The British & Irish Lions face an AUNZ Invitational XV at Adelaide Oval in their final game ahead of the first Test.
Saturday 12 July
AUNZ XV | Draw | Lions
Handicap
AUNZ XV | Lions
Andy Farrell has just one match left to get his plans in order before Test #1 at Suncorp Stadium, and while he will still have some question marks hanging around a few key positions, he will be largely pleased with what his squad has produced so far.
Aside from their opening defeat to Argentina in Dublin, the Lions have hardly had to work up a sweat, putting away Australia’s Super Rugby teams with ease, though it must be said the Waratahs and Brumbies did have some good moments. With just this final game to go before the business end of the tour commences, Farrell will be closely monitoring the performances of some key individuals come Saturday before he can settle on his Test XV.
The Lions second row has been chopped and changed a number of times on tour, with skipper Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan cracking the nod this week. So too have the selections at loose forward, with Ben Earl, Jac Morgan and Henry Pollock set to run out in Adelaide as they seek to catch the coach’s eye for possibly the final time.
Ben White and Fin Smith are at halfback while Owen Farrell is on the bench and could earn his first game on tour after his late call-up.
Reds coach Les Kiss is the boss of the AUNZ XV after having already gone down 12-52 to the Lions at the beginning of the month. With just a handful of training sessions having taken place for his invitational side, the first incarnation of an Australia-New Zealand (AUNZ) team since 1989, and second overall, may need to depend more on moments of individual brilliance than actual team chemistry.
The midfield battle between All Blacks outcasts David Havili and Ngani Laumape and Scottish duo Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones may be worth the price of admission alone, while the back row battle will also be huge. Hoskins Sotutu, Pete Samu and Shannon Frizell are all brutal ball-carriers, but the tourists’ own loose trio has the potential to cause absolute chaos at the breakdown and it will be fascinating to see how this game within a game plays itself out.
Ultimately, as much as Kiss has talked up his “Barbarians-esque” team’s desire to make the most of what he has called a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, the reality is that their lack of preparation can only end one way.
Verdict: Lions on the minus
The Lions have built up too much steam to come unstuck here, and their tried and tested combinations should see them home comfortably.
