Wings Tommy Freeman and Duhan van der Merwe both scored tries Queensland Reds: (12) 12 Tries: Toomaga-Allen, FlookCon:McLaughlin-Phillips British and Irish Lions (21) 52 Tries: Freeman 2, Porter, Van der Merwe, Itoje, Morgan, Jones, RingroseCons: Russell 4, F Smith 2 Tommy Freeman scored twice as the British and Irish Lions ran in eight tries in a comprehensive victory over the Queensland Reds in Brisbane. The Lions turned around at the break with a 21-12 lead, Andrew Porter and Duhan van der Merwe also going over and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen and Josh Flook scoring for the hosts, who started with a bang. The Reds took the lead with that try from Toomaga-Allen and regained it when Flook scored, but the Lions dominated thereafter. There was a big performance from captain Maro Itoje, who scored the fourth, and a huge shift from Jac Morgan, who got the fifth. Freeman added a sixth and the seventh came when Huw Jones broke away on his own. In the last act, Garry Ringrose made it eight tries and more than a half-century for the second game running. Finn Russell (four) and his replacement Fin Smith (two) landed six of the eight conversions as the Lions made it two wins from two on Australian soil. There are some concerns for Elliot Daly, who went off in discomfort in the second half with an arm injury. Daly, one of the players of the trip so far, had come into the team after Hugo Keenan withdrew before kick-off with illness. Some challenges off the pitch, then, but on it the Lions, after an iffy start, pulled away impressively. Itoje produced a commanding display on his first Lions appearance in Australia Like last weekend in Perth, the Lions toiled in the early exchanges, the Reds setting about them with a vengeance, the outstanding centre Hunter Paisami leading the charge. The Lions grew into the game and completely bossed from late in the first half, but they had their issues before the floodgates opened. The tourists were wasteful, failing to find their range and dropping ball left, right and centre. There was the old chestnut of a botched restart reception; there were forced passes and hesitant defence. It wasn't great. They knocked on eight times to the Reds' one in the opening 40 minutes, some of them with the hosts struggling to hold them out. First blood went to the Reds, a bust through the Lions midfield by Paisami giving them field position, some heavy carries taking them deeper still. When the line beckoned, Toomaga-Allen lunged and scored. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips banged over the extras and the Suncorp rocked to the sound of Reds on the march. The Lions responded when Daly put Freeman over and Russell tied it up with the conversion, but it was not a cue for the Lions to take control. Rather, it was the precursor for another Reds try, sparked by Porter getting done on the floor. Paisami was involved again before Kalani Thomas' grubber kick for Josh Flook down the left. Van der Merwe hesitated in dealing with the bouncing ball and Flook stole in - 12-7 to the Reds. The imperfections, and perhaps desperation, in the Lions game was clear with a couple of missed opportunities, but they eventually started to make stuff stick. Porter drove over after a close-range tap penalty from his Leinster and Ireland front-row pal Ronan Kelleher. Russell converted. Next, Van der Merwe finished off a terrific move in the corner with the help of Ollie Chessum and Jack Conan. Russell launched the conversion from somewhere close to Caxton Street. A pearler. At the break, the Lions led 21-12. Could have been better, could have been worse. Jones showed his pace to break away and score the Lions' seventh try Things improved early in the new half when smart work from Jamison Gibson-Park drew the heat and then slipped an inside pass for Itoje to crash over. Russell, who could have kicked them over with his eyes closed, did it again - 28-12 Lions. Getting there. Farrell made big changes at that point, replacing his front-row and his half-backs. There were not many fireworks from the Russell-Gibson-Park axis but more than enough to get excited about. The rest is a sea of red. Morgan, doing his mightiest to make a statement, which he did, went over from an Alex Mitchell pass. The Lions were now playing with an intensity that the Reds could not deal with. Freeman got a second, with Morgan heavily involved at the start of that play, then Jones gathered a daft chip ahead from Tim Ryan and ran more than half the length of pitch to score. A final try came in the last breath, Ringrose scampering over to bring up the half-century. It was a pleasing night's work for the Lions, but the sight of Daly in pain in the aftermath was a troubling one. Like last weekend with Tomos Williams, the Lions are sweating on a medical call. Morgan produced an impressive display to stake his claim for a starting place in the Test team Queensland Reds:Campbell (capt); Anderson, Flook, Paisami, Ryan; McLaughlin-Phillips, Thomas; Ross, Faessler, Toomaga-Allen, Canham, Salakaia-Loto, Uru, Bryant, Brial. Replacements:Nasser, Blake, Fa'agase, Smith, Blyth, Vest, Werchon, Henry. British and Irish Lions:Daly; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Van der Merwe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Stuart, Itoje (capt), Chessum, Curry, Morgan, Conan. Replacements:Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Bealham, Ryan, Earl, Mitchell, F Smith, Ringrose. Referee:James Doleman (New Zealand) Assistant referee 1:Paul Williams (New Zealand) Assistant referee 2:Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) TMO:Glenn Newman (New Zealand) Foul play review officer (FPRO):Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Lions score eight tries in win over Queensland Reds
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"British and Irish Lions overpower Queensland Reds with eight tries in 52-12 victory"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
The British and Irish Lions delivered a commanding performance against the Queensland Reds, scoring a total of eight tries in a decisive 52-12 victory in Brisbane. Tommy Freeman was a standout player, scoring two tries, while Andrew Porter and Duhan van der Merwe also crossed the line in the first half. The Reds initially took the lead with a try from Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, but the Lions quickly responded after their shaky start. Captain Maro Itoje showcased his leadership and skill by scoring the Lions' fourth try, while Jac Morgan added another shortly thereafter. The Lions went into halftime with a 21-12 lead, having turned around a challenging start where they struggled with handling errors and missed opportunities. They knocked on the ball eight times compared to the Reds' single error, indicating their need for improvement in execution despite their eventual dominance.
In the second half, the Lions continued to assert their superiority, with Finn Russell and his replacement Fin Smith successfully converting six out of eight tries. The Lions' attacking play became more fluid, highlighted by a brilliant solo effort from Huw Jones, who sprinted down the field to score. The final try came from Garry Ringrose, capping off a satisfying night for the Lions, who celebrated their second consecutive win in Australia. However, concerns arose regarding Elliot Daly, who left the field with an arm injury, adding a layer of uncertainty to their squad as they progress through the tour. Overall, the match demonstrated the Lions' potential as they look to build momentum, with players like Morgan making a strong case for selection in the Test team due to their impressive performances.
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