Lions Scrape Past Determined First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne Thriller

Tourists Secure Narrow 24-19 Victory After Hard-Fought Midweek Encounter

The British & Irish Lions narrowly avoided a significant upset in their final midweek fixture, battling to a 24-19 win against a spirited First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne. The invitational side displayed remarkable resilience, proving a formidable opponent for large periods of the match.

Osborne Stars as Lions Edge Ahead

The Lions ultimately secured the win through four tries to three, with **Jamie Osborne** proving to be the standout performer, crossing the whitewash twice. **Darcy Graham** and **Duhan van der Merwe** contributed the other tries, while **Fin Smith** added two crucial conversions. For the home team, **Triston Reilly**, **Seru Uru**, and **Rob Leota** touched down, with **Kurtley Beale** successfully converting two of their efforts.

The early stages saw the First Nations & Pasifika XV reduced to 14 men when Reilly received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Graham in just the fifth minute. The Lions capitalised quickly, with Osborne opening the scoring after latching onto a perfectly weighted chip kick from Owen Farrell within the opposition’s 22-metre line.

Things looked to be worsening for the home side when Smith delivered a long skip pass to Graham in the 11th minute, allowing the Scotland flyer an easy run to the try line. Smith converted both tries, extending the Lions’ advantage. However, the complexion of the game shifted dramatically in the 18th minute as Reilly intercepted a pass from Blair Kinghorn on the edge of the Lions’ territory and sprinted away to score.

FT | First Nations & Pasifika XV 19-24 British & Irish Lions.

A hard-fought win for the Lions in their final midweek match of the tour. Plenty to build on for both sides! #LionsRugby #NZTour #FNPPXV pic.twitter.com/WwA9g4T2F7

— Lions Rugby (@LionsRugby) September 30, 2023

The momentum continued to swing as the First Nations & Pasifika XV drew level five minutes later. Uru grounded the ball close to the line following strong carries from Kalani Thomas and Taniela Tupou, which had provided the team with valuable momentum. Adding to the Lions’ woes, James Ryan was sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements leading up to the try. The remainder of the first half was a tight contest, with both teams unable to add to the score, resulting in a 14-14 deadlock at halftime.

Second-Half Tug-of-War

The Lions began the second half with renewed vigour. Just five minutes after the restart, **Osborne** completed his brace, running onto an offload from **Kinghorn** to score. The ensuing 15 minutes developed into a gruelling arm wrestle, with both sides showcasing impressive defensive efforts as they sought to gain the upper hand.

The Lions extended their lead in the 64th minute. Farrell displayed his experience by drawing in a defender before offloading to the towering winger Van der Merwe, who had a clear run to the try line. The home side, determined to salvage something from the match, responded in the 71st minute when Leota scored from close range after receiving a pass from Richie Asiata. The final moments were frantic as the invitational team pushed for a stunning victory, but the Lions managed to hold on, securing their tightest win of their Australian tour to date.

The physicality of international rugby can take a toll, with teams often averaging over 200 tackles per match in major tournaments like the Rugby World Cup. The Lions’ defensive efforts were tested throughout this encounter, highlighting the commitment required at this level.

Team Lineups

First Nations & Pasifika XV: 15 Muirhead, 14 Failing Daulte, 12 DALIDE PLAYE, 7 KARKE TEMAGA, 8 LARKER TEAMULE, AMANKA SENAGA, 6 GARDY GUELS, AMANKE MEMAGA, 8 LARKER TEAMULE OF MAILI!; Replacements: 16 Richie Asiata, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Mesake Doge, 19 Mesake Vocevoce, 20 Rob Leota, 21 Harrison Goddard, 22 Jack Debreczeni, 23 Jarrah McLeod.

British & Irish Lions: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Jamie Osborne, 12 Owen Farrell (c), 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Ben White, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Jac Morgan, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 James Ryan, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Jamie George, 1 Pierre Schoeman; Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Tom Clarkson, 19 Gregor Brown, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Garry Ringrose.

The match officials included Referee Nika Amasshache (Georgia), Assistant Referees Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) and Andrea Piardi (Italy), TMO Marius Jonker (South Africa), and FPRO Richard Kelly (New Zealand).