FOUR IRISHMEN IN the mix and a helluva lot of big Welsh lads as the Lions looked to win the First Test on their way to end a 16-year series-winning drought.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail patrick@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
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Lions 23-21 Australia
Good morning one and all – from Mallow to Melbourne, Bruff to Brisbane and everywhere in between.
Here’s Jason Robinson’s preview for the First Test. The rugby league convert was in scintillating form Down Under in 2001 and got the party started with the opening try in the First Test with the Wallabies:
YouTube credit: HSBC
I’d love to get greeted by Jason Robinson and gorgeous George Gregan when I rolled off a long-haul flight.
Let’s have your predictions for the game. No scoreline is too silly, no pessimism shall be shunned. Stories of early-morning beer and bacon sessions welcome…
We have a separate post on TheScore.ie of some of the Irish Lions supporters and their flags but we thought we must share this on the liveblog:
Stirring stuff ladies! (Credit: @RuthGorman_UTV)
On Tuesday, I asked for first try-scorer predictions and was rewarded with four Lions penalties and a 14-12 defeat. I’m much more confident about the Lions XV today so let me know what Lions you think will score the first try. Correct predictions get lavished with praise.
Our Toronto-based chum David Elkin is facing a stiffer task to watch today’s match. For him it is a 6am kick-off. Here are his thoughts:
The Lions team nearly picked itself in the end. The key aspect, as in nearly all international tests now, is the bench. Lydiate covering the back row is a major source of concern. Warburton has been back for two games, and a potential injury to the captain would be a game defining moment. Croft, in theory, would move to 7. This just isn’t going to cut it against Hooper and the mobile Australian forwards. The breakdown area would be dominated by the home side, and probably make them near unstoppable.
“Anyway, I have that unique mix of excitement and a foreboding sense of dread that comes with every major sporting occasion featuring a team I support. Go Lions.”
Let us know if you are following the action from abroad too.
Ian O’Reilly predicts Tom Croft as first Lions try-scorer. The Englishman got a double against the Springboks in 2009. Who else is taking a punt?
Will Greenwood is pumped on Sky Sports. ‘Geech’ and Paul Wallace look bemused by his finger-pointing antics:
POLL: What Irish player do you expect will make the biggest impact for the Lions today:
Poll Results:
Good luck messages on SS1 from a plethora of famous faces including this future Olympian:
‘Kick seven shades of shite out of that Genia bloke’ … we’re paraphrasing here.
Here are the teams:
Lions XV to face Australia: Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, Brian O’Driscoll, Jonathan Davies, George North; Jonathan Sexton, Mike Phillips; Alex Corbisiero, Tom Youngs, Adam Jones; Alun Wyn Jones, Paul O’Connell; Tom Croft, Sam Warburton (c), Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Richie Hibbard, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Dan Lydiate, Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, Sean Maitland.
Here’s how the Wallabies are lining up:
Australia XV to play Lions: Berrick Barnes, Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Leali’ifano, Digby Ioane; James O’Connor, Will Genia; Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander; Kane Douglas, James Horwill (c); Ben Mowen, Michael Hooper, Wycliff Palu.
Replacements: Saia Fainga’a, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Rob Simmons, Liam Gill, Nick Phipps, Pat McCabe, Kurtley Beale.
I’ll say this before kick-off — I’m predicting Alex Cuthbert for first Lions try-scorer. For all the flack he has picked up, that lad is an attacking menace.
While the Australian national anthem is being belted out, here is a final good luck message courtesy of Sky Sports and our very own Robbie Keane:
‘Smash ‘em up the guts lads and let Leigh kick ‘em to death’
Early lineout and Tom Youngs with the throw. Heaslip at the front snares it. Confidence builder. We’ve got a Wallaby down, prone already. Christian Leali’ifano is out cold after getting bashed by Jonathan Davies. The stretcher is on. Clock stopped at 53 seconds.
Thumbs up from Christian Leali’ifano but his game is over:
Wallaby captain James Horwill sends his injured teammate on his way with a pat on the shoulder.
Crumbs. Early engagement scrum free-kick awarded against the Lions. That was predicted beforehand. Aussies with their first attack but they are turned over. Sexton takes it into contact, then North does likewise out wide.
Sexton’s cross-field kick to Cuthbert goes awry and Ioane claims. He’s no Isa. O’Driscoll harshly penalised for going off his feet at the ruck. O’Connor lines it up…
Miss from JO’C. Looked good all the way but he swung it left from 40 metres out.
Another penalty but this one is clearer. BO’D says ‘Can I ask you to look at the video?’ but that’s not going to swing it. O’Connor will hope to have his range at this stage.
Free kick against the Aussies for early engagement. Warburton calls for another scrum. Adam Jones starts the fun. They are DRIVEN back! Penalty awarded. And here are the Lions fans in strong voice. Sexton hits the line.
Not straight but we’ll take it. Heaslip at the front again. Lions on the Oz 22. Good hands from Halfpenny. No snipes allowed for Phillips. Aussies on him like hungry dogs. Lions still have the ball. Phases building.
TRY! Lions 0-5 Australia (Folau ’13)
O’Driscoll with a beauty of a quick pass to Halfpenny up the right wing. Penalty and advantage called. Lions press for seven points instead. Advantage now called over. Penalty goes to the Aussies. Genia breaks. Finds Folau up the right. Looks forward — maybe a kick through. Try!
CON: Lions 0-7 Australia (O’Connor ’14)
Yep it was a kick through from Genia. Amazing assist from the wee man. O’Connor slots the conversion over.
Could have been 3-0 Lions but they fancied their chances, were turned over and stung by some brilliant, opportunistic rugby by Genia.
Sexton puts up a bomb. Genia pouches and is swallowed up by Halfpenny and North. Somehow he presents. Aussies back him up at the ruck. Genia backs off and sends a steepler up himself. Cuthbert drops a dolly forward.
Corbisiero crumples Ben Alexander but somehow, somehow it is not a penalty to the Lions. Aussies pound into the Lions 22 but their maul is held up and the tourist’s get a scrum. They win it and try to run the ball out from behind their 10m line.
Penalty awarded to the Lions, just inside the Aussie 10m line. Halfpenny will have a dart.
PEN: Lions 3-7 Australia (Halfpenny ’23)
Over it goes. No problem to Leigh despite the heckles from some sections of the home support. Bisects the posts.
TRY! Lions 8-7 Australia (North ’25)
Superb solo try from the young Welsh behemoth. Through three tackles and over in the lefthand corner.
CON: Lions 10-7 Australia (Halfpenny ’27)
What a try from the Welshman. He takes a Berrick Barnes up and under and launches forward. Busts two tackles, streaks by Barnes and gasses past Genia, with time to point at him on the way, and dives over. Halfpenny’s touchline conversion is sublime.
Lines win another lineout. Rolling maul piles forward. Penalty coming up, if the Lions want it. North looks like he’s in at the same corner. TMO. Another try? He takes Genia and Folau over the line.
No. Not given.
PEN: Lions 13-7 Australia (Halfpenny ’31)
Thought that was given but Folau got an arm under it. We come back for the penalty and Halfpenny slots it over.
TRY: Lions 13-12 Australia (Folau ’34)
Questions over a forward pass from Mowen but the TMO says it is fine. Given. Folau streaks clear again. It’s Folau vs. North at the moment. Sexton got stepped far too easily there:
(Credit: Sky Sports)
O’Connor misses a simple conversion and the Lions lead by one point.
Three minutes remaining in the half and the Lions pile forward, looking for one more score. Davies and O’Driscoll pinged for crossing in the midfield. Barnes finds the line inside the away team’s half.
Genia is causing chaos out there. Takes the ball off Horwill at the back of the lineout. Heaslip grapples him to the turf. Tom Youngs steals and the Lions try to press up the left through North. The winger pushes Folau into Barnes and skittles them both. Barnes is getting stretchered off too. Good grief.
The bad news: Here comes Kurtley Beale.
Close to a penalty but the Aussies come through the gate and it is penalty Lions. Pollock turns his nose up at a yellow card.
Australia get out of jail as Halfpenny, from 40 metres, goes right and wide. Shame that. If you can track down that George North try, please do. It’s a cracker. We’ll keep our eyes peeled online too.
HALF-TIME
Words of wisdom from Will Greenwood in the Sky studios: “The forwards have to be disciplined in the breakdown, be wary of when to go and when to not and maintain their composure.”
Kick out on the full from Genia so Lions get an attacking lineout inside the Wallaby half. Youngs hasn’t missed one yet. Finds AW Jones. Lions maul gets rumbled over the touchline and Moore will get the throw-in. He finds Horwill for the zillionth time and the Aussies bore up the left.
Davies intercepts a Genia pass but can’t break the shackles. Philips is then gobbled up by Mowen and the ball is turned over again.
Heaslip with an excellent steal. Phillips launches long. Cuthbert gets stepped by Ioane and the ball remains in yellow hands. Cuthbert has not justified his start yet. Beale nearly gets the Wallabies through on a 3 on 2 but Croft leaps on his like a lion on a gazelles back.
With Davies down for treatment, McCabe knocks on and the chance is lost.
Oh, hold the phone. Cuthbert did well there to force McCabe to hold onto the ball and force a penalty. Hooper is being pushed to inside centre with McCabe crocked and off on a stretcher. Openside flanker Hooper moves to 12 while Liam Gill takes his spot in the back row. Feels… Irish, this injury crisis.
They must be running out of stretchers at Suncorp.
Lions win the next scrum – get a penalty. Sexton hits the line. If they can get the next score they will feel the tide is truly trurning. Lineout — Youngs + Heaslip = success!
TRY! Lions 18-13 Australia (Cuthbert ’48)
CON: Lions 20-13 Australia (Halfpenny’ 49)
What a ruddy score! Cuthbert busts four tackles along the way and leaves Genia for dead again. Quick TMO to see if O’Driscoll obstructed O’Connor. No, we’re grand, Try given. Halfpenny gets the extras.
PEN: Lions 20-15 Australia (O’Connor)
Nice work from the home side as the force a penalty. O’Connell may be the guilty party here. JO’C gets it over. Vunipola and Cole come on to boost the front row. Fresh red meat.
‘See ya later Genia’. Cuthbert gets his try.
Moore, ya jammy git. His lineout throw is far too long but it skittles right to converted inside centre Hooper, who secures. 54 minutes gone. Props link up as Alexander finds Robinson but Heaslip is there to pooper-scoop and claim the loose ball. Lost forward anyway so Lions get the scrum. Lets see how the new boys do…
Alexander and Vunipola pop up by the ref says play on. Cuthbert then claims but is tackled mid-air by Beale and gets away with it. North almost set free but it deflects off O’Driscoll’s outstretched arms and is adjudged to have gone forward. Scrum Aussie. 22 minutes left.
Lions don’t bother contesting the lineout after Beale hits the line (pen conceded at that scrum). Halfpenny then swivels through two tacklers but Australia eventually get the ball back. Line break creates pressure and Heaslip is left cursing as a penalty is conceded. Beale puts his hand up for the long-range kick. Stones.
PEN: Lions 20-18 Australia (Beale ’61)
Beale holds his nerve and over it goes from 50m. Phillips is hauled ashore and Ben Youngs is on. They can’t sit back on a two-point lead.
Sexton, welcome welcome! Lovely chip, chases and gather up the centre. He finds O’Connell in support. Lions on the Oz 22 and Heaslip is grappled before he can find Cuthbert out wide. Not all lost though as the penalty is conceded for coming in around the side of the ruck.
PEN: Lions 23-18 Australia (Halfpenny ’65)
From the same angle as his first half miss. No bother this time and the Lions lead by five. Hibbard on for T Youngs.
PEN: Lions 23-21 Australia (Beale ’68)
60 yard streak upfield from Beale. Amazing stuff. Ball is retained, Horwill has a go. Aussies line up on the 5m but O’Connell holds the play up illegally. No yellow for PO’C – lucky. Beale should slot this over…
Hibbard finds Croft. Jumpers at the front has been a staple of the Lions lineout. Aussies reeling in front of their posts as Sexton puts in a dangerous chip. Scrum in front of the posts. Will Sexton drop back for a D.G if the ball is secured?
Heaslip asleep at the switch. Genia steals as the Lions scrum is wheeled. Upfield kick is claimed in the air, brilliantly, by Folau.
Eight minutes to go. Oz scrum on the Lions 10m line. Losing that scrum may prove crucial.
Lydiate on for Croft.
Folau outjumps North.
Disaster! O’Connell at the bottom of a ruck but Vunipola off his feet. Beale with a relatively simple effort from 36m and slightly to the left. WOW! He squeaks it wide and right.
Four minutes to go. Aussies with the ball on halfway. Horwill spills forward. Big, big scrum coming up.
Three minutes to go and we are hearing that Ashley Cooper’s shoulder was dislocated in the match but popped back in. No way he will play next week in Melbourne.
Scrum re-set. A minute nearly gobbled up with that. Penalty conceded at the scrum. Heaslip dithered too long, didn’t get the ball out. PENALTY coming up…
Beale slipped. It was a Beckham penalty job in the Euros.
Woo-hoo!! So exciting. I’ll be getting my special Lions fry-up ready :-)
C’mon Australia. Great try
Phillips box kicking is shocking. Too far every time. Led to one Aussie try
Mike Philips so indecisive he’s brutal so far
Ref is so inconsistent…
Jeez, what is the referee doing at the breakdown??
Is it another one of Robbies dreams to play for the Lions some day?
So excited really looking forward to the first Test. But would be far happier if Murray, Zebo and O’Brien were on the bench. O’Brien gives greater cover and as for Maitland?? not even the best Scottish wing
Not to sure. Australia will be clever, if not they will be dirty
Would you ever f*ck off
The lions have the more infamous history of the two sides. It was them who started the ”Battle of Ballymore” to upset Australia years ago with igniting fights at every opportunity and was it not the lions who once called ”99” to signal for all to start brawling?
I’ve been awake since 7. More excited than a child on Christmas morning! I’m gonna be romantic and say O’Driscoll for the first try.
Hon da Lions!!
George north ooh my word beautiful try. Two beautiful tries in fairness
But Leslie,you don’t like rugby.
I l9ve my rugby. That was kevin shaw who duplicated my account Ian. How mature of him
Sorry about that Leslie.
Yeah lads it was beautiful the way he placed the ball down on the grass!!
Compare the rugby try to an amazing goal in football or a devastating knockout
No bothers:-)
Why do you feel the need to put down a sport you don’t like? They all have their merits and people like then for different reasons, that’s the thing about free will…
If you don’t like it, dot watch it and definitely don’t comment on a story about it. Fool
I lost a few quid on that tripe so I defo won’t waste another 80 minutes on that mind poison
Good!
Poor Beale…..but WHOOP….:-)
All in the name of fast ball, the laws go out the window! What is up with chris pollack?!
delighted the aussies were beaten, ozzy,ozzy,ozzy, oi, oi ,fackin’,oi..
Why is everyone getting so worked up about the lions it’s not as if the game is skillfull or good to watch
Your dead right Sean… That sport is a shambles
Nothing like the GAA
Come on Lions !!! Put this game away ! 12-13 half time ! – Stuff these Aussies !
D day for the Lions. No where to hide. Breakfast on. Not the bench I would have selected but it is what it is. Get behind the team.
Put it up to Gatland, we got away with it. Lucky to win but would have been unlucky to loose. Bite the bullet and drop Mike Phillips. Youngs or Murray are two fit and eager replacements.
Sexton – Jaysus tackle !
For a second I thought o gara was no 10
Hilarious not !
Vermin
Why was my comment taken down ? Sexton did stand off the tackle lime a pu$$y
Even like a pu$$y
The Rat is back with his negativity. Go back to your slum and get back in your hole Walter.
Stating a fact sexton is a pu$$y
Your a James Hunt. Now that’s a fact.
I’d say Lonster paid Racing to take James’s toy boy ! Pu$$y !
Best of luck with Keatly Rat boy. 4 th choice in ireland at best. Nobody beating down your door to sign him. Now go back to your Garry what’s its name slum and leave everyone in peace.
Garry whatsit name slum! Ha the city and province that has made irish rugby what it is today! Something you pu$$ies in the Pale can only dream of! Now run along little leinster boy and dream !
Walter Mitty. Delusional as ever. Your boys third best in ireland for last 4 years. I know that kills you Walter. Get used to it. There won’t be any cups next year either , now get back to your slum.
Im going for Australia to win today ( but Lions to win
series) as Brisbane is a fortress to them. Australia have won 14 of last 15 tests in Brisbane and the loss was a narrow 1 to New Zealand so hard to look past that form
They were 11/8 earlier on, so I had to put few pound on the aussies
Ha ha he choked…… twice!
Unlucky
Lucky lions
Fairly confident this morning. Australia have a few weaknesses that I am sure Lions will exploit. Going for Lions by 10. Scoreline in the region of 25-35.
Gotta feel for the aussies without injuries they would definitely be leading
I’m at work in Riyadh and following this online, come on Lions !!, and best of luck to our 4 boys !, BOD, POC, Jamie and Jonny !
Best team lost today missed penelties cost Australia, poor Beale gonna get mauled by the Australian media
He wont. Not at all. Any player can slip. Deans may well though…
Absolutely fluked! Aussies better team in that second half plus the game will bring the Aussies on
Lions should be breathing huge sigh of relief, very lucky to escape with the win considering the injuries suffered by oz and them having to play a forward in the centres and a 9 at 13. Deans’s experiment of JOC at 10 proved to be another shocker as he was poor. Beale despite a brilliant performance off the bench should have nailed the first of his two late penalty attempts.
Poor sportsmanship by North pointing at Genia for his first try, shame as i thought the Lions were going to be free of the Ashton-esqe BS
Still the match lived up to expectation, some fantastic performances and tries, role on the 2nd match!
Alan considering it was joc second start at 10 in his international career he wasn’t too bad but genia stole the show and deserved man of the match. Lealifanos injury also meant joc didnt have as much lets just hope for his sake hes back for the next match. That result will have brought the wallabies back down to earth with the lions high in the sky expect this series to go right down to the wire and be a thriller at that. If it carries on in nick it could be one of the best series of all time
Didnt have as much creativity outside him
Its simply another shocker from Deans playing him at 10 when he had little to no experience in that position. A silver lining for wallaby fans if they lose this series will be that would finally be rid of the curse that is Robbie Deans
I agree that deans needs to go but joc played 10 for the rebels since beale and vunas scrap. He also played a lot at 10 with the rebels but since hus switch to the rebels he hasn’t play fly half much probably selected for his defence though. I think the aru should make ewan mckenzie head coach and fast though
The scrum was great in the first half, but when Vunipola came on it buckled ! he was the catalyst for the terrible scrum in the 2nd half … Ben Youngs was awful, Murray should get the warm up spot next week – hopefully Bowe will start the next test.
ROG enroute to offer ARU a few kicking lessons for the forthcoming tests..
.wouldnt see that kind of pathetic kicking in Croker from a Minor team
I say after a ball breaking first fifteen, lions get a penalty, it’ll be 6:3 to lions at half time.
Oz early try 2nd half, lions pull them back and win 15:11.
Man shaking with excitement!
North should’ve been carded there pushing folau into barnes. Very dangerous play and if folaus head was in a different place he could’ve been seriously injured
beale is terrifying brilliant.
Any idea why Seanie is all dressed up and ready to play on the bench?!
They always have extra cover in case anyone gets injured during the warm up
Probably kitted out for the warm ups. Haven’t heard anything about a late change.
Australia running into space, Lions running into yellow shirts.
Can’t wait for it , anything could happen . Lets see how much The Lions were “holding back ” and if they can switch it on like a tap.
Heaslip to pay back gatty’s faith with the first try.
Even though I despise Rugby…. Is putting €20 on the Lions to win my 13 or more at 23/10 worth it?
You might as well of set it on fire
Really? Is it a bad bet??
I thought the Aussies where a shambles… I wan there until march & they were being slated & loadsa trouble with the manager & stuff
It’s not outside the realms of possibility but I can’t believe you only got those odds
Despise it even more now
Here we go! This is gonna be massively physical, thunderous hits
Wallabies would’ve been trying to keep it tight and let the bench do the work but with injuries that isn’t possible
Bar injuries Aussies would of won it! Our scrum capitulated when we mad front row changes
History came so close to repeating itself.first test in south Africa 2009 South Africa got a last gasp penelty to win
2nd test.
Thatvtry was disallowed
Lions 22 Oz 15
Tom Croft for 1st try scorer
Any links
Vipbox or myp2p
Is it only on sky sports?
Please…Irish players,next time for the Irish Wolfhounds, not for the British (and so called Irish) Lions…