Date: Saturday, June 28
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
Kick-Off: 7:45pm AEST
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Paul Williams (NZR), James Doleman (NZR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZR)

Kurtley Beale is injured (hamstring strain) and Donaldson has been released from the Wallabies camp

From a quick glance at the Wobbly squad Farce will be missing:
Champion de Crespigny
Robertson
Tizzano
Pietsch
White

@booboo

Donaldson was originally set to miss the game, staying with Joe Schmidt's national squad as ahead of next Sunday's Test with Fiji along with Harry Potter, Carlo Tizzano and Jeremy Williams.
Donaldson now joins 2025 Test squad members Nic White, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Darcy Swain and Tom Robertson in Perth, with the side to be named later on Thursday.

Western Force team to play British & Irish Lions

1. Tom Robertson

2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa

3. Ollie Hoskins

4. Sam Carter

5. Darcy Swain

6. Will Harris

7. Nick Champion de Crespigny

8. Vaiolini Ekuasi

9. Nic White (c)

10. Alex Harford

11. Dylan Pietsch

12. Hamish Stewart

13. Matt Proctor

14. Mac Grealy

15. Ben Donaldson

Reserves: Nic Dolly, Marley Pearce, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Lopeti Faifua, Reed Prinsep, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Bayley Kuenzle

@Chris said in Force v British Lions:

Ollie Hoskins

A special farewell for the 1-Test Wallaby from Perth, who answered the call on a Spring Tour. Fairytale ending for a guy who did his time in the youth systems and headed overseas when the opportunities didn't come.

Good on him!

It's actually not a bad side from the Force, with question marks over 10 obviously tho I suspect Donaldson will be at first receiver a fair bit.

Great result for Alex Hartford, getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to play the Lions.

If we don’t spank that team it’s going to be a long tour

British and Irish Lions:

15 Elliot Daly, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (captain), 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Marcus Smith

Another St Kents player gets a chance against the BIL!

@Mr-Fish said in Force v British Lions:

Great result for Alex Hartford, getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to play the Lions.

Could yet play for the Wallabies one day……

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force v British Lions:

British and Irish Lions:

15 Elliot Daly, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (captain), 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Marcus Smith

Very midweek looking team with the exception of Russell who will surely be the first choice test 10.

Interesting game coming up

@MN5 said in Force v British Lions:

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force v British Lions:

British and Irish Lions:

15 Elliot Daly, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (captain), 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Marcus Smith

Very midweek looking team with the exception of Russell who will surely be the first choice test 10.

Interesting game coming up

Not sure about that for Russell. I’d start the young England 1st 5.

Plus for this game I think they’ve gone with a couple of key combos such as the Scottish 10/12, and the Irish flankers.

@ACT-Crusader said in Force v British Lions:

@MN5 said in Force v British Lions:

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force v British Lions:

British and Irish Lions:

15 Elliot Daly, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (captain), 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Marcus Smith

Very midweek looking team with the exception of Russell who will surely be the first choice test 10.

Interesting game coming up

Not sure about that for Russell. I’d start the young England 1st 5.

Plus for this game I think they’ve gone with a couple of key combos such as the Scottish 10/12, and the Irish flankers.

Na Russell will walk in. So mercurial.

@MN5 said in Force v British Lions:

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force v British Lions:

British and Irish Lions:

15 Elliot Daly, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (captain), 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Marcus Smith

Very midweek looking team with the exception of Russell who will surely be the first choice test 10.

Interesting game coming up

I reckon there's close to 15 of the test team in that 23

@MN5 said in Force v British Lions:

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force v British Lions:

British and Irish Lions:

15 Elliot Daly, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (captain), 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Marcus Smith

Very midweek looking team with the exception of Russell who will surely be the first choice test 10.

Interesting game coming up

That could well be the starting test front row. Not sure about the back row, so much competition there. odd that they've not given the only out and out 8 man a start. Russell still a good bet as starting 10 (to be honest I'd be happy with any of the three). Tuipolutu has a very good chance of being the test 12.

Other than that I'd agree with you :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes:

@Catogrande said in Force v British Lions:

@MN5 said in Force v British Lions:

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force v British Lions:

British and Irish Lions:

15 Elliot Daly, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (captain), 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Marcus Smith

Very midweek looking team with the exception of Russell who will surely be the first choice test 10.

Interesting game coming up

That could well be the starting test front row. Not sure about the back row, so much competition there. odd that they've not given the only out and out 8 man a start. Russell still a good bet as starting 10 (to be honest I'd be happy with any of the three). Tuipolutu has a very good chance of being the test 12.

Other than that I'd agree with you :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Good point. I did post it as someone who is not an expert on Northern Hemisphere Rugby

This will be a thumping.

It might be a thumping but that's a better Force team on paper than I was expecting.

Talk of a 50k crowd at Optus.

Should be fun.

A shame Tizzano isn't playing this game, he was my favourite player in Super Rugby this year and would have loved for him to teach Pollock a thing or two.

A must-win game for the British and Irish and South African and Kiwi and Aussie Lions. If they lose their first two games, then their tour will be in utter chaos when it's hardly just begun. Big pressure on them.

A short interview with Alex Harford

He qualifies for Aussie because of his mother and he's committed to the Force now

@sparky said in Force v British Lions:

A must-win game for the British and Irish and South African and Kiwi and Aussie and Tongan and Samoan Lions. If they lose their first two games, then their tour will be in utter chaos when it's hardly just begun. Big pressure on them.

FIFY

Tried watching the UK coverage on Stan but quickly turned it off - the audio is hopelessly out of sync.

Here's hoping we have a game without cards.

Aussies commentators saying this is the pinnacle of Rugby Union…. ummm pretty sure that’s the World Cup.

Forward pass not called

96 seconds and Lions are in. Force giving far too much ground in passive tackling.

Fantastic start to this game. Force hit back.

Force strike back after securing the restart.

Man that was dumb by Beirne

It's raining tries in Perth.

And it's ended up with the Force on the BIL line.

Irish Lions infringing like mad.

Looked like he fucked up the kick there, bit lucky

Big Prinsep on to fuck shit up.

2x penalties on their own line, and numerous other infringements that could be called. Pretty cynical stuff.

Cracking start. Really quick and Force playing as they shoukd against a new combo team. Ball in hand expecting gaps to appear.

Working a treat. Great to watch.

Force too silly to take the easy 3 points on offer against an infringing Lions.

The Lions are struggling with the pace the Force play the game at.

@Donsteppa I thought the same.

But I guess they have a game plan where 3s don’t work. Must be expecting to concede lot, so want to score a lot