Lions rout Force: Russell shines and the competition heats up

The British and Irish Lions secured their first victory of 2025 by defeating Western Force with a resounding 54-7 in Perth. The performance was much more solid than that shown against Argentina, with positive aspects in both attack and defense.

Party Analysis

After evaluating most of the players, these are three key points left by the triumph in Western Australia:

• Finn Russell dispels any doubts about his starting position.
• Almost all other positions are up for grabs.
• The Australians sought to impose their physical game, and they succeeded.

Finn Russell

Although Finn Russell is widely expected to be the starting fly-half in the test matches, no one should ever be ruled out before the game begins, especially with Fin Smith and Marcus Smith waiting for their chance. His performance against Force demonstrates why Russell is considered one of the best in the world today. His audacity and vision in throwing the cross-pass that set up the first try were a display of his skill.

Title of the publication: Finn Russell went a long way to cementing his place as first-choice fly-half on Saturday. He controlled the match from start to finish, feeling completely comfortable in Perth. Furthermore, he demonstrated foresight and rugby intelligence in the Lions’ third try, taking a quick tap while Force seemed to be taking a breather, and the rest was an inevitable conclusion. That kind of quick thinking can make the difference on a Lions tour, and Russell executed it to perfection.

Other disputed positions

Title of the publication: Henry Pollock delivered a superb performance in his first British and Irish Lions start.

Although this was only his second match and the time difference may still be present, apart from Russell and captain Maro Itoje, no one else is expected to be guaranteed a starting place in the tests. This is not due to a lack of talent, but to the large number of players with a good level. James Lowe and Mack Hansen impressed on the wings, but Tommy Freeman and Duhan van der Merwe will have another opportunity to prove their worth.

Sione Tuipulotu has been impressive playing both matches and may be the closest player to starting, but center is another competitive area. Tomos Williams, who retired due to a hamstring injury, showed energy, but we haven’t yet seen the injured Jamison Gibson-Park in the scrum-half position. Joe McCarthy made a great impression at lock, and it will be interesting to see how Farrell uses him and Beirne, given that Itoje will occupy one of the lock positions. It was also great to see Henry Pollock bring his fearless attitude to the debut. If that continues, he will be very much in the mix for a starting spot.The physical game of the Australians

Title of the publication: The Force showed their physicality throughout the game in Perth. The Wallabies and Force scrum-half, Nic White, warned the Lions that Super Rugby teams would seek to bring a lot of physicality to their matches, even if the score widened. His prediction came true, especially in the first 50 minutes of Saturday. Don’t expect the Lions to have everything in their favor in these tour matches, with pride at stake and players undoubtedly looking to make an impression on Australian coach Joe Schmidt. The Force never took a step back and was always ready for battle… Expect more of the same in the other five preparation matches.