout just inside their half. Short from Sheehan to Gibson-Park. Nice box kick, Lynagh claims it superbly and is then crunched very late by Curry, who has thrown his weight around a few times now.
Australia 5 – 17 Lions
35 Mins: Try for the Lions! Tom Curry with the try! Itoje gathers the lineout and a few carries get them close, but the captains carry effort is held up. Another penalty for the Lions. Sheehan taps it and dives, Genge tries next, and then Curry gets over the line! Russell converts.
Australia 5 – 17 Lions
34 Mins: The ball bobbles up, but Itoje grabs it and makes ground. Huw Jones makes another big carry and the Lions get a penalty advantage. Gibson-Park switches to Lowe, but he can’t get it over the line without knocking it on. Russell chooses a lineout.
Australia 5 – 10 Lions
32 Mins: Gibson-Park and Russell help move the Lions forward. Keenan gets his hands to a loose ball. Intricate play from the Lions, but they move the ball forward so easily. Russell switches the play with a kick, but McCarthy can’t quite ground it without knocking it on.
Australia 5 – 10 Lions
28 Mins: Try for Australia! Jorgensen. The Lions’ scrum collapses, and Lynagh moves the Wallabies out of their half. They need a score on the board, but the Lions defence looks solid. Lynagh covers well when the Lions clear, and Jorgensen competes for the next kick with Freeman, wins it, beats Russell and finishes. Lynagh can’t convert from a tight angle.
Australia 5 – 10 Lions
26 Mins: Lions win that lineout and break out, Genge makes a big carry, but the ball slips out for the Wallabies to reclaim possession. Little bit of handbags, with McCarthy at the forefront, but nothing serious. Ref lets them off with a stern warning.
Australia 0 – 10 Lions
24 Mins: Gibson-Park and Freeman go down the blindside, but it all gets a bit complex and Australia get a lineout. Lynagh’s kick is nearly fumbled by Lowe, but him and Keenan muddle through. Australia get a turnover in the Lions then as Gibson-Park can’t get to the ball. Lynagh somewhat wastes his kick chance, giving it straight to Freeman.
Australia 0 – 10 Lions
22 Mins: Lynagh takes the penalty, and then Australia earn another to get them out of their half. They lose it softly, but then the following kick from Australia was nearly perfect. Keenan played it well, it bounced over the try line, and the Lions will set up now in the Wallabies half.
Australia 0 – 10 Lions
20 Mins: Try disallowed for the Lions. Big turnover by the Lions, and Russell wallops it downfield, forcing Lynagh to put it out of play. From that lineout Keenan and Lowe linked up to stretch Australia on the far side, and then Lowe sent Huw Jones into the clear. He was tackled, failed to release the ball, and clambered over the line. Let off for the Wallabies, but probably the right call.
Australia 0 – 10 Lions
17 Mins: First bit of good Australia play for a while now, Keenan gives up a scrum after a kick comes bobbling out of him. They work it to the Lions 22, where the Lions hold them for 10 phases so far.
Australia 0 – 10 Lions
14 Mins: Lynagh is being targeted under high kicks, with Freeman getting right on him. Freeman gathers a long Wallabies kick, but Lowe is a bit wasteful with his kick going out over the end line.
Australia 0 – 10 Lions
12 Mins: Superb take from Keenan after the restart. Then Lowe touches a Gibson-Park kick back, and they force an Australia lineout in their own 22.
Australia 0 – 10 Lions
9 Mins: Bad knock on by Australia right after by Ikitau. Gibson-Park takes a free kick after the scrum collapsed and the Lions fly at the Wallabies line again. Russell carries well, there’s a penalty advantage and then an amazing Russell pass finds Tuipulotu who gets it over the line! Simple conversion from Russell.
Australia 0 – 10 Lions
6 Mins: Great kick by Russell, who puts it right to the far corner, where Potter mishandles it for a Lions lineout. Great carry from Freeman after the resulting lineout, but the Wallabies win a penalty for not releasing, and the danger is snuffed out.
Australia 0 Lions 3
4 Mins: Australia get their first bit of sustained possession and Lynagh nearly finds a gap in the defence. Luckily James Lowe is in the way, and Huw Jones gets his hands on the next kick.
Australia 0 Lions 3
1 Mins: And we’re off, the first Lions-Australia test of the tour is underway. Straight away there’s a penalty for the Lions at the first breakdown! Russell will go for the posts, and he gets it from about 30 yards.
Australia 0 Lions 3
The teams are out! Lights shows, pyrotechnics, and general razzmatazz all ‘round.
Both teams look ready to go here in their dressing rooms, only a few minutes away.
The warmups are over, as the players head back down the tunnel for some last words before the game.
With less than 15 minutes left until kickoff, read Gerry Thornley’s tour diary, chronicling some of the lighter stuff from the week with the players.
[Gerry Thornley’s Lions Tour Diary: Take me to Churchie, then Death and Taxes]
There was an expectation of tension between Johnny Sexton and Finn Russell on the Lions tour, but thankfully that has dissipated. Russell is going to be a particularly key man for the Lions today.
[Johnny Sexton backs ‘flash’ Finn Russell to produce his best on first Lions start]
Here’s the Lions results so far on this tour:
Lions 24 – 28 Argentina
Force 7 – 54 Lions
Reds 12 – 52 Lions
Waratahs 10 – 21 Lions
Brumbies 24 – Lions 36
AUNZ Invitational 0 – 48 Lions
Barry Sheehan, father of Dan, has been writing about the experience of being a parent on tour with the Lions. It’s a “vicarious life” writes Sheehan.
Just an hour to go before kickoff now, people slowly filtering into the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Australia have only won a Lions series twice in history, while the Lions have beaten the Wallabies in seven series. The last tour of Oz was won by the Lions in 2013, while the 2001 series was an incredible win for the Wallabies.
New Zealand have beaten France 29-19. Good start for Southern Hemisphere sides today.
With eight players in today’s lineup, Ireland makes up the majority of this Lions starting 15, and it could have been more writes Gerry Thornley.
[Gerry Thornley: If anything there could have been more Irish in Lions side for first Test]
Having previously helped Ireland return to the top table, Joe Schmidt knows all about turning a team’s fortunes around. The Wallabies head coach will have a few tricks up his sleeve according to former Ireland and Lions scrum half Conor Murray.
[Conor Murray: Never assume anything when playing against a Joe Schmidt team]
Matt Williams emphasised the importance of these tests for Australia, in a historically weak era for the Wallabies.
Finn Russell has been one of the standouts so far on the Lions tour. On the other side, the inexperienced Tom Lynagh has been chosen to direct the Wallabies’ play in the absence of the injured Noah Lolesio.
[Lions v Wallabies head-to-heads: Finn Russell v Tom Lynagh]
Meanwhile, at openside flanker, England’s Tom Curry will be under the microscope, with plenty of competition for his spot. Australia’s Frasier McReight is one of the most influential Wallabies players, especially at the breakdown.
[Lions vs Wallabies head-to-heads: Fraser McReight v Tom Curry]
Here’s the preview of today’s game, with the Lions heavily fancied to win in Australia. However, the Wallabies beat England and Wales, and lost narrowly to Ireland last year, so they will be hopeful that their fortunes are changing.
[Joe Schmidt plots unlikely Lions scalp amid feeling of ‘now or never’ for Australian rugby]
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the British and Irish Lions first test against Australia. Finally, the warm ups are over and the test match is here. Kickoff in Brisbane is at 11am Irish time.
Here are the two teams that have been named to start this first test:
Australia: T Wright; M Jorgensen, JA Suaalii, L Ikitau, H Potter; T Lynagh, J Gordon; J Slipper, M Faessler, A Alaalatoa, N Frost, J Williams; N Champion de Crespigny, F McReight, H Wilson. Replacements: B Pollard, A Bell, T Robertson, T Hooper, C Tizzano, T McDermott, B Donaldson, A Kellaway
British and Irish Lions: H Keenan (Ireland); T Freeman (England), H Jones (Scotland), S Tuipulotu (Scotland), J Lowe (Ireland); F Russell (Scotland), J Gibson-Park (Ireland); E Genge (England), D Sheehan (Ireland), T Furlong (Ireland); M Itoje (England) – captain, J McCarthy (Ireland); T Beirne (Ireland), T Curry (England), J Conan (Ireland). Replacements: R Kelleher (Ireland), A Porter (Ireland), W Stuart (England), O Chessum (England), B Earl (England), A Mitchell (England), M Smith (England), B Aki (Ireland).