STAR RUGBY PREVIEW Weds: Brumbies v The Lions

The first test is fast approaching for the British and Irish Lions, and many of the first XV could be in action against the Brumbies, writes WILLIAM KEDJANYI.

Three victories down under – two of them much more convincing than a scrappy victory against the Waratahs – have yet to see a complete 80-minute performance, with Andy Farrell responding to a below par showing for many potential test contenders by putting out an extremely strong side for their toughest game before the first test.

Brumbies v British and Irish Lions
2025 Lions Tour of Australia
GIO Stadium, Canberra
10:30 Sky Sports Main Event HD / Sky Go / NOW TV

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The Brumbies finished the Super Rugby Pacific season in third place with nine wins across the campaign, the highest of any Australian side. They also beat the Hurricanes 35-28 to reach the semi-finals and gave the top-of-the-table Chiefs a run for their money before being knocked out in the semis.
They finished six points clear of the Reds and a further 18 points clear of the Waratahs, so we ought to get a decent read into the form and cohesion of the test side, even with six players missing from the hosts due to training for the test series.

The back row of Hooper, Rory Scott and Tuaina Taii Tualima has the potential to cause the Lions problems, and Tom Curry, battling other in form flankers for the wing spot, faces a big test of his starting ambitions.

Winger Corey Toole, the former sevens star who was part of the Australian team that reached the Olympic semi-finals last summer in Paris, is one of the quickest players in Australian rugby and big showings are expected from half-backs Ryan Lonergan and Declan Meredith.

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The visiting team is extremely strong but does contain a few players who need a big showing. As said before, Tom Curry hasn’t been at his most impactful so far whilst Tadhg Furlong will want a big showing given how well Will Stuart and Finlay Bealham have performed so far upfront. It’s also a chance for the backline to rubber stamp their places in the starting XV given how directionless the Lions were on Saturday, although the all-Scottish centre pairing of Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu was a rare bright spot on Saturday, with Jones doing his chances no harm.

With six players from the starting XV and 14 from the total squad that faced the Reds, we have a rough reference point for the visitors, who put 40 points on the Reds and pulled away late, putting 31 points without response in the second half. The Brumbies can be expected to give stiffer resistance so handicaps of 28-31 look about right, and the 14/5 on the Lions winning by both 21-30 points and 31-40 points looks worth focusing on for those picking winning margins.

Teams:

🇦🇺 Brumbies: 15 Andy Muirhead, 14 Ben O’Donnell, 13 Ollie Sapsford, 12 David Feliuai, 11 Corey Toole, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan (c), 8 Tuaina Taii Tualima, 7 Rory Scott, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Lachie Shaw, 3 Rhys van Nek, 2 Lachlan Lonergan, 1 Lington Ieli

Replacements: 16 Liam Bowron, 17 Cameron Orr, 18 Feao Fotuaika, 19 Lachie Hooper, 20 Luke Reimer, 21 Harrison Goddard, 22 Jack Debreczeni, 23 Hudson Creighton

🦁 Lions: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Ellis Genge

Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Josh van der Flier, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Mack Hansen

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PROFIT/LOSS (JUL 2025): -8.00 points

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