MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The British and Irish Lions held off the First Nations and Pasifika XV 24-19 in a tough, physical contest on Tuesday in the last of their midweek games on the Australian tour.
The Lions can now focus on trying to clinch the three-test series against the Wallabies on Saturday in Melbourne after winning the first match 27-19 last weekend in Brisbane.
“We've given ourselves a bit of a fright," Lions head coach Andy Farrell said. “Congratulations to the First Nations and Pasifika team, (they) made it a hard-fought contest that's for sure.”
The Lions are now 7-0 in Australia, including the test match, victories over Super Rugby franchises Western Force,Queensland Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies and two invitational teams.
Jamie Osborne scored the opening tries of each half Tuesday and the Lions twice had big leads before being pinned back by the First Nations and Pasifika team, which was drawn from players with Indigenous Australia and Pacific Islands heritage.
Making the most of a penalty advantage, the Lions took a 24-14 lead with 15 minutes to play when Owen Farrell dummied a pass to unsettle the defense and send an unmarked Duhan van der Merwe over in the left corner.
But the invitational team rallied again, cutting the lead to five points in the 71st when Rob Leota scored a try from close range and finishing the match hard in attack just as they did in the first half.
Backrower Charlie Gamble was awarded player of the match despite being on the losing side, helping combat the Lions' superior field position and possession with his relentless work at the breakdown.
“It’s pretty tough when you see (critics saying) we’re going to get smashed by 50,” Gamble said of the lopsided expectations ahead of the game. “But you know, we showed that we deserved to be out there, and we played very hard for each other.”
Tough first half
It had been 14-14 at halftime after each team scored two converted tries and spent 10 minutes giving up a numerical advantage because of yellow cards.
The Lions races to 14-0 after center Osborne chased through Fin Smith's chip kick and touched down, while winger Darcy Graham crossed out wide.
From a lineout win by Henry Pollock, the Lions created an overlap with players looping in midfield and sent a long, floating pass to the unmarked Scottish winger. But Graham had to leave the field soon after with an injury.
The last hour was much more of a grinding contest, with the First Nations and Pasifika team at times outmuscling the Lions, forcing mistakes.
Triston Reilly, who was yellow-carded early, returned to score the First Nations and Pasifika's opening try after an intercept.
Blindside flanker Seru Uru picked up and reached over amid three tacklers in the 23rd minute and Kurtley Beale converted to level the score, ensuring the touring Lions knew they were in a contest.
As tempers flared, Pollock and Uru were warned by the referee for a pushing and shoving episode that the young Lions No. 8 would certainly have learned from. The match remained intensely physical but didn't get out of hand.
“If you look at the game, how we started, we started on fire ... but they (First Nations and Pasifika) tightened back up and took the most of their opportunities,” Andy Farrell said. “It shows how much it means to them.”
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The Associated Press
