British & Irish Lions news: Andy Farrell’s side clinches first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane
After four long years following a COVID-19-impacted British and Irish Lions tour, saw empty crowds and eerily quiet stadiums in South Africa, the return of top-level Lions Test matches was witnessed on Saturday, July 19.
After plenty of discourse surrounding selection, tactics and game plan, the Lions came out firing in the opening 40 minutes, going in at the half 17-5 up.
Perhaps the second half saw Farrell’s side take their foot off the gas, allowing Australia back into the game, providing the opportunity for a fragmented Wallabies side to bounce back this weekend in Melbourne.
Sports News Blitz rugby writer Jacob Garrett discusses.
British & Irish Lions news: 2025 tour of Australia – Test series preview, betting odds and predictions
The highly anticipated start of the British & Irish Lions vs Australia Test series kicks off on Saturday, July 19.
But what are the intriguing talking points and potential match-winning moments, and who are the players that you should look out for over the course of the series?
Here, Sports News Blitz’s Aidan Leo previews the Test series Down Under, provides the series odds, and offers his predictions.
British & Irish Lions news: Lions deliver professional performance against star-studded AU-NZ Invitational side
Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions squad topped off their warm-up section of the tour with possibly their best performance to date.
Beating a team filled with New Zealand and Australian stars, Farrell’s side scored 48 unanswered points.
So, was this the best performance of the tour thus far, with the Test series just around the corner?
And which players gave Farrell and his fellow coaches a few last-minute selection headaches?
Sports News Blitz rugby writer Jacob Garrett weighs in on these questions ahead of the Test series against the Wallabies.
British & Irish Lions news: Complete fixture list and opposition breakdown for Australia tour
The British & Irish Lions are set to play 10 games as part of their 2025 tour to Australia, with nine of those taking place Down Under.
Ahead of the much-anticipated tour, Sports News Blitz rugby writer Charlie Elliot takes a look at the fixture list and breaks down each opposition team.
British & Irish Lions news: Lions pass their hardest test so far against the Brumbies
This week saw the match-ups between Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions and the Australian franchises come to an end after a 36-24 triumph over the ACT Brumbies on July 9.
The Lions finished with a perfect record in these warm-up games.
The Lions now go on to face the Australian–New Zealand Invitational squad – which, despite being filled with some Southern Hemisphere stars, should be a much more disjointed squad, similar to a Barbarians-esque set-up.
So, with the Brumbies being the best Australian team in Super Rugby Pacific, what did Farrell and his coaches learn from this game, and the games against all of the other Australian franchises?
Here, Sports News Blitz rugby writer Jacob Garrett discusses the road ahead for Farrell and the Lions.
British & Irish Lions news: Tourists crush Reds in Brisbane, call up Owen Farrell for injured Elliot Daly
Tuesday saw Andy Farrell’s British & Irish Lions team convincingly beat another Australian Super Rugby Pacific side in the form of the Queensland Reds.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Jacob Garrett takes a look at the standout aspects of the Lions’ victory and considers which players put their hands up for the first Test.
British and Irish Lions news: Lions crush Western Force with second-half onslaught
After a tasty introduction in Dublin against Argentina, Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions took on the quality and iconic Perth-based Western Force on Saturday, June 28.
In the aftermath of the tour-opener in Dublin there were certainly more questions than answers for Farrell and his coaching team.
A lot was made of the lack of directness and poor cohesion in the loose and in the set piece in the side’s first outing against the Pumas.
Sports News Blitz’s rugby writer Jacob Garrett gives his assessment on what we learned from the opener Down Under.
British & Irish Lions news: Player watch – Ellis Genge shines, Marcus Smith struggles vs Argentina
The British & Irish Lions fell to a narrow defeat against Argentina in Dublin last week as Andy Farrell got a first look at his squad in Test-match conditions ahead of the tour to Australia.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Jacob Garrett takes a look at three players who benefitted from the loss at the Aviva and one who did not.
British & Irish Lions news: Andy Farrell’s disjointed team beaten by Argentina in Dublin warm-up
It was a classic disjointed British & Irish Lions performance in Dublin on Friday as Andy Farrell’s charges came unstuck against an ever-improving Argentina, losing 28-24 to Felipe Contepomi and co.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Jacob Garrett reviews the game at the Aviva.
British & Irish Lions news: A backline of players not selected by Andy Farrell for Australia tour
Head coach Andy Farrell recently named his British & Irish Lions squad for the upcoming tour of Australia, and the Englishman had to leave out some noteworthy talent in the process.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Jacob Garrett picks seven backline players that would not look out of place Down Under.
British & Irish Lions news: A forward pack of players not selected by Andy Farrell for Australia tour
Andy Farrell has chosen his squad for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, giving 38 players what will no doubt be one of the best experiences of their careers.
However, the cut-throat nature of professional sport has also left a number of top-class players devastated that their name was not called out during the live event on May 8.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Jacob Garrett picks eight players who will feel hard done by not to be sitting on the plane Down Under.
British & Irish Lions news: Who are head coach Andy Farrell’s assistants?
Head coach Andy Farrell has named his assistants for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.
It is, by all accounts, set to be a varied backroom that tours Australia in a couple of months, with lots of different experiences and expertise at Farrell’s disposal.
Here, Sports News Blitz rugby writer Charlie Elliott takes a look at each assistant and gives a rundown of their career so far.
British & Irish Lions news: Who are the coaches joining Andy Farrell?
The selection of coaches for the British and Irish Lions tour is always a hot topic of conversation.
Will the head coach stick to who he knows? Or will he change it up and get some new perspectives?
Andy Farrell being the man to lead it all is well known amongst rugby fans, but the people joining him may be less familiar.
Right now, the assistants are unknown, but some of the backroom staff have already been assembled.
Sports News Blitz rugby writer Charlie Elliott goes through the confirmed appointments, and who exactly they are.
British & Irish Lions news: Australia’s previous results against the home nations
The British and Irish Lions head to Australia this summer for another tour which is bound to create some classic games and matchups.
As is the fashion of the touring sides, it is always such a high standard of rugby and usually a few very close Tests.
Australia played all the home nations in the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, with Sports News Blitz rugby union writer Charlie Elliott looking at how they did.
Two wins and two defeats are not a bad return for Joe Schmidt’s side and offer a potential look into how the Lions will fare this summer.
British & Irish Lions news: Eight players Andy Farrell must select for Australia tour
Ahead of a much-anticipated tour to Australia, British & Irish Lions coach and chief selector Andy Farrell will no doubt have been an avid watcher of the first three rounds of the Six Nations.
Over the last month, some players have firmly put themselves in the selection frame through electric performances, while others have done quite the opposite.
Sports News Blitz writer Jacob Garrett takes a look at the men playing their way into Farrell’s thoughts.
British & Irish Lions news: Andy Farrell should leave Finn Russell at home, claims Nick Mallett
Former Springboks head coach Nick Mallett has called for Scotland fly-half Finn Russell not to be included in the British & Irish Lions squad for the tour of Australia this summer.
Sports News Blitz rugby writer Charlie Elliott offers his thoughts on Russell’s potential selection.