#british--irish-lions

#british--irish-lions

This clash with the All Blacks is coming so early in the season that it's hard to get a gauge on player form, but there's a freshness to the team Andy Farrell picked that suggests he's learnt lessons from last season's defeat in the same fixture. Seven of his starting pack were Lions last summer, six of them took part in the Test series, and while there's a worry over their lack of game-time, there's a lot of experience and class up front to bridge the gap.

Players who appeared on the Lions tour in Australia over the summer were mandated 10 weeks off, ensuring they will miss the first two rounds of the new season and be available for three before England begin their November campaign against the Wallabies. Tom Curry has undergone pre-planned wrist surgery, after starring for the Lions with a torn ligament, and is unlikely to feature for Sale before England in the autumn

Jac Morgan is the first British & Irish Lion from Cwmtwrch RFC, where he learned rugby. His international debut has brought pride and excitement to the club.

When the British & Irish Lions last won a Test series in 2013, Leigh Halfpenny scored a record 49 points and Sam Warburton captained the side to glory in Australia.

The eleventh-hour inclusion of James O'Connor in Australia's squad for the Test series against the British & Irish Lions comes after a successful Super Rugby season with the Crusaders, even though he last played for the Wallabies in 2022. Schmidt noted that O'Connor has stayed connected with the team, and despite not having played under him yet, he is confident in O'Connor's ability to catch up quickly before the series begins.

The British & Irish Lions showcased their potential with five tries against the ACT Brumbies, yet still have significant areas needing improvement ahead of the Test series.

In the end it took a 54th-minute try by the scrum-half Alex Mitchell to save his side's blushes in an encounter that will sit uneasily with the management at this delicate stage of the trip.

Dan Sheehan has emerged as the Lions' Test hooker in waiting, highly rated by Andy Farrell after being asked to lead the side in Perth.

The logistics involved in touring Australia with the British & Irish Lions have changed slightly over the years, from the 249 days of the first tour in 1888 to today's complexities.

The coffee van became a central gathering point for the Lions squad, where players mingled, breaking down barriers before the serious business of the tour began.