Skip to main content
Gifts from The Morning Star
Unconvincing Lions labour to patchy victory over ACT Brumbies
The British & Irish Lions' Garry Ringrose (centre) carries the ball forward during the Qatar Airways Lions Tour 2025 match at GIO Stadium Canberra, Australia, July 9, 2025

THE British and Irish Lions failed to deliver the statement performance expected from their Test team in waiting as they laboured to a patchy 36-24 victory over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra today.

The Lions slowly pulled clear with second-half tries from Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier, but the strongest line-up fielded by Andy Farrell so far on tour were unconvincing with the series opener against Australia just 10 days away.

It was a side that looked less than the sum of their parts, firing only sporadically but with the individual class to ensure an upset against opponents who were missing eight Wallabies was never on the cards.

Hooker Dan Sheehan, centre Garry Ringrose and flanker Ollie Chessum caught the eye on a cold night at Canberra Stadium, but others in the starting XV face an anxious wait to see if they have played their way out of Test contention.

Adding to the Lions’ problems was Blair Kinghorn’s departure in the 25th minute with a knee injury, placing pressure on their options at full-back given Elliot Daly has returned home with a fractured forearm to leave Hugo Keenan as the only other recognised 15 in the squad.

The Brumbies are Australia’s strongest Super Rugby franchise and had history on their side after humbling Warren Gatland’s tourists in 2013.

Pre-match footage of their changing room showed a team determined to make their mark and they started like a freight train by winning a series of forward collisions that ended with Tuaina Taii-Tualima diving over.

The Lions had been outmuscled as part of a poor opening, but they settled with Finn Russell sending Chessum over and the Scotland fly-half was beginning to penetrate the home defence with the variety of his passing.

Kinghorn was replaced by Marcus Smith and while the mistakes that have been a theme of the tour continued, the ball was being moved at speed and having produced some big forward carries, there was space for James Lowe to cross.

Smith’s fallibility at full-back was exposed when he strayed infield and the Brumbies pounced with a long floated pass to Corey Toole, presenting the wing with an easy finish.

But Smith scored himself on the stroke of half-time, the beneficiary of sharp passing by Russell and Tom Curry during a passage of play that saw the Lions click.

A 19-10 lead was a poor return from a patchy first-half but daylight opened up when a driving run from Ringrose saw the Ireland centre link with Smith before touching down his grubber.

Hudson Creighton went over as the Lions’ scrum defence opened up and the error count continued to rise with at least Henry Pollock impressing with a break in the wide channel.

Van der Flier was on the end of a driving maul but the Brumbies would not go away, Liam Bowron powering over from close range with five minutes left.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Chelsea's Joao Felix after the UEFA Europa Conference League match at Stamford Bridge, London, November 7, 2024
Men’s football / 29 July 2025
29 July 2025
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt during the Captain's Run at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, July 22, 2025
Men’s rugby union / 29 July 2025
29 July 2025

Governing body says officials acted within laws and player welfare remains top priority

India head coach Gautam Gambhir during a nets session at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, July 21, 2025
Men’s cricket / 29 July 2025
29 July 2025
Similar stories
Harlequins' Tom Lawday (centre) is tackled by Glasgow Warriors' Gregor Brown during the Investec Champions Cup match at the Twickenham Stoop Stadium, London, January 18, 2025
Men's Rugby Union / 20 July 2025
20 July 2025
Australia's Hunter Paisami during the Autumn International match at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, November 20, 2021
Men's Rugby Union / 25 June 2025
25 June 2025
Marcus Smith, February 28, 2025
Men’s rugby union / 5 March 2025
5 March 2025
Smith and Slade dropped from backline for Sunday’s Six Nations showdown
England's Tom Curry with team mates during the team run at t
Men’s rugby union / 28 January 2025
28 January 2025