The British and Irish Lions began in Dublin with world number five Argentina, losing a 3-3 try thriller (24-28), carrying 166 times (139 metres post contact), passing 206 times (22 often calamitous offloads), beating 45 Pumas in the tackle, developing ‘only’ six clean breaks, losing four lineouts, and kicking 25 times.
On to Perth, where the tourists notched eight tries from 22 breaks, built upon 137 mostly good carries and 24 better offloads, a five-turnover edge, only one lineout lost, and a more rational 30 kicks in play, en route to a 54-7 walloping of a Western Force team shorn of several stars, and not a powerful team in Super Rugby Pacific.
In Brisbane, the Queensland Reds were similarly not fully stocked with their Wallabies, but as the country’s second-best squad, coached by the next Test coach, were expected to mount much stiffer resistance than the Force.
By the end, the Lions’ superior fitness told the tale: eight tries, 52 points, 133 carries, 168 passes (14 offloads), only 18 kicks, and 15 clean breaks.
Making deductions from this trajectory, the NSW Waratahs are staring at a record loss, even more grievous than 96-19 versus the 2002 Crusaders.
Why?
The concern is based on serious doubt the Tahs can score 19 points against these Lions (the Tahs were tenth in Super Rugby Pacific in 22 entries), whose brand of high line and blitz-barge was not seen by the home side in 2025, led by a smallish young flyhalf, Jack Bowen, with about an hour of elite club rugby under his belt, and one wonders how they will stop Lions’ attacks.
Opta Stats in their Club Hub have the Waratahs worst of 51 teams in tackle misses, last in the world in maul metres per game (mauls can slow a game down, gratefully), and second worst in the world in cover tackles after missing a tackle.
Andrew Kellaway of the Waratahs looks dejected after defeat during the round fourteen Super Rugby Pacific match between Waratahs and Crusaders at Allianz Stadium, on May 16, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe Photography/Getty Images)
The Tahs are not particularly evasive (46th of 51), do not use the long pass to get around the rush (46th), are third worst at scoring tries from kick returns, and thus are 43rd in going wide on attack (third in short pass percentage), leading them into the teeth of a highly aggressive tackle system.
The Lions have only become fitter on this tour.
Set piece may be the only way into the game, but the Tahs are 39th in lineout theft, far less risky to the Lions than the Force, for example.
At scrum, former Glasgow and Australian Schools loosehead Tom Lambert faces 52-cap tighthead Finlay Bealham, who has a 6-2 bench behind him, including Tadhg Furlong and monster scrummaging locks Joe McCarthy and Scott Cummings. His reinforcement is Jack Barrett (21) who might be 105 kg after a big meal.
No, it feels very much like a Lions backline triggered by Saints Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith will set the Scottish trio of Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones and Blair Kinghorn and the Irish duo of Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan free to torture the Tahs.
Henry Pollock, Josh van der Flier, and Ben Earl might be the fastest loose trio we will see in this series.
But none of these is the main story of the week.
This is the tale of a father and a son, about whom half of Lions fans believe we are seeing a glorified mascot who does not fill the hole left by red-hot Elliot Daly, whilst the other half think this is a master stroke: World Player of the Year calibre, iceman on the tee, a ball player at No.12, and never say die.
The truth may be in the middle: not a current Test player, Owen Farrell may not be the Owen Farrell we used to know. Perhaps the spirit will be willing and the body weak, or the opposite.
British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell, right, and his son Owen Farrell before the Lions 1888 Cup match between the British & Irish Lions and Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
The likeliest result will be that Farrell is not a starter, given the seasons both Bundee Aki and Tuipulotu have enjoyed at centre, and how imperious Russell has been for Bath, but odder things have happened.
Still, the headlines all contain the F word and why not? This is the kind of happening that defines the Lions series: late-breaking heroes sent over as if they are a rider on a steed, raring to charge into battle.
This observer rates the move as the first potential bungle: a touring team has already worked out hierarchies and tones, the style so far has looked like Finn’s and ‘Huw-ipolotu’ in vibe, with a little Pollocking and Freeman for spice.
Over the three games so far, these Lions have averaged 199 passes and just 24 kicks, 10 breaks and 14 entries, off of 136 hard carries a game. Whilst not set in stone, this feels like a shape worth riding. Farrell’s son has a habit of reshaping teams into his own (more kick-heavy) image.
The good news for Dan McKellar and his Tahs is all the Farrell furor may ease the sting of the morning papers soon.
