British & Irish Lions crush Force 54-7 in Perth Tour Opener

Western Force 7-54 British and Irish Lions, Optus Stadium

The British & Irish Lions opened their Australia tour with a devastating 54-7 win over the Western Force in Perth, running in eight tries and blowing past early resistance to deliver a clear warning to future opponents.

Played under lights at Optus Stadium, this performance was as ruthless as it was clinical — an emphatic start to what promises to be a fierce summer of rugby.

It took just two minutes for the Lions to cross the whitewash. A slick Finn Russell cross-field kick was collected sharply by wing Elliot Daly, who offloaded inside to Dan Sheehan, the captain for the night, who barrelled over for the first try. Russell converted to make it 7-0.

The Western Force hit back immediately. Scrum-half Nic White took a quick tap near the Lions’ line in the 4th minute, catching the visitors napping and diving over to level the score at 7-7 after Max Burey slotted the conversion.

From there, however, it was all Lions.

In the 17th minute, after a strong carry from Joe McCarthy and a smart offload from Sheehan, Tomos Williams sniped from the base of a ruck to score the Lions’ second. Russell added the extras for 14-7.

The next twenty minutes saw the Force holding out through sheer grit, but just before halftime, the dam broke. From a lineout drive, the Lions swung play wide where Garry Ringrose finished a crisp backline move in the 36th minute. Russell converted again to stretch the lead to 21-7.

There was still time for more first-half damage. In the 39th minute, a midfield turnover by the Lions led to a sharp break involving Ringrose and Daly.

It was Elliot Daly who dotted down this time, rounding the final defender and touching down near the posts. Russell’s conversion made it 28-7 at halftime.

The second half began with another hammer blow. In the 47th minute, Tomos Williams darted over for his second try of the night, backing up a strong carry from Ollie Chessum. This time, Marcus Smith stepped up and converted for 35-7.

Moments later, Williams left the field with a suspected hamstring issue, but the Lions didn’t let up. In the 55th minute, second-row Joe McCarthy was rewarded for his night’s work, barging through two defenders to score. Smith converted again, taking the score to 42-7.

The pace remained relentless. In the 63rd minute, replacement scrum-half Alex Mitchell showed his pace and awareness, picking from the base and beating three Force defenders to cross under the posts. Smith added two more for 49-7.

And finally, with the Force defence in tatters and the Lions bench emptying, Elliot Daly completed his brace in the 76th minute, finishing off a sweeping counterattack sparked by Marcus Smith. The conversion attempt was missed, but the scoreboard read a decisive 54-7.

There was, however, a concern as Tomos Williams exited in the second half with a suspected hamstring injury. With a demanding fixture schedule ahead, the Lions’ depth in the scrum-half department may be tested.

The Lions next face the Queensland Reds, Waratahs, and Brumbies before the first Test against the Wallabies on July 19 in Brisbane.

Team line up:

Western Force: Donaldson, Grealy, Proctor, Stewart, Pietsch, Harford, White (capt); T Robertson, Paenga-Amosa, Hoskins, Carter, Swain, Harris, Champion de-Crespigny, Ekuasi

Reserves: Horton, Pearce, Tauakipulu, Faifua, Prinsep, H Robertson, Burey, Kuenzie

British and Irish Lions: Daly, Hansen, Ringrose, Tuipulotu, Lowe, Russell, Williams; Schoeman, Sheehan (capt), Furlong, Cummings, McCarthy, Beirne, Van der Flier, Pollock

Reserves: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Chessum, Conan, Mitchell, Jones, M Smith