Lions 24 First Nations and Pasifika XV 19
Here is Gerry Thornley’s match report:
Here are John O’Sullivan’s match ratings:
That’s all from me for today, goodbye!
Andy Farrell: “Delighted for the lads against a very spirited First Nations and Pasifika side, they talked about how important it was during the week and they were great. We lost the run of ourselves after going 14 points up, started playing fancy rugby that wasn’t on. We sorted that out at the start of the second half. There were some great performances, I thought Ben White was very good, Jamie, some guys playing first games. We’ll have a meeting tomorrow, and see about the team for Saturday.”
Owen Farrell: “We made a great start to the game, but he didn’t get a foothold for the final 60 minutes of the game, so credit to them. It felt a bit frantic at times, if we had been a bit calmer times, we didn’t do that. We were a bit more direct at the start of the second half, but they got back in the game again. The kick chases in the second half were miles better than the first half.”
Man of the match: Charlie Gamble
Charlie Gamble on Sky Sports: We’re playing the best in the world, if you can’t get up for that, you can’t get up for anything. We had our chance at the end, just couldn’t get it done. Once in a lifetime for me, to represent my mum’s side, my Tongan side. The journeys and the tough work their parents had to do to get us where we are today.
80 mins: Wow, the Lions completely botch the lineout, straight to the First Nations. The hooter goes, one last attempt from inside their own half. They kick the ball away though, and Smith kicks it out of play.
Full-time: Lions 24 First Nations and Pasifika XV 19
Flawed performance by the Lions but great performance by the Indigenous Australian or Pacific Islander origin, they can be proud. Lions were hanging on at the end there.
79 mins: Debreczeni goes for a 50-22 and is well covered by Osborne, who claims the mark and then kicks into touch just inside their half. Brilliant turnover when it was needed by Pollock, which may be game over.
76 mins: Another turnover for the First Nations as they grow in confidence. They kick in behind and Ben White has to kick from a few metres from his own line. FNP have a lineout from the 22. Debreczeni with a long pass to the wing which is overhit and Muirhead can’t get to it.
73 mins: Try for First Nations and Pasifika! Big kick by Debreczeni and then First Nations kick chase is with serious energy and Ringrose ends up being pushed out. After a long lineout, they get to five metres. Good play and soft pass to Rob Leota who scores. Beale misses the conversion. Interesting final stages. Lions 24 FNP 19
64 mins: Try for Lions! Van der Merwe gets his try, nice dummy pass by the captain Farrell after soft hands by Smith, lays off to the Scottish player. Easy try for van der Merwe. Smith misses conversion. Lions 24 FNP 14
63 mins: FNP asking questions of Lions in the air, Kinghorn with a magnificent field though.
57 mins: First Nations are continuing to battle and won a few big defensive turnovers. Nice kick by Jack Debreczeni deep into Lions territory and gives the FNP a bit of relief.
54 mins: Thomas Clarkson is on for his Test debut and he’s among the group trying to get over the line from a few metres out. But it’s stolen by Thomas and they win a penalty.
51 mins: Try disallowed for Lions. Looked like another one for the Irish, van der Flier got it down with Ringrose involved. Messy ball and then White kicked ahead to Ringrose, who gathered, Smith handed on for van der Flier. But TMO notices that Ringrose knocked the ball on when gathering.
49 mins: Forward pass by George to van der Merwe gives up another try chance after a good lineout.
46 mins: Try for Lions! Osborne gets his second try. Space emerged, good pass by Smith and then Kinghorn with a long pass to Osborne on the wing to run in unchallenged. Smith misses the conversion. Lions 19 FNP 14
43 mins: 50-22 early on by Ben White sets up a try chance for Lions to start the second half. First Nations give away a penalty, playing advantage, Farrell chips through but recovered by FNP. Back for the penalty.
40 mins: They go for a rolling maul from the lineout but the First Nations stand up strong and cause a knock-on, they enjoyed that turnover.
In the final attack of the half, Lions are on the halfway line but not getting very far in the first few phases. Ringrose and Ryan make a bit of ground, then intercepted again!
First Nations run through but don’t have the legs to get to the line and the Lions recover just about but it’s half-time.
Half-time: Lions 14 First Nations and Pasifika 14
37 mins: Poor pass by Thomas is intercepted and White clears well. Schoeman puts in a big hit in the counter ruck to turn the ball over for the Lions. Can the Lions score before half-time? Clean lineout and then another Lions penalty for offside. Smith kicks to the corner.
34 mins: Great scrum by the First Nations and they win a scrum penalty. Another scuffle after it, they’re well up for it. Beale kicks to touch, attacking lineout ahead.
31 mins: Great carry by Ringrose brings Lions close to the five-metre line, but the Lions nemesis Gamble in the jackal and turns the ball over. Good work by Uru on Pollock, getting his revenge. First Nations and Pasifika looking like one of the best non-Test teams Lions have played so far, they are showing great passion, but Lions are making mistakes, as they do again missing touch from a penalty.
28 mins: Osborne with a knock-on gives away a scrum. TMO checking after a scrap between Pollock and Seru Uru, but they both get away with it.
24 mins: Tupou wins a scrum penalty in the middle of the pitch, Beale kicks to touch. Good spell for the First Nations, and they’re within five metres of the line.
Try for First Nations and Pasifika! Seru Uru shows his power and gets it over. Beale converts. Yellow card for James Ryan! Not going to plan for Lions. Lions 14 FNP 14
19 mins: Try for First Nations and Pasifika! Reilly straight for the try after coming out of the sinbin. Bad mistake by the Lions, Kinghorn fails to find Farrell and Reilly catches them out, intercepts and runs in. Lions 14 FNP 7
17 mins: Injury for Darcy Graham unfortunately after a bright start. Garry Ringrose is warming up, back from his concussion, and on he comes which may move Osborne to the wing.
They play on for now, some crisp passing before Kinghorn knocks the ball on.
12 mins: Another try for Lions! Graham runs in on the wing after a successful lineout, fantastic pass by Smith to wide, Smith converts. Lions 14 FNP 0
8 mins: Try for Lions! Jamie Osborne scores early try on his debut! Brilliant clever kick by Farrell, Osborne running onto it and nice bounce off the ground, he collects and over the line. Smith converts. Lions 7 FNP 0
7 mins: The Lions are playing well with ball in hand and almost had a try again, Gamble is in fisticuffs with Farrell. The captain with nice interplay with Osborne. The TMO is checking a collision to the head by Triston Reilly on Graham’s head. Yellow card for Reilly. Well deserved, can’t complain about that one. From the penalty, First Nations turn the ball over.
3 mins: Try disallowed for Lions. Early penalty for the Lions and two successful lineouts, then the Lions were motoring, Kinghorn accelerating through the space, Graham’s foot was in touch though before he gave to van der Merwe to score.
Some nice pageantry beforehand for the team of Indigenous Australian or Pacific Islander origin.
Here are the teams again, with the game to start in just over five minutes:
BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS: B Kinghorn (Scotland); D Graham (Scotland), J Osborne (Ireland), O Farrell (England, capt),D van der Merwe (Scotland); F Smith (England), B White (Scotland); P Schoeman (Scotland), J George (England), F Bealham (Ireland); J Ryan (Ireland), S Cummings (Scotland); J Morgan (Wales), J van der Flier (Ireland), H Pollock (England).
Replacements: E Ashman (Scotland), R Sutherland (Scotland), T Clarkson (Ireland), G Brown (Scotland), B Earl (England), A Mitchell (England), M Smith (England), G Ringrose (Ireland).
FIRST NATIONS AND PASIFIKA XV: Andy Muirhead (First Nations); Triston Reilly (First Nations), Lalakai Foketi (Maori & Tonga), David Feliuai (Samoa), Filipo Daugunu (Fiji); Kurtley Beale (First Nations, capt), Kalani Thomas (Maori); Lington Ieli (Fiji), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Samoa), Taniela Tupou (Tonga); Darcy Swain (Samoa), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Samoa); Seru Uru (Fiji), Charlie Gamble (Tonga), Tuaina Taii Tualima (Samoa).
Replacements: Richie Asiata (Samoa), Marley Pearce (Maori & First Nations), Mesake Doge (Fiji), Mesake Vocevoce (Fiji), Rob Leota (Samoa), Harrison Goddard (First Nations), Jack Debreczeni (Cook Island), Jarrah McLeod (First Nations).
It has been a dominant tour by the Lions so far, here have been their results, their only defeat coming in the curtain-raiser game before they left against Argentina in Dublin:
Lions 24 Argentina 28
Lions 54 Western Force 7
Lions 52 Reds 12
Lions 21 Waratahs 10
Lions 36 Brumbies 24
Lions 48 AUNZ Invitational 0
Lions 27 Australia 19
Read Gerry Thornley’s column about the Lions tour so far:
“The Wallabies need to demonstrate this can indeed be the start of the golden era. Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh believes it is possible two years out from a men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia. A women’s World Cup will follow in 2029, and then the Olympics in Brisbane 2032.
“But what if the Lions reaffirm their supremacy of last Saturday in the second and third Tests and complete a convincing 3-0 series win? And what if that is followed by another last-place finish in the Rugby Championship and another pool exit in a World Cup, and one on home soil?
“The Lions will surely tour here again 12 years hence, but there is no long-term Tour agreement and who knows what the future might hold? Joe Schmidt is a great coach but as things stand, this does not look like a vintage Wallabies generation.”
Check out Jamie Osborne’s reaction to being included in the Lions team:
“The Thursday before the Portugal game, he was in a taxi with Craig Casey, Cian Prendergast, Darragh Murray and Jack Crowley en route to a barber’s when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and saw it was Andy Farrell.
“It was out of the blue,” said Osborne, confirming that the Ireland and Lions head coach had given him no indication that he might come into consideration for a late call-up.
“He hadn’t said anything to me, but I was just in Lisbon and I got a phone call on Thursday at 11 o’clock and saw his name and thought, ‘this is probably good’.”
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Lions game against First Nations and Pasifika XV. Kick-off at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium is at 11am.
The opposition are a bit of a mouthful to say, but basically means they are a team of Indigenous Australian or Pacific Islander origin, and a second go at the Lions for the likes of Charlie Gamble and Taniela Tupou after playing for the Waratahs earlier in the tour.
Fresh off their defeat of the Wallabies, it’s a chance for some players who aren’t likely to be in the Test side, including late Irish call-ups Jamie Osborne, who starts, and Thomas Clarkson, who is on the bench. Andy Farrell’s son Owen captains the side.
BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS: B Kinghorn (Scotland); D Graham (Scotland), J Osborne (Ireland), O Farrell (England, capt),D van der Merwe (Scotland); F Smith (England), B White (Scotland); P Schoeman (Scotland), J George (England), F Bealham (Ireland); J Ryan (Ireland), S Cummings (Scotland); J Morgan (Wales), J van der Flier (Ireland), H Pollock (England).
Replacements: E Ashman (Scotland), R Sutherland (Scotland), T Clarkson (Ireland), G Brown (Scotland), B Earl (England), A Mitchell (England), M Smith (England), G Ringrose (Ireland).
FIRST NATIONS AND PASIFIKA XV: Andy Muirhead (First Nations); Triston Reilly (First Nations), Lalakai Foketi (Maori & Tonga), David Feliuai (Samoa), Filipo Daugunu (Fiji); Kurtley Beale (First Nations, capt), Kalani Thomas (Maori); Lington Ieli (Fiji), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Samoa), Taniela Tupou (Tonga); Darcy Swain (Samoa), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Samoa); Seru Uru (Fiji), Charlie Gamble (Tonga), Tuaina Taii Tualima (Samoa).
Replacements: Richie Asiata (Samoa), Marley Pearce (Maori & First Nations), Mesake Doge (Fiji), Mesake Vocevoce (Fiji), Rob Leota (Samoa), Harrison Goddard (First Nations), Jack Debreczeni (Cook Island), Jarrah McLeod (First Nations).
