Match Preview: NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions

2025 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR:

Saturday, July 5 –

NSW WARATAHS v BRITISH & IRISH LIONS, Allianz Stadium, Sydney, 8pm local time/11am Irish time (live Sky Sports Action & Main Event/talkSPORT)

Team News: A week on from Dan Sheehan having the captaincy reins in Perth, his Ireland team-mate, Beirne, will lead Andy Farrell’s men for their third outing on Australian soil.

Beirne features in an all-Irish second row pairing with James Ryan, who makes his first Lions start after appearing off the bench during Wednesday’s 52-12 win over the Queensland Reds.

There are 14 changes for the match against the Waratahs, with Scotland centre Huw Jones the only player retained in the starting XV. Joining Beirne and Ryan as starters are debutant Hugo Keenan, who has recovered from illness, Mack Hansen, Finlay Bealham, and Josh van der Flier.

Pierre Schoeman and Luke Cowan-Dickie complete the front row alongside Bealham, while England duo Henry Pollock and Ben Earl will link up with van der Flier, the 2022 World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year, in the loose forwards.

Northampton Saints and England half-backs Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell will lead the back-line, with Scotland centres Jones and Sione Tuipulotu providing further cohesion, and Keenan, starting at full-back, and Blair Kinghorn making their Lions bows in the back-three.

Scotland scrum half Ben White is poised for his first appearance in the red jersey, as part of a replacements bench which includes the Ireland trio of Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, and Joe McCarthy, the player-of-the-match against the Western Force last weekend.

Lions head coach Farrell commented: “Congratulations to Tadhg who will lead the side on Saturday night – and also to Blair, Hugo, and Ben who will all make their Lions debuts.

“The games are coming thick and fast now as we face a Waratahs side who will want to make their mark.”

Twelve years ago the Lions beat the Waratahs 47-17, with Leigh Halfpenny contributing 30 of the tourists’ points. Current Lions assistant coach Jonathan Sexton and Paul O’Connell, who is coaching Ireland for their summer tour to Georgia and Portugal, played in that game.

Meanwhile, Australian internationals Taniela Tupou and Andrew Kellaway have been named in the NSW Waratahs team, featuring at tighthead prop and on the right wing respectively.

Tupou, nicknamed ‘Tongan Thor’ as he weighs in at over 23 stone, and Kellaway, the scorer of 13 tries in 39 Tests, rejoined Dan McKellar’s side at Daceyville in Sydney this week from the Wallabies who have been training for their match against Fiji.

Long-serving back rower Hugh Sinclair, who had a stint with All-Ireland League club Lansdowne during the 2013/14 season, will captain the Waratahs from the number 8 position, in what will be the last game of his professional rugby career.

Also in the team after being released from the Wallabies’ wider training group are Darby Lancaster on the left wing, and on the bench, lock Matt Philip, who is set for his Waratahs debut after returning from Japan, and out-half Tane Edmed.

Sydney’s Allianz Stadium is the newest venue the Lions will play at during the 2025 tour. It was opened in 2022 after being built on the site of the old Sydney Football Stadium, which had stood from 1988 until its closure in 2018.

The stadium’s capacity is 42,500, and it plays host to the Sydney Roosters rugby league team, and football side Sydney FC, as well as the Waratahs.

NSW WARATAHS: Lawson Creighton (Randwick); Andrew Kellaway (Randwick), Lalakai Foketi (Manly), Joey Walton (Gordon), Darby Lancaster (Eastern Suburbs); Jack Bowen (Eastern Suburbs), Teddy Wilson (Eastern Suburbs); Tom Lambert (Sydney University), Ethan Dobbins (Sydney University), Taniela Tupou (West Harbour), Fergus Lee-Warner (Eastern Suburbs), Miles Amatosero (Eastern Suburbs), Rob Leota (Eastern Suburbs), Charlie Gamble (Eastern Suburbs), Hugh Sinclair (Northern Suburbs) (capt).

Replacements: Mahe Vailanu (Gordon), Jack Barrett (Randwick), Daniel Botha (Sydney University), Matt Philip (Sydney University), Jamie Adamson (Eastern Suburbs), Jack Grant (Eastern Suburbs), Tane Edmed (Eastwood), Henry O’Donnell (Northern Suburbs).

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland); Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England); Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England), Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland) (capt), James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England), Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Ben Earl (Saracens/England).

Replacements: Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales), Ben White (Toulon/Scotland), Marcus Smith (Harlequins/England).

Referee: Paul Williams (NZR)
Assistant Referees: James Doleman, Angus Mabey (both NZR)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)

Pre-Match Quotes: Tadhg Beirne (British & Irish Lions) –

I was told about the captaincy yesterday evening (Thursday), just before we went for a team meeting. ‘Faz’ just gave me a call, went and met him. Tap on the shoulder and he told me, so it was a massive honour.

It’s probably something I never expected to do. It’s a massive, massive honour, and I was probably a little bit shocked when Faz first said it to me, but it’s very exciting for me, and a huge honour.

Someone of Owen Farrell’s quality, his fourth Lions tour, he’s only going to bring some serious quality to the squad. Any type of leadership is only going to enhance the squad. With his talent and leadership skills, it’s going to do nothing but boost the squad.”

Dan McKellar (NSW Waratahs) –

It’s a big game. Everyone wants to play in it. Like every week, the boys all want to be involved. There have been some tough decisions, as always, but we are comfortable with the 23 that we have got.

You just have to put the Lions under pressure. They’re a quality side, and as I’ve said to the players all week – this is a Test match. We are not playing Super Rugby or anything else.

“We are playing a high-quality Test team. But they’ve got two arms and two legs, and you just have to put them under pressure.

“The Force and the Reds, they have done that – being able to do it and sustain it for long periods of time is the challenge.

“They bring on eight high quality Test players off the bench…it’s a fair challenge. But as has been proven in the past, it’s certainly doable. You just have to be very good.”

Match Facts:

– The Lions have played the Waratahs on 21 previous occasions, winning 16, drawing one (in 1966), and losing four, the last of which was at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1959

– The Lions have played four previous matches at Allianz Stadium, losing the first Test to Australia there in 1989 but taking the series victory that year with a third Test triumph at the same venue. The two other occasions were both against the Waratahs, winning 41-24 in 2001 and winning 47-17 in 2013

– Tadhg Beirne becomes the Lions’ 133rd captain for a match, and the 34th Irishman to have the honour

– Waratahs back rower Jamie Adamson plays against the Lions having previously turned out for the Great Britain Sevens team in four events in 2023/24

– Glasgow Warriors’ Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu become the 32nd centre partnership from the same club in Lions history. Only three instances have been recorded in the professional era, when Swansea’s Mark Taylor and Scott Gibbs started together twice during the 2001 tour of Australia, and there were two Leinstermen, Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy, in the centre against the Māori All Blacks in 2005

– The Waratahs averaged more contestable kicks per game (6.4) than any other team in Super Rugby Pacific this year. 25.3% of their kicks were contestable, also a competition high

– Triston Reilly scored the joint-most tries (seven) for the Waratahs in 2025. He made nine initial breaks (second) and supported four (first)

– Jack Conan made more carries (13) and beat more defenders (four) than any other Lion against the Queensland Reds. He also assisted two line breaks and a try

– The player-of-the-match against the Reds, Jac Morgan made 21 tackles (first), eight carries over the gain-line (first), and won three turnovers (first)

Most Recent Meetings:

1989: British & Irish Lions Tour To Australia – NSW Waratahs 21 British & Irish Lions 23, North Sydney Oval

2001: British & Irish Lions Tour To Australia – NSW Waratahs 24 British & Irish Lions 41, Sydney Football Stadium

2013: British & Irish Lions Tour To Australia – NSW Waratahs 17 British & Irish Lions 47, Allianz Stadium, Sydney