AUNZ Invitational XV v British & Irish Lions: Five takeaways as Ben Earl ‘dominates’ against ‘absolutely unacceptable’ scratch team
Ben White and Ben Earl impressed for the Lions.
Following a 48-0 victory for the British & Irish Lions against an AUNZ Invitational XV, here’s our five takeaways from the fixture at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
The top line
The British and Irish Lions maintained their 100% tour record with possibly their best performance of the 2025 tour as they saw off the AUNZ Invitational XV.
The biggest news was the nil in their opponents’ column in the scorecard, something that will delight the players and the Lions coaches alike, as the back-row, led by a brilliant display from Player of the Match Ben Earl, and the midfield, led by a thumping performance in defence from Fin Smith, returned a brilliant shift without the ball.
The Lions’ tries came from Duhan van der Merwe (3), Ben White, Sione Tuipulotu, Scott Cummings, Ronan Kelleher and Henry Pollock.
Andy Farrell and his coaching cohorts will be delighted in this display, one that saw continuity, consistency of system, huge step ups in terms of physicality and accuracy and an impressive finishing effort with ball in hand.
And to cap it all, we were treated to the inevitable pantomime boos when Owen Farrell came on to notch up his place as a four-time Lion, followed by the equally inevitable moment of individual brilliance as Pollock dotted down for a typically impish try.
The only concern for the Lions will be the health of hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie who got his head on the wrong side of a tackle and looks as if he might have to undergo concussion protocols in the coming week.
Game in numbers
The single biggest numerical takeout of this match is the resounding ‘zero’ in the scoreboard column for the Invitational XV.
In the build-up to Tests, and as the Lions moderated push system becomes more familiar, defensive accuracy is a coach’s single biggest focus.
The possession and territorial stats throw up some surprising metrics; the Invitational XV dominated both aspects – grabbing 59% territory and 52% possession. That alone tells you how good the Lions D was as they made 164 tackles with an outstanding 91% success rate. The Invitational XV’s tackle return was a dismal 66%, absolutely unacceptable at this level, but understandable, given the nature of their scratch team.
The defensive duties were shared around the team; Smith at 10 led the effort with 16 made and only two missed, a key component of the game he offers to Farrell. 10 Lions hit double figures in the tackle count, with White following the lead of his half-back partner with 13 in 60 minutes.
In the forwards, the Lions returned 100% and 95% at lineout and scrum, also nicking one of their opponents’ balls to underline a great outing. And at the breakdown, 100% ruck retention was a shining testimony to their new-found aggression into contact.
With an error count in their passing around 6%, the Lions’ ability to complete their phase play was a big part of this win and is a great sign moving into the Tests.
Accuracy at the heart
In terms of accuracy, this performance saw a big uplift in the manner the Lions executed all of their basics.
At 10, Smith was assured, working at the back of the attack pod and bringing in waves of eager runners around his shoulder and to the edge of the folding Invitational defence. Huw Jones really threw down a marker working off Smith, the Scottish centre making two clean breaks off Smith’s intelligent pop passing and running some 67 metres in another shining performance.
The outstanding Earl and Hugo Keenan both enjoyed Smith’s ambition, the pair joining in the running fun as the Lions demonstrated real unity and precision around the carrying effort.
The breakdown looked much better too; Jac Morgan has already proven he’s a real contender for the Test openside berth and his work, together with the rest of his back five forwards, went up a notch in terms of both power and precision, with the Lions winning the contact in 67% of their ruck clearing.
The Lions looked slick, blending systems with individual ambition, and working well within a very obvious but versatile structure, exactly what they need as they move into the final seven day run in before the Test series begins in earnest.
Big Bens
White and Earl both delivered classy performances to drive the Lions to their convincing win.
White, a man who’s had a frustrating year as Baptiste Serin’s understudy at RC Toulon all season, joined the team two weeks ago after the unfortunate injury to Tomos Williams. He brings a different style to the nine berth than the man he replaced, with a powerful kicking game and great physicality the hallmarks of his game.
The Lions benefited greatly from the accuracy of his box kicking and for the first time in the tour, they won the key touchline aerial battle, winning 9 out of the 12 opportunities their half-backs created. And he added a vital try-saving tackle to boot, as he enjoyed a great day at the office.
Yet again at eight, Earl dominated so many statistics in this match as he did in his previous Lions outings; most carries (14) second most metres made (79) most post contact metres (25), second most defenders beaten (4) most turnovers won (2) and 11 tackles seeing him fourth in the Lions tackle count list.
He continues to make a mockery of those that claim ‘he’s not an eight’. Sure, he’s smaller than most, but in terms of impact from the base of the scrum, Earl has dominated Test rugby since his World Cup efforts in 2023. He brings true pace to the back-row and has fully thrown the starting debate open wide.
Jack Conan or Earl? Well, it depends on what you want from your eight, that answers this question. Conan offers another lineout option, but if Ollie Chessum starts, as is expected, at six, then Earl surely comes into his own, with his natural pace and ability to beat men in open play a compelling differentiator. Conan is a good traffic carrier, but Earl’s ability to beat players and make yards at pace is peerless.
Whichever way you cut it, both men will be in the 23 and the Lions couldn’t have two better options.
Context
This win showed a marked step forward for the Lions, but the context remains that the Invitational team, a quality outfit in terms of personal, have had less time together that a couple on their first speed date. To make these fixtures meaningful, these teams need a tad longer together to really up their understanding of each other’s games and the Invitational XV’s error count demonstrated the unfamiliarity the team had of each other’s games.
Andy Farrell often talks about the team, the collective, the group. And what he’s getting in return is real performances, across the squad, from each and every player.
What the match did demonstrate is the Lions have real competition for places. In the centres, how can you leave out any of the two Irishmen and Scotsmen? Any permutation of the four will be a great Test combination, and two will be super unlucky to miss out. However, three-Test series often see changes and Farrell won’t bat an eyelid at any change he has the make using this magnificent quartet.
Read and repeat on the wings; Mack Hansen’s work-rate is remarkable. At times, he’s a bit untidy, but nobody can doubt his efforts. Van der Merwe’s finishing exploits continued, but again in his backfield work in defence he was a tad untidy.
With second-row and back-row equally competitive, Keenan finally showing his form, it bodes well for the Lions coaches.
Farrell and his cohorts have some huge choices to make – but the good news is that virtually each and every player in the squad would serve the Test team with skill and honour. You can ask for nothing more than that.