Following a 27-19 victory for the British & Irish Lions over the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday, here’s our five takeaways from the Test at Suncorp Stadium.
The top line
The British and Irish Lions took first blood in their 2025 tour to Australia but it was a performance that sparkled in the first half and fizzled out in the second as the Wallabies demonstrated the grit and intellect that often characterises their rugby.
Andy Farrell’s men will rue the number of opportunities they left on the pitch in the first half, but there’s little doubt that they were outplayed in the second, as the relative impact of the replacements couldn’t be more polarised.
The Lions tries came from Sione Tuipulotu, the superb Tom Curry and Dan Sheehan, with the Wallabies matching them as Tate McDermott, Max Jorgensen and Carlo Tizzano grabbed scores that will leave the Lions perplexed about their second-half intensity and defensive effort.
The Lions will be delighted at the result, they’ll be chuffed at the first half performance and its defensive intensity, but they’ll be hugely disappointed at how they failed to gather possession or momentum in the second half.
Loose carries and indiscipline littered the Lions second half performance. Australia owned the ball with 64% possession and 63% territory during that second half which they won 14-10. The Lions conceded nine penalties under pressure and the longer the match went on, so Australia grew into the game.
Back-row shines
A lot was made of Andy Farrell’s back-row selection before this Test, as the head coach omitted the likes of Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier and Ben Earl, all tour standouts, and opted for a bulldozing trio of Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan.
To a man the Lions trio were immense. Curry showed his Test match appetite with a thundering display of pressure, physicality and support. He delivered the complete game, scoring one, assisting the Sheehan try and putting more physical presence into the Wallaby midfield than anyone would have imagined. It was no coincidence that Australia grew and found space when he left the pitch after 57 minutes of suffocating brilliance and his selection was fully justified.
Alongside Curry, Beirne went deep and big into the match, topping the tackle count with 23 and the turnover count with three – the Munster man putting in a huge shift and, like Curry, totally vindicating his selection.
With Jack Conan making hard metres in traffic and also hammering 16 tackles and 11 carries, you might also just want to add Sheehan as an honourable member of that back-row. The Irish hooker was absolutely immense during his time on the pitch, with perfect lineout stats, some thundering carries for 50m with ball in hand, and a try to boot.
Half-back contrast
Pressured to breaking point by Curry and Beirne, Tom Lynagh had a disappointing debut in the shirt his father wore so many times with such distinction. He struggled to break the shackles of the ferocity of the Lions defence, and found himself so far behind the gain line that his back division were forced to go back with him, thus losing any form of attacking shape or structure.
Jake Gordon struggled to get go-forward and his aerial work lacked accuracy, kicking either too short or too long, but again, the pressure he was under from that back-row performance was a telling factor in his failure.
For the Lions, Jamison Gibson-Park was the magician that kept them going forward, whether it be from exit or from attacking positions. His box-kicking was pinpoint and his distribution, especially when Curry was on – clearing rucks so efficiently – was fast and assured.
Alongside him, Finn Russell’s first half was magical at times. His handling for the Tuipulotu try was wonderful, firstly feinting and popping, then looping around for his second intervention to throw a magnificent pass off his left hand to send the Scottish centre over.
One thing that Joe Schmidt learned was the half-backs that finished the match were far more effective than the starting duo. Ben Donaldson showed intelligence and skill to keep phase momentum and get his guys going forward for extended periods, Tate McDermott was a veritable jack in the box for the Wallabies and, finding freedom around the fringes, it was his pace of foot and thought that saw him crash over for the third Australian try, an appropriate reward for a really impactful performance from the replacement half-back.
Relative benches
The biggest single contrast in the match was the relative finishing performances of the benches.
For the Lions, Ronan Kelleher had an absolute shocker with his lineout. Four throws went awry, three of them completely misthrown, and that put continual pressure on the Lions in exit. Andy Farrell will want a lot more from set-piece accuracy next weekend in Melbourne and with Jamie George now in the ranks, the Lions may just choose to go for the precision of ‘Jinx’ in the throw.
With only Bundee Aki and Will Stuart really adding anything for the Lions off the timber, there will be a real discussion about what can make that impact for Farrell’s men next weekend and there may be a number of changes considered for Melbourne.
On the flip side, the Wallaby replacements shone, with Angus Bell, Tom Hooper and Tizzano really upping the tempo and contributing alongside the impact of Donaldson and McDermott. Bell was a force in the loose, carrying hard and direct, whilst Tizzano continued his incredible scoring record of recent times as he crashed over from short range to embarrass the Lions in the second half.
Looking ahead
If the Wallabies can bring back the likes of Will Skelton, Bobby Valetini and others into this side for the second Test, then this series will ignite. The sheer power that Skelton brings around the breakdown and the carrying power of Valetini on the blindside flank will make a huge difference to Australia.
Valetini’s usual cohorts, Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson, were absolutely superb on the front foot, even given the way the Lions back-row performed, and adding the big flanker into that trio will strengthen Australia no end, giving them vital go-forward.
Expect to see the half-backs that finished retained, and there’s also rumours James O’Connor will come in on the bench as an impact utility player, potentially making the Wallabies mark two a far more formidable outfit than the team that pushed the Lions close in the game.
For Andy Farrell, he will surely consider a change or two in the back three. Duhan van der Merwe offers such threat with ball in hand, Blair Kinghorn such variety in attack and neither James Lowe or Hugo Keenan were at their sharpest.
Elsewhere, the starters will remain, although there’s injury concerns over Joe McCarthy’s ankle and Tom Curry’s troublesome wrist. The biggest changes will come on the bench. Will we see a 6-2? There was certainly a drop-off in intensity in the Lions effort after 60 minutes and gamechangers like Henry Pollock and Jac Morgan will certainly come under discussion, as will the hooking berth, after the nonplussing performance of the Lions in the second half.