The British and Irish Lions announced their arrival on Australian soil with an emphatic 54-7 victory over Western Force at Perth's Optus Stadium on Saturday. Andy Farrell's tourists ran in eight tries in front of a record crowd of 46,656 for a rugby union match in the city.
The Lions dominated from the opening minute when captain Dan Sheehan crossed for the first of their eight scores. Despite the hosts enjoying territorial advantage in the opening period, the scoreboard told a different story as the visitors established control.
The comprehensive victory marks an ideal start to the Lions' Australian campaign.
Tomos Williams and Elliot Daly each crossed twice in an impressive display of attacking rugby. Williams' brace was particularly notable, though his second try came whilst Henry Pollock was in the sin-bin.
The Lions got their Australia tour off to a winning start
Reuters
Garry Ringrose, Joe McCarthy and Alex Mitchell also touched down for the tourists. Finn Russell converted five tries whilst Marcus Smith added two conversions.
The only response from Western Force came through their captain Nic White, who scored their solitary try.
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Ben Donaldson added the conversion as the hosts struggled to contain the Lions' relentless attacking waves throughout the match.
The Lions led 21-7 at the interval before unleashing a devastating second-half performance.
The floodgates opened after the restart as the tourists ran riot against their overwhelmed opponents.
Williams' second try proved the catalyst for a scoring spree that saw the Lions breach the half-century mark. The Welsh scrum-half's brilliant breakaway score was followed by further tries from Ringrose, the towering McCarthy, Daly's second, and a last-gasp effort from Mitchell.
The hosts were blown away in the second period as Farrell's side demonstrated the attacking prowess that will serve them well against sterner opposition in the weeks ahead.
The celebration of Williams' outstanding performance was overshadowed by a worrying injury concern.
The Welsh scrum-half limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem, casting doubt over his availability for the remainder of the tour.
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There will be bigger tests for the Lions in the coming weeks but this was a bright start
Reuters
The injury occurred during his spectacular second try and represents an untimely setback for Farrell's squad. Williams had been instrumental in the Lions' attacking display before being forced from the field.
His potential absence would be a significant blow to the tourists' prospects.
The medical team will anxiously assess the severity of the injury as the Lions prepare for their upcoming fixtures against Australian opposition.
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