The British and Irish Lions kept their winning streak alive on their 2025 Australia tour, pulling off a tough 24-19 win against a fired-up First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne. It was their last midweek game of the trip, and man, did the Lions' second-string guys have to work for it against a team that came out swinging.
Over at Marvel Stadium, this one had everyone on the edge of their seats the whole time. With Owen Farrell calling the shots, the Lions looked like they might cruise early after jumping to a 14-0 lead in just 11 minutes. Jamie Osborne, the Irish center who just got called up, made his debut count right away by snagging a perfect little chip from Farrell to dot down the first try. Then Darcy Graham, the Scottish speedster, finished off a slick team move to add another quick one. But you could tell this wasn't gonna be some walk in the park.
The First Nations and Pasifika XV, a team put together to honor Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Pacific Island roots, showed some serious heart to claw their way back into the game. Triston Reilly picked off a pass and took off for a long run to get his team on the board, and then Seru Uru muscled his way over for another try. Kurtley Beale, the old hand, nailed both conversions to tie things up 14-14 by halftime. The first half was messy too—James Ryan from the Lions got binned for racking up too many penalties, and Reilly had already spent time in the sin bin earlier for a high shot.
After the break, the Lions found their groove again. Osborne got his second try of the night thanks to some slick teamwork with Blair Kinghorn. Then Duhan van der Merwe stretched the lead with a score in the corner after Farrell dropped a perfect pass his way. But the First Nations and Pasifika XV weren’t done—Rob Leota bulldozed his way over with just nine minutes left, making it a tight finish.
After the game, Lions coach Andy Farrell had some mixed feelings about how things went. He was clearly happy for his guys getting the win against a fired-up First Nations and Pasifika squad. "The boys knew this meant a lot coming into it, and they showed up," he said. But he wasn't thrilled with how they played after jumping out to an early lead. "We kinda lost our heads after going up 14 points, trying to get too cute with plays we didn't need to run."
This was a big chance for some of the guys on the bubble to prove they belong in the lineup for the next Test against Australia. Sure, the win wasn't pretty - some folks called it messy and all over the place - but a W's a W, and it keeps the momentum rolling as the tour heats up. As for the First Nations and Pasifika side, they got plenty of love for how they played, especially Charlie Gamble who balled out and took home player of the match honors.
Now the British and Irish Lions are gearing up for their second Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They pulled off a solid 27-19 win in the first game, and if they can keep that momentum going, they might just wrap up the series right there. It's gonna be a big one.