Lions Win First Test vs Australia: 8 Ireland Players Start

Sunday, 20 July 2025 12:46

By Clem Ryan

Eadestown's Tadhg Beirne Man of the Match.

Andy Farrell 's British & Irish Lions had 11 Ireland players in Saturday's Lions Test against Australia : 8 of them starting, including Eadestown's Tadhg Beirne at Flanker and three more on the bench .

It was the largest number of Ireland starters since the 2009 second clash against South Africa which saw seven Ireland players start.

The Lions keep their 100% record after a 27-19win over Australia in Brisbane, the scoreline flattering the Aussies, who ran in two late tries.

And among the Lions stars was man of the match Beirne, who stole a jackal ball after onle 3 minutes to set the tone for an excellent individual and team performance.

The Eadestown man made 23 tackles, seven carries, won three turnovers at vital times and stole an early Aussie throw as well.

Another who made a big impression was Jack Conan who was top-carrier with 11 and made16 tackles.

The halves Finn Russell and Jamison Gibson Park were outstanding.

The Lions tries were scored by Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Curry and Dan Sheehan

Tuesday’s final mid-week game is vs the First Nations and Pasifika XV, comprising players with First Nations or Pacific Island heritage