Western Force 7-54 British & Irish Lions: rugby union – as it happened
Robert Kitson’s match report in PerthThanks for your company, join us again later in the week for the next Lions fixture v Queensland RedsRobert Kitson’s match report in PerthAndy Farrell has some reflections“In some respects the intensity went up, but this is still a newish team and our discipline in first half was an issue.Second half our defence intensity increased and discipline improved.The Force took it to us, they played a tough high percentage game and we kept them in a good position through our poor discipline so made it tough for ourselves.“This was a lot of the lads’ first game, so we’re up and running and we’ll keep pushing it forward.There were some fantastic tries, but the play of the day was Mack Hansen going up and down the field [to set up Mitchell try].
The Force really hit us hard and this is a good start for us.”Force captain Nic White is offering his thoughts:“I don’t think score reflects the game, we put them under it for fifty minutes.We put them under a lot of pressure and we enjoyed it; we matched them early and rattled a couple of cages.Disappointed it ran away at the end but to be expected against a team of Lions quality.In front of a club record cloud that was unbelievable.
”A fully expected win is delivered via all the factors you would expect the Lions to dominate; more talent, infinitely stronger bench and some classy quality with the ball in hand.However all the things that were a struggle last week have continued with a clunky lineout, poor phased attack control and imprecise kicking in the “must do better” column with the addition of dreadful restarts.Allan MacDonald emails, “Henry Pollock gets noticed for the flashy stuff, but it’s his positioning and game awareness which really impresses me - he’s always on or near the shoulder as an option.Really quite remarkable in one so young!”Agree Allan, his defensive work is great as well; he’s always amongst it and causing bother.PEEEEEP! The conversion is the last act of the match and seals a comfortable win for the tourists.
80 mins.The Force attack fizzles to nothing which allows Daly to find Tuipulotu who pops inside to a running Hansen who dollies a pass to Mitchell to cross.78 mins.Whatever the status of the fixture it has brought 46,656 fans at the Optus stadium - the largest crowd in the Western Force’s history and 11,500 more than the previous record.The power of the Lions brand?77 mins.
The home side are keen that the last minutes of the match are theirs as they put some more zip into the attack and it forces Chessum offside in defence.The penalty is put into the corner.75 mins.A period of Force possession ends with Pollock ripping the ball out of the tackle and finding Tuipulotu and puts a chip into the 22.Bayley Kuenzle is first to it and runs it clear.
73 mins.More Lions possession, lots of passes with far less metres being made.It feels everyone is marking time for the end now.71 mins.The visitors are camped out on the left side of the Force 5m zone but are being thwarted by a combination of good tackling and defensive penalties.
The blue line can hold only so long however and Daly receives the ball in the 13 channel with nothing but fresh air between him and the line.66 mins.Joe McCarthy is out on the left wing again and the Lions find him with a couple of nippy phases.He cuts back inside and into the Force half, but the communication isn’t there and neither is the momentum and so Mitchell decides to put his boot to the ball.62 mins.
Tuipulotu finds Jones with a lovely no-look pop near the five metre line but he’s denied a try by a fanatastic last ditch tackle by Stewart and the ball being dislodged as he hits the ground.The scrum is put under huge pressure by the Lions pack but the home side just about manage to dig the ball out and clear it.59 mins.Van Der Flier picks up from the ruck and gallops forty metres before his offload is snaffled by Donaldson who runs back another 5o metres to then lose it himself.Jones resets it and finds Hansen who blooters a massive kick clear.
The game is increasingly becoming a pure banter effort.57 mins.For the first time in a while the home side have some ball and they can do little but drop it on halfway which allows Huw Jones, freshly on the field to hack it on and chase all the way to the Force goal line.Stewart covers across to ground it.54 mins.
Henry Pollock is back on and he decides it’s time to draw some more attention his way this time with a chip that he chases and regathers on the 22.He’s very close to driving over himself before the ball is recycled and moved left to the big Irish second row lurking out wide.51 mins.The rhythm of the attack out wide from the Lions is fully in the groove now as the draw and pass action smoothly moves the ball out to Hansen then back inside to Ringrose to open his tour account.Slick effort against a home defence that’s increasingly struggling to cope.
47 mins.Tomos Williams twinged his hamstring a bit in scoring and is replaced by Alex Mitchell.Here’s hoping it’s nothing serious.46 mins.Will Harris spills the ball on the Lions 22 and on the advantage the visitors spring up the right side of the field with numerous pairs of hands exchanging passes.
At the forefront are Williams and Lowe who trade the ball a couple of times before the scrum half dives for the corner to dot it down.Fabulous try.43 mins.A solid carry from Stewart and some dancing feet from Grealy has the Force on the front foot as again the Lions look lethargic in contact, but the pressure is relieved after the TMO spots a neck roll by Champion de Crepigny42 mins.The Lions are having more problems with the restart than a used Fiat Panda, the latest one flies through Cummings's hands and back toward Daly in the 22.
The fullback covers it but the visitors are straight on the back foot completely unnecessarily.Harford kicks high and deepTom Young has a question: “I’m wondering why the Force have decided to borrow Chelsea’s 1978 home kit replete with an avant garde 80s fabric shine? Is it helping the Lion’s slip from their grasp?”Would you believe that the kit is designed by their winger, Dylan Pietsch? Whether you believe it or not it’s true.But your final point masks a serious one because the ease the home side are getting metres over the gainline needs sorting and quick by the Lions.There is simply not enough energy in defence.“Just had a fry here in Thurles, Tipperary.
Very few pubs have the game on.” reports Gerry Keavney, “Anyway, I’m looking forward to combinations from today’s game.9 & 10 & 12 and also how Daly works with the Ireland wingers.Not sold on Pollock at 8, but he’s going good so far.”Jury is still out on the combinations, I would say, but this is a tricky game to cement something as it feels like a pre-season outing.
Pollock has been everywhere, in every possible way.40 mins.Force tap the penalty and manage to get over the line, but the Lions do a good job in holding them up and that brings about the half time whistle.39 mins.There’s more defending for the Lions to do near their own line and Pollock doesn’t release the tackler and is penalised.
There was already a warning in place for all the earlier penalties and he’s off for 10 mins, thus endeth a very eventful half for the English lad.38 mins.Some more restart mither from the Lions puts the Force back on the attack and up to the line, but they can’t hold the ball and Williams puts his foot through the ball for a relieving clearance.There were some afters following the try as Champion de Crepigny took exception to Pollock giving it plenty in the Force player’s grill in the celebration.Pollock was taken to ground and a few more piled in, but it ended as soon as it began.
Very on-brand for the young Northampton man to cause a rammy, though.35 mins.A penalty just outside the 22 is quickly tapped by Russell who catches the whole Force defence napping and runs up to the five metre line to find Daly to score.Russell converts.33 mins.
Some lateral passing around halfway from the Lions springs to life as Russell pops a little chip over the top the Force defence that Hansen gathers and goes on the attack.Van Der Flier has a run but some great work by Harris in the tackle rips the ball loose and back into Force hands.30 mins.There’s a break in play while Proctor receives a bit of treatment after a torso busting hit by Tuipulotu renders him prostrate.It was a legal hit, just a very big one.
28 mins.Daly carries the ball across the halfway line and finds Hansen to put a few more metres in.Russell calls for it and moves it left before the possesion is again lost allowing Donaldson to kick it clear.25 mins.Another busy attack from the home side moves up to the 22, but the Lions manage to disrupt it, win the ball and send it away to touch.
The Force come back at them but Proctor spills it forward in contact.The precision, such as it was, has deserted both sides at the moment.22 mins.The game settles for the first time into a period of kicking back and forth for a few minutes.This draws to a close when Lowe goes for a massive 50-22 with the outside of the left boot that is about 18 inches too long and finds touch on the full.
Force will have a lineout back in the Lions half.19 mins.The Lions are having some issues with restarts, prompting Will Greenwood on comms to posit that some amateur clubs can go a decade without winning a restart.Two things: I don’t know why that’s relevant, and it’s also blatantly untrue.16 mins.
Pollock appears again and this time holds onto the ball to first pop it to Van Der Flier then receive the offload back and race twenty metres into space to step into the 22.He’s held by Donaldson but manages to pass out of the tackle to find Williams who strolls over.Russell converts.14 mins.Henry Pollock appears in midfield but the pass from Williams is a little high and the ball is spilled forward.
This give turnover possession to the home side and they are offloading aplenty up the right side of the field before they take a turn to fumble it.Frenetic and without much shape, but it’s great fun this game so far.11 mins.More Force ball in the red zone and the pace of their recycling is causing the Lions all sorts of bother as they are once again illegal at the ruck.Harford floats it to touch for another lineout, but in the next possession the home side cough up the ball and Williams gratefully boots it clear for a breather.
Discipline under pressure a serious concern for Andy Farrell.9 mins.A solid lineout is won on the Lions 5 metre line by the Force and as the maul gathers intent the visitors are illegally changing binding all over the place and Ref O’Keefe pings them once more.The ball is back in the corner for another lineout.7 mins
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