The British & Irish Lions begin their Test series against Australia on Saturday morning, and Jon Newcombe has three bets in his pre-match preview.
Rugby Union betting tips: Australia v Lions
2pts British & Irish Lions (-14pts) to beat Australia at 6/4 Boylesports)
2pts Dan Sheehan anytime try-scorer at 5/4 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power)
1pt Huw Jones anytime try-scorer at 2/1 (Ladbrokes)
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The biggest challenge for any Lions head coach is gelling together players from four different nations and producing a team where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In the past, finding the right formula has been an unforgiving, and at times, unsettling experience, with tried-and-trusted same-country partnerships broken up.
Which is why Andy Farrell has been smart in choosing his Lions XV. The team he has selected, if anything, will probably be as much on the same wavelength as one another as their Australian counterparts if not more, certainly in an attacking sense, with an all-Caledonian 10-12-13 axis of Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and HUW JONES.
The latter is likely to benefit from the ring-mastery of Russell and the industry of Tuipulotu at some point, and has the pace and eye for the try line to finish any opportunities that come his way, making him an appealing anytime try-scorer pick at 2/1 (Ladbrokes).
Fifteen games into the Joe Schmidt reign, and Wallabies have had more combinations in certain key areas than a Bank of England safe.
Crucially, at half-back, six different pairings have been used and a seventh is about to take to the field this weekend in Brisbane: Jake Gordon and Tom Lynagh. Lynagh not only carries the considerable weight of being the son of a famous father on his shoulders but also the responsibility of replacing Noah Lolesio.
Lolesio was very much Schmidt’s first-choice 10, starting every Test since the 2023 World Cup debacle bar two, when Ben Donaldson got the nod, so to lose him to a neck injury that required surgery, on the eve of the Lions series, was a big blow.
Gordon is only just back from injury, while Lynagh starts his first Test, having been on the bench in his three previous caps. You’d imagine that Australia will be clunky in attack as a result. That was definitely true of their performance in edging Fiji 21-18 in their only warm-up Test.
Australia missed the big ball-carrying presence of Rob Valetini and Taniela Tupou in that game, and they’ve failed to recover from injury in time to start the Lions series, which makes the decision to bench Angus Bell, one of the Wallabies’ few world-class players, hard to fathom.
He's here. He's there. He's EVERYWHERE! 🤩
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby)
Never take your eyes off Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 👀
Bell loves taking the fight to the opposition and his omission puts the onus on Len Ikitau to get Australia over the gain line, and the man outside of him, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to deliver moments of magic. No doubt there will be some, they are too good individually not to make an impact, but it’s hard to see Australia getting a sustained foothold in the game.
The Lions scrum has been nigh-on perfect in the stats on this unbeaten tour of Australia and Ellis Genge and Tadhg Furlong should get the better of their opposite numbers, James Slipper and Alan Alaalatoa and give the Lions a strong platform to play from.
Jamison Gibson-Park is dangerous at any time but with front-foot ball, and the supremely confident Russell outside of him, the Lions could inflict some damage on a team desperately clinging on for credibility.
Normally the opening match of a Lions Test series is relatively cagey and low-scoring, but with the Lions good for a try or two from DAN SHEEHAN from the back of a rolling maul, and Russell in imperious goal-kicking form, covering a TWO-SCORE HANDICAP (Lions -14, 6/4 Boylesports) should be within them.
Preview published at 0950 BST on 18/07/25
ALSO READ: Jon Newcombe's series preview
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