Queensland Reds v British & Irish Lions preview: ‘Mauling’ awaits hosts as Andy Farrell’s men build momentum
British and Irish Lions fly-half Finn Russell and an inset of Reds 10 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips.
The British and Irish Lions ramp up their preparations for the Test series against the Wallabies with the Queensland Reds next on Andy Farrell’s team’s agenda.
The meeting in Brisbane will be at Suncorp Stadium, where the first Test match will be staged, and provides the Lions with a far firmer challenge in the form of the Reds, coached by future Wallabies head coach Les Kiss.
In Super Rugby Pacific this season, the Queenslanders were the second most successful Australian outfit, reaching the play-offs alongside the Brumbies, but were outclassed by eventual champions the Crusaders.
The B&I Lions head into the game off the back of a resounding victory over the Western Force, which was in response to their opening match defeat to Argentina.
For the encounter, Farrell has welcomed the return of touring captain Maro Itoje, who leads the team that contains three debutants in the form of starting full-back Hugo Keenan, scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and replacement lock James Ryan.
Meanwhile, the Reds have been bolstered by the release of Wallabies Hunter Paisami and Matt Faessler, who feature in the starting XV along with ex-All Blacks Jeffery Toomaga-Allen and Aidan Ross, the latter now qualifies to represent Australia.
Where the game will be won
The Queensland Reds are admittedly without several of their top talents who are set to turn out in Wallabies colours against Fiji this weekend, but certainly have the depth to test the Lions in certain areas of the game.
Farrell will hope that the changed front-row will fare better than the starters against the Western Force come scrum time, and the same is true with the English locking partnership that will be tasked with the ongoing lineout concerns.
With the two ex-All Blacks in the front-row, either side of Wallaby Faessler, the Reds have the firepower to compete in the scrums, while the capped trio of Josh Canham, Lukhan Salakai-Loto and Seru Uru will contest the other set-piece.
Those selections will please the Lions’ coaching ticket as their squad is put to the test, and while the set-pieces are usually the area of the game that sets the tone of the match, the tourists proved last week that in this kind of encounter it is not as essential as it is in international rugby.
Instead, it was the game management of the half-backs and the ability of the Lions to be ruthless in attack, particularly on turnover ball, that really bloated the scoreline.
Finn Russell was pivotal alongside the now injured Tomos Williams in ripping the Force to shreds, and the former aims to do just the same alongside Gibson-Park, with the duo armed with mighty weapons up front and out wide to do just that.
That will mean that the breakdown has to be lightning quick and accurate, with the men in the famous red jersey still having some issues in looking after the ball.
Last time they met
What they said
Lions boss Farrell is expecting a stern test from the Reds, considering the Queensland outfit’s performances under ex-Ireland assistant Kiss.
“They’re a great side. I mean, that’s obvious if you’ve watched the games, not just this year, but last year as well,” he said.
“Les has done a fantastic job with them to play a great brand of rugby and are able to play in many different ways.
“So this will be 100 per cent a big step up for us on Wednesday night. Any side that Les coaches, he’s always going to be very well prepared.”
A real area of concern for the Lions highlighted in the clash against the Force was their ability to secure possession from the restarts.
Captain Itoje is confident that it will be sorted as the tourists contend with teething problems.
“All these things, naturally when you are putting a team together, putting new combinations together there is a few teething issues and whilst it was a bit challenging on the weekend, I have no doubt that we will be able to sort that out,” he insisted.
Full-back Jock Campbell will skipper the Reds has urged his charges to embrace the underdog mentality of Queensland’s sports as they go in hunt for a first win over the tourists since 1971.
“There’s that Queensland spirit I think we’re trying to tap into, and being the underdogs is not a bad thing for us, and it’s justified as well,” he told reporters.
“We’ve got a big task, but we’ll be ready.”
Meanwhile, Queensland assistant coach Jon Fisher is backing his pack to rise to the set-piece challenge on Wednesday.
“We are a team that I think showed over the course of the last 18 months in particular that our set-piece is strong, particularly with our scrum and maul, so if we have the opportunity to impose that aspect of our game, we’re looking to take it,” Fisher said.
“I think the reality is if you look at the squad they’ve got, they have the ability to play tactically a variety of different ways based upon the state of the game at that time, and that’s something which we’ve been trying to push forward and develop here at this team.”
Players to watch
While the Reds are without so many of their top talents, back-rower Joe Brial heads into the match off a memorable breakout season for the Queenslanders, with many believing he was incredibly unfortunate not to make Schmidt’s squad. He will show off his versatility against the Lions as he packs down in the number eight jersey, having shone on the side of the scrum during Super Rugby. An all-action loose forward is an imposing figure in the Reds’ loose trio that is without the likes of leaders Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight.
While Brial is an unknown entity to the Lions in the Reds’ pack, many of Farrell’s men will be well aware of the threat lock Lukhan Salakai-Loto will pose after run-ins with him at Premiership, Champions Cup and international level. Currently on the outer of the Wallabies squad due to his injury struggles, Salakai-Loto will be keen to lay down a marker and force his way back into Schmidt’s plans.
In the midfield, Hunter Paisami also has a point to prove against the Lions after he was released from the Wallabies squad for the match. It looks as if Schmidt has favoured a midfield of Joseph Suaalii and Len Ikitau meaning that heavy-hitter Paisami will be tasked with softening up the tourists.
As for the Lions, Jamison-Gibson Park gets the nod at number nine having recovered from injury. Alex Mitchell and Williams set the tone in the opening two matches at scrum-half and now the Ireland international gets his opportunity to do just that. Gibson-Park is viewed by many as the front-runner to start in the Test matches and this is his first chance to prove his credentials.
Elsewhere, Hugo Keenan also makes his long-awaited debut for the side at full-back. A classy operator, the Irishman has also been sidelined in recent times missing the first two matches as well as Leinster’s URC Final. He too has some catching up to do as he looks to nail down a spot in the matchday 23 for the Tests.
After a livewire cameo off the bench against the Force, Huw Jones gets the nod at outside centre alongside Bundee Aki. Sione Tuipulotu really impressed in the first 160 minutes of Lions rugby this year and has put himself into a strong position to be the starting midfielder down the line and this game, against two Wallabies midfielders, gives the starting duo the opportunity to press their claims.
Main head-to-head
If the Reds are to have a chance of beating the Lions then Harry McLaughlin-Phillips has to at least get parity in his duel with Finn Russell.
Unfortunately for the playmaker, every match he started for the Queenslanders at fly-half this season the Reds finished on the losing end of the fixture. A talented 21-year-old, McLaughlin-Phillips shone off the bench in tandem with Tom Lynagh but now gets the starting berth.
Meanwhile, Russell bossed proceedings in his first outing for the Lions this year and has been in outstanding form before the tour, leading Bath to three domestic titles. The Scotsman will undoubtedly put the Reds under the pump territorially and if McLaughlin-Phillips doesn’t counter punch, it will be a long, long night for the hosts.
Prediction
While the Reds kept it relatively tight last time these two teams faced off, it’s difficult to see it going the same way. Queensland do have some good depth but are really lacking experience on the bench where the opposite is true for the Lions. Perhaps Kiss’ team will do as the Force did and challenge the tourists for at least a quarter, maybe even a half. However, it looks to be too much of task for the hosts who look primed for a mauling at the hands of the Lions, notching up a 40-point victory.
Previous result
2013: B&I Lions won 22-12 at Suncorp Stadium
2001: B&I Lions won 42-8 at Ballymore Stadium
The teams
Reds: 15 Jock Campbell (c), 14 Lachie Anderson, 13 Josh Flook, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Tim Ryan, 10 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, 9 Kalani Thomas, 8 Joe Brial, 7 John Bryant, 6 Seru Uru, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Josh Canham, 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Aidan Ross
Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 George Blake, 18 Sef Fa’agase, 19 Ryan Smith, 20 Angus Blyth, 21 Connor Vest, 22 Louis Werchon, 23 Isaac Henry
British and Irish Lions: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Tom Curry, 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Will Stuart, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 James Ryan, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Garry Ringrose
Date: Wednesday, July 2
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 20:00 local (11:00 BST, 10:00 GMT)
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
