On a less-than-stellar Saturday, Scotland's Huw Jones had to pull double duty to drag a lackluster British & Irish Lions to a 21-10 victory over a gutsy, albeit depleted, NSW Waratahs team. This scrappy showdown at Sydney Football Stadium marked the Lions' third consecutive win in their Australian saga, yet it was hardly a display that would have the home crowd shaking in their boots.
The Waratahs, stripped of their star players due to national duties and coming off a string of losses, still managed to put the tourists' mettle to the test. The Lions, missing the creative sparks of Finn Russell and Maro Itoje, stumbled through the first half with a slew of errors and questionable choices, limping to a 14-5 lead at halftime. The game's texture improved slightly with the introduction of fresh legs, but the Lions' earlier vibrancy was notably absent, leaving plenty for Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt to mull over before the looming Test series.
Adding to the Lions' pre-match jitters, a calf issue sidelined promising flanker Harry Pollock, prompting a reshuffle that saw Tadhg Beirne shift from lock to the flank and Scott Cummings step up from the bench. Despite this disruption, the Lions managed an early score after a shaky start, with Huw Jones slicing through the defense thanks to a slick assist from Sione Tuipulotu. This marked the beginning of what would be a double try day for Jones.
"Huwipulotu combines for the Lions!"
Despite their dominance in possession and territory, the Lions found the Waratahs' defense stubborn. A potential try from Waratahs' Charlie Gamble was scrapped for obstruction, but the Lions countered quickly with Jones dancing through to notch his second, and third of the tour, off a crisp pass from Alex Mitchell.
The Waratahs, however, weren't going quietly, with Darby Lancaster and Ethan Dobbins each finding the end zone, keeping the scoreline tight at 14-10 shortly after the break. The Lions' final say came from Mitchell, who sniped from the back of a maul to secure the win.
Despite the victory, the performance was hardly convincing, with the game highlighting more concerns than confidences. With a big test series on the horizon, the Lions' coaching staff surely has their work cut out to sharpen up a squad that's yet to find its best form down under.
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On a less-than-stellar Saturday, Scotland's Huw Jones had to pull double duty to drag a lackluster British & Irish Lions to a 21-10 victory over a gutsy, albeit depleted, NSW Waratahs team. This scrappy showdown at Sydney Football Stadium marked the Lions' third consecutive win in their Australian saga, yet it was hardly a display that would have the home crowd shaking in their boots.
The Waratahs, stripped of their star players due to national duties and coming off a string of losses, still managed to put the tourists' mettle to the test. The Lions, missing the creative sparks of Finn Russell and Maro Itoje, stumbled through the first half with a slew of errors and questionable choices, limping to a 14-5 lead at halftime. The game's texture improved slightly with the introduction of fresh legs, but the Lions' earlier vibrancy was notably absent, leaving plenty for Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt to mull over before the looming Test series.
Adding to the Lions' pre-match jitters, a calf issue sidelined promising flanker Harry Pollock, prompting a reshuffle that saw Tadhg Beirne shift from lock to the flank and Scott Cummings step up from the bench. Despite this disruption, the Lions managed an early score after a shaky start, with Huw Jones slicing through the defense thanks to a slick assist from Sione Tuipulotu. This marked the beginning of what would be a double try day for Jones.
"Huwipulotu combines for the Lions!"
Despite their dominance in possession and territory, the Lions found the Waratahs' defense stubborn. A potential try from Waratahs' Charlie Gamble was scrapped for obstruction, but the Lions countered quickly with Jones dancing through to notch his second, and third of the tour, off a crisp pass from Alex Mitchell.
The Waratahs, however, weren't going quietly, with Darby Lancaster and Ethan Dobbins each finding the end zone, keeping the scoreline tight at 14-10 shortly after the break. The Lions' final say came from Mitchell, who sniped from the back of a maul to secure the win.
Despite the victory, the performance was hardly convincing, with the game highlighting more concerns than confidences. With a big test series on the horizon, the Lions' coaching staff surely has their work cut out to sharpen up a squad that's yet to find its best form down under.