Lions triumph 36-24 over Brumbies in Canberra Test run

Brumbies 24-36 British and Irish Lions

The British & Irish Lions continued their unbeaten run on Australian soil with a 36-24 win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on 9 July 2025.

The Brumbies shocked the visitors early when No. 8 Tuaina Taii Tualima barged over in the 2nd minute, taking advantage of Lions’ early indiscipline to open the scoring. The Lions, rattled but composed, responded swiftly.

In the 15th minute, a dominant scrum laid the platform for Ollie Chessum to score from close range. With Finn Russell converting, the Lions drew level at 7-7. Building momentum, they surged ahead in the 29th minute as James Lowe finished in the corner after a sweeping backline movement.

Just a minute later, the Lions were awarded a penalty try after the Brumbies collapsed a maul near the line, extending the lead to 17-7.

The hosts stayed in the fight though, and in the 37th minute, winger Corey Toole capitalised on turnover ball to sprint in and cut the deficit to 17-12.

A Russell penalty just before the break gave the Lions a 19-12 halftime cushion, but it was clear the Brumbies were not going to fade easily.

The second half opened with Marcus Smith—on at fullback—making an immediate impact. In the 41st minute, he collected a deflected midfield kick and dashed through unopposed to score.

The lead stretched to 24-12, and with renewed rhythm, the Lions began to assert dominance.

In the 47th minute, Garry Ringrose finished another structured phase play to score under the posts. Russell’s conversion made it 31-12, seemingly putting the game beyond the Brumbies.

But the hosts struck back again. Hudson Creighton touched down in the 51st minute, slicing through from a scrum-play on the blindside. That try, followed by a resilient defensive set, kept the scoreboard honest at 31-17.

Russell kicked another penalty in the 62nd minute to make it 34-17, before Josh van der Flier bundled over from a maul in the 67th minute, stretching the lead to 36-17.

The Brumbies refused to roll over and were rewarded with a late try in the 75th minute by replacement Liam Bowron, closing the scoreline at 36-24.

The match also came with a scare for the Lions as Blair Kinghorn limped off in the first half with a knee issue. Although the initial prognosis is optimistic, with the first Test just ten days away, the injury could affect backline selections. Elliot Daly remains sidelined, adding further uncertainty to the back three composition.