British and Irish Lions: Winners and losers as tourists get into groove while Australia pin hopes on injury returnees | Rugby Union News

The main winners and losers as British and Irish lions put in their rhythm against Australia with the first test victory, while the Wallabies of Joe Schmidt are now pinning their hopes on the returneurs of injuries …

The Lions of Andy Farrell produced a dominant display on Saturday to win 27-19 and advance 1-0 in their three test series.

Below, we look at some of the main discussion points to emerge from Brisbane …

Beirne, Curry, Russell the Big Lions winning

While Andy Farrell himself referred to the post-match press conference in Brisbane, a large part of the lions coverage before this first test was centered on the selection of the head coach.

Many wanted and predicted Jac Morgan and Ollie Chessum to start in the position of the flanker, while others had Josh van der Flier or Henry Pollock online for the role of OpenSide. Very few had Tom Curry inked to cope with the Wallabies.

Tadhg Beirne had also faced a meticulous examination of some of his on -tour performances, not having reached the heights of which he turned out to be so capable of Ireland despite the Lions captain in two games this summer.

But Farrell knows what he likes, and he loves what he knows. He turned to two experienced and physical experts, who both toured lions before in 2021.

The fact that they combined to help get points on the table in the very first second of the competition were almost comical, Curry toning in James Slipper in the first of many crisis tubes, and Beirne soon had a break to force a guilty 3-0 penalty.

Beirne was appointed player of the match, but the Gong could so easily have gone to Curry, and Farrell was very justified coach.

Among the three best players on the field, Curry and Beirne were undoubtedly n ° 1 and n ° 2 – although Fly -Half Russell could have a word or two to say on this subject.

The Mercurial Scot was at its best language and bewitching, producing discharges, attacking kicks and sequences that pass from the upper drawer. It is not much better than Russell posted in the first half.

McCarthy, Kelleher, Keenan for a nervous week

The lions came out of the comfortable winners and, in many ways, have little to be too concerned. However, to think that there will be no changes of squad, from the test one to the test two would be naive.

One of those of the team that can be uncomfortable in an uncomfortable week – and not because of its performance, although it is far from its best unleashing – will be lock Joe McCarthy.

Farrell later revealed that the voluminous 24 -year -old was forced at the start of the second half due to a foot problem of Fascia Plantaire he managed. The Lions head coach confirmed that they should see “if we did so in time” with regard to his availability in the future.

A player that it would be a surprise to see in the test team next Saturday in Melbourne would be the replacement calculation Ronan Kelleher, after his introduction saw the defect alignment once again.

From Kelleher’s five throws, three were lost – including the final chance of adding a fourth test in the interior of the Wallabies 22. If Luke Cowan -Dick returns to fitness, he has a great chance to come to the team, while Tuesday’s match against First Nations & Pasifika XV can simply open a door for a Jamie George.

Elsewhere, the great rear Hugo Keenan will be so disappointed with his role in the opening of Australia after having overturned the ball in the hands of the Wallabies marker, Max Jorgensen.

Keenan was violently sick earlier on tour, so much so that he lost almost almost almost a weight stone, but his big ball work has not been to his usual standards and that it is suspected that Blair Kinghorn will breathe his neck this week in training, provided that the Scottish has overcome his knee problem.

Schmidt Pins Hope on Valetini, Skelton returns

Listening to the post-match reflections of Joe Schmidt in the intestines of the Suncorp stadium was almost like being teleported to the days of Kiwi in charge of Ireland in 2019. It was strange.

Schmidt is a perfectionist and deals with immense details with regard to the offensive framework and the plans he describes to his players.

As such, in the aftermath of a loss, he focuses very well on what he perceives as the quasi-attack.

“If Maro Itoje does not understand his hand on the path of one of our attacks, we had a lot of wide space for Jorgensen”, or “if the test of Joseph Suaalii is given and that the margin is 12 points before the last quarter …”

There were many other similar feelings expressed by Schmidt, which even went so far as to point the difference in difference in terms of a score line – eight points – being a decent reward for the fights of his team. What he did not recognize is that it was the most senior flattery that Australia ends with such a small deficit.

By looking at Ireland and the success that Schmidt brought, the supporters tended to be sucked in by such rhetoric and would think in similar lines – I should know it, because I was – but that can be an exhausting way to digest a defeat.

Especially since when, by any objective standard, lions were by far the best side on Saturday.

Schmidt later confirmed that Rob Valetini and Lock, Skelton, are both in good shape and available for Melbourne, and the Australian hopes of the second test are now firmly pinned about the return of these two in the hope that he will somewhat equal the stakes from a power point of view.

As Sky Sports’ Ronan O’Gara stressed full -time, however, the Lions could have been 40 points ahead in this opening test, such was their domination and their ascendant.

Schmidt has a lot of work to do.

What is the next step: British and Irish Lions Tour in Australia on Sky Sports

Sky Sports will exclusively show the tour of the British and Irish lions in 2025 in Australia, with the three tests against the Wallabies and seven games to show exclusively live.

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