Match Preview: Western Force v British & Irish Lions

A record-equalling eight Ireland players will start for the British & Irish Lions as debutant Dan Sheehan leads the tourists for their eagerly-awaited encounter with the Western Force in Perth.

2025 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR:

Saturday, June 28 –

WESTERN FORCE v BRITISH & IRISH LIONS, Optus Stadium, Perth, 6pm local time/11am Irish time (live Sky Sports Action & Main Event/talkSPORT)

Team News: Leinster and Ireland hooker Sheehan, who skippered his country to Triple Crown success against Wales in February, comes in as one of 13 personnel changes to the side that played Argentina in the 1888 Cup defeat.

For their first outing on Australian soil, head coach Andy Farrell has handed out Lions debuts to Sheehan, Garry Ringrose, James Lowe, Joe McCarthy, and Josh van der Flier.

Joining that quintet in pulling on the famous red jersey for the first time will be their Leinster and Ireland team-mate Andrew Porter, and fellow replacements, England forwards Will Stuart and Ollie Chessum, and Scotland centre Huw Jones.

Ringrose links up with Sione Tuipulotu in another new-look centre partnership, while Connacht and Ireland’s Mack Hansen gets his first Lions start in the back-three alongside Lowe and England’s Elliot Daly, who features at full-back.

There is a Scotland-Wales combination at half-back in the form of Finn Russell, fresh from his Gallagher Premiership title win with Bath, and Tomos Williams, who made an impact off the bench against the Pumas in Dublin.

There is a strong Celtic flavour to the pack which sees Tadhg Beirne, one of the Lions’ try scorers last Friday, switch to the blindside flanker role. Van der Flier dons the number 7 shirt, with England youngster Henry Pollock packing down at number 8.

McCarthy and Scotland’s Scott Cummings will man the engine room against the Super Rugby Pacific outfit, while Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, who makes his first start since the Investec Champions Cup semi-final in early May, join forces with Pierre Schoeman in the front row.

The presence of Porter, Rónan Kelleher, and Jack Conan on the bench brings the Irish contingent in the matchday squad to eleven. Eight of them played in Leinster’s recent BKT United Rugby Championship final victory over the Vodacom Bulls.

Speaking about the group’s first few days Down Under and Sheehan’s selection as captain, Farrell said: “We have had a good week of training and all of the travel and time zone changes have been managed really well, so we are good to go.

“Dan Sheehan gets the opportunity to lead the team against the Western Force, which is a great honour for him and his family – so congratulations to Dan as he captains the side on his Lions debut.

“We know the quality and experience the Force have, and the opportunity to play against the Lions always brings out special performances from the Super Rugby sides, so we expect them to be at their best.”

During the 2013 tour to Australia, the Lions ran out 69-17 winners over the Force at the Subiaco Oval. Current assistant coach Jonathan Sexton crossed the whitewash early on for the Lions, while Leigh Halfpenny converted all nine of the tourists’ tries.

Meanwhile, six members of Joe Schmidt’s extended Australia squad will be on duty for the Western Force who are without veteran Kurtley Beale who was a late withdrawal due to a hamstring strain.

With Beale unfortunately injurying himself in training on Tuesday, Ben Donaldson will start at full-back after being released from the Wallabies camp. Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Nic White, and Dylan Pietsch will also rejoin Schmidt’s group on Sunday.

Pietsch and Mac Grealy will line out on the wings, with Matt Proctor – back from a shoulder injury – forming a centre partnership with two-times capped Wallaby Hamish Stewart.

Retiring homegrown prop Ollie Hoskins features at tighthead against the Lions in a fairytale ending to his career, and former Australia and Ulster lock Sam Carter is also set to bow out after announcing his retirement last month.

New Zealander Vaiolini Ekuasi slots back in at number 8 following a shoulder injury, and his fellow starters in the back row, Will Harris and Champion de Crespigny, both played against Emerging Ireland in a 29-24 loss last October.

While they missed out on the play-offs in the recent Super Rugby Pacific competition, the Force’s outstanding defensive lineout will make them a thorough test for the Lions, who struggled in that area against Argentina.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime for a lot of these guys,” commented Force head coach Simon Cron, who has given the captaincy role to experienced scrum half White, in place of regular skipper Jeremy Williams who is in camp with the Wallabies.

“We sat as a group and had a bit of a yarn about how old were you 12 years ago, how old will you be 12 years from now.

“That’s the importance of this game and the special type of game that it is. They are under no illusion around that.”

WESTERN FORCE: Ben Donaldson; Mac Grealy, Matt Proctor, Hamish Stewart, Dylan Pietsch; Alex Harford, Nic White (capt); Tom Robertson, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Ollie Hoskins, Sam Carter, Darcy Swain, Will Harris, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Vaiolini Ekuasi.

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

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: Elliot Daly (Saracens/England); Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland), Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales); Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland), Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) (capt), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland), Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England).

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England), Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Marcus Smith (Harlequins/England).

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Paul Williams, James Doleman (both NZR)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZR)

Pre-Match Quotes: Dan Sheehan (British & Irish Lions) –

It’s obviously a massive honour. At the start of the week, I was only focusing on wearing a red jersey for the first time, and you look around the room, and there are so many individuals who are worthy of captaining this team.

“That probably eases the nerves a bit. I don’t have to make it difficult, I just need to be myself and do what I usually do and that’s why I’m here in the first place.

“I’m sure the Force will be 150% of what they usually are. They will be flying into it and that bit of extra hunger can produce some powerful things.

“They would have been eyeing this game up since they probably first stepped into that Western Force changing room. It’ll mean an awful lot to them.

“But I don’t want them to think that they’re going to be hungrier than us. We have to demonstrate back our own mindset.”

Nic White (Western Force) –

To get the opportunity to play against the Lions is unreal. It’s a real dream come true, words don’t really do it justice.

“Twelve years ago I got injured and missed that opportunity, and it’s been in the back of my mind for a long time now, a bit over a decade.

“If we can bash a couple of their blokes on the way in and bruise them and make them a bit sore by the time they get to the Wallabies then job done as far as the Super Rugby sides are concerned.”

Pre-Match Links –

Hansen’s Bright Cameo Part ‘Incredible Experience’ So Far With Lions

Van Der Flier: Returning To UCD Bowl With Lions Was Special

Lions Complete Training Week In Perth With Captain’s Run

Match Facts:

– Dan Sheehan becomes only the 26th player to lead the team on his Lions debut, and the first since Ken Owens against the Blues in 2017. Ciaran Fitzgerald was the last Irishman to captain the tourists when making his Lions bow, against Wanganui in 1983

– Eight starters from Ireland equals the Irish record achieved on six previous occasions, the last of which was coincidentally also against the Western Force during the 2013 tour

– Six Leinstermen in the starting XV equals London Welsh’s record for the most players from one club or province in a Lions team, set twice on the 1971 tour, against Hawke’s Bay and Auckland

– Only ten ‘midweek’ teams have ever beaten the Lions in Australia – Queensland in 1899 and 1971, Metropolis in 1899, Western Districts in 1908, NSW in 1908, 1930, 1950, and 1959, Australia ‘A’ in 2001, and the ACT Brumbies in 2013

– The Western Force had the best lineout success rate (88.6%) in Super Rugby Pacific this season. Darcy Swain and Jeremy Williams stole eight lineouts apiece (the joint-most), while Will Harris stole seven

– The Force scored nine maul tries – the second most overall – during their Super Rugby Pacific campaign. When in the opposition 22, they opted to catch and drive with nearly 70% of their lineouts

Previous Meetings:

2013: British & Irish Lions Tour To Australia – Western Force 17 British & Irish Lions 69, Subiaco Oval