Lions dominate Australia to win opening test

Australia 19-27 Lions

Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions produced a dominant display against Australia in Brisbane to win 27-19 and move 1-0 ahead in their three-Test series.

The tourists scored three tries through centre Sione Tuipulotu, flanker Tom Curry and hooker Dan Sheehan, before taking their foot off the gas somewhat during the second period.

Fly-half and playmaker Finn Russell produced an outstanding performance in his time on the pitch, executing highlight-reel attacking moments and finishing 100 per cent off the kicking tee (one penalty, three conversions). Replacement Marcus Smith also slotted a late penalty.

The Wallabies scored through Max Jorgensen, Carlo Tizzano and Tate McDermott tries – the latter two once Australia were 19 and 15 points down respectively – but Joe Schmidt’s charges were worryingly outperformed across the park, struggling most in the physical stakes and at lineout.

The Lions made an ideal start to the contest as Tadhg Beirne forced a breakdown penalty 24 seconds in after a thumping Curry tackle, with Russell slotting over for 3-0.

By the ninth minute the Lions had their opening try as a purring Russell executed two exquisite pieces of attacking play: throwing an around-the-defender offload to send Sheehan running on into the 22, and then a perfect long left-hand pass for Tuipulotu to slide in untouched.

The Lions made their first errors in the Test shortly after as James Lowe kicked dead and Hugo Keenan then knocked on while sliding, but the tourists produced an outstanding defensive stand by their own 22, forcing Australia back repeatedly before Beirne won possession at the breakdown again.

The Lions thought they had a second try in the 19th minute when Huw Jones finished off a move down the left after fantastic play by Lowe, but a TMO review saw the score ruled out – Jones harshly ruled to have been tackled before he returned to his feet to ground.

Just 10 minutes later the hosts earned a try out of nowhere as a high ball was spilled by Lions full-back Keenan, with wing Jorgensen accepting the gift to sprint in down the right.

Tom Lynagh missed the conversion, though, and the remainder of the half was dominated by the Lions: lock Joe McCarthy just failed to reach a Russell kick-pass, Lowe knocked on by the try-line and Maro Itoje was held up, all before Curry did score their second as he dipped his head to get over.

Russell converted for a 17-5 half-time advantage, with Curry perhaps slightly fortunate to avoid a sin-binning just before the break for hitting Lynagh hard while the Australia No 10 was still airborne.

Like in the opening period, the Lions made a flying start to the half as Curry skilfully took in an Australia lineout overthrow and the Lions scorched forward through Jones. There was no letting up until they scored, with Sheehan finishing down the wing in trademark fashion.

Russell converted wonderfully from the touchline for a hefty 24-5 lead, before Lions tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong was fortunate to avoid a sin-binning for a clear-out which caught the head of Joseph Suaalii, albeit the centre was rising.

The Wallabies soon had a flurry of 22 chances as the Lions pressure relented slightly, but Suaalii was denied a try by the TMO when replays showed he had crawled over instead of releasing the ball in an incident not too dissimilar to Jones’ disallowed score in the first half.

Wings Potter and Jorgensen were denied try chances as the bounce of the ball went against them in successive plays, but the Wallabies did get a second try when Tizzano forced his way over from close range.

With six minutes to play, any faint hopes Australia had were extinguished when Marcus Smith kicked over a close-range penalty to restore the gap to three scores.

There remained just enough time for replacement scrum-half McDermott to snipe over, but the Lions were left far the happier come full-time.

Australia: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, Matt Faessler, Alan Ala’alatoa; Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams; Nick Champion de Crespigny, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).

Replacements: Billy Pollard (for Faessler, 48), Angus Bell (for Slipper, 48), Tom Robertson (for Alaalatoa, 58), Tom Hooper (for Williams, 59), Carlo Tizzano (Champion de Crespigny, 66), Tate McDermott (for Gordon, 59), Ben Donaldson (for Lynagh, 61), Andrew Kellaway (for Ikitau, 68).

British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje, Joe McCarthy; Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (for Sheehan, 61), Andrew Porter (for Genge, 48), Will Stuart (for Furlong, 57), Ollie Chessum (for McCarthy, 44), Ben Earl (for Curry, 57), Alex Mitchell (for Gibson-Park, 75), Marcus Smith (for Russell, 66), Bundee Aki (for Tuipulotu, 57)

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZRU)