British and Irish Lions Triumph in Brisbane: Back Row Dominates First Test Against Australia

The British and Irish Lions secured a 27-19 victory over Australia in the first Test in Brisbane, with the back row of Tom Curry, Tadhg Beirne, and Jack Conan leading the charge.

The British and Irish Lions delivered a commanding performance in Brisbane, clinching a 27-19 victory over Australia in the first Test. The back row trio of Tom Curry, Tadhg Beirne, and Jack Conan were particularly impressive, earning high praise from coach Andy Farrell.

Key Performances

Ellis Genge (Prop) RATING: 7 Genge had a few good runs early on but conceded a couple of penalties at scrum time. The Lions' scrum struggled to dominate as much as they would have liked.

Dan Sheehan (Hooker) RATING: 8 Sheehan made some smart plays from the lineout and was immense with ball in hand. He excels in the basics, making him hard to take down and consistently getting his side on the front foot.

Tadhg Furlong (Prop) RATING: 7 Furlong, who hasn't played much Test rugby recently, took some time to get up to speed and gave away a couple of penalties. However, he was strong on both sides of the ball.

Maro Itoje (Lock) RATING: 7 Itoje got his side going with some good runs straight down the middle, but the Lions captain was somewhat quiet in Brisbane, partly because those around him played so well.

Joe McCarthy (Lock) RATING: 8 McCarthy was super strong in contact and at the breakdown. There was a bit of concern as he limped off in the second half, but he worked well with Itoje.

Tadhg Beirne (Flanker) RATING: 9 Beirne was the Man of the Match and deservedly so. His selection was under the spotlight, but he answered all the questions thrown at him, dominating individual battles and being strong at the breakdown.

Tom Curry (Flanker) RATING: 9 Curry bagged himself a well-deserved try and caused the Australians headaches throughout the match. He was strong in defence, coming up with some big plays, and proved Andy Farrell was right to pick him.

Jack Conan (No. 8) RATING: 8 Conan made some huge runs to get his side either on the front foot or out of trouble. He laid the platform for the backline to work their magic in attack.

Jamison Gibson-Park (Scrum-half) RATING: 9 Gibson-Park played really smart rugby, always choosing the right option. His box kicking was near perfect, and his passes were excellent. He combined well with Finn Russell again.

Finn Russell (Fly-half) RATING: 9 Russell's full impact became obvious when he left the pitch. He was in great touch from the first whistle until he was replaced by Marcus Smith in the second half. The Lions' attack was really humming when he took control.

Sione Tuipulotu (Inside Centre) RATING: 8 Tuipulotu opened the scoring and was always an option in attack, working well with Scotland teammate Russell. He looks dangerous whenever he has the ball.

Huw Jones (Outside Centre) RATING: 8 Jones made some good runs to get his side on the front foot. He created plenty of opportunities and was unlucky that his try was ruled out for a double movement.

James Lowe (Left Wing) RATING: 7 Lowe had some good touches but a couple of wayward kicks. He would probably have liked to have more of an impact but didn't get as much ball as he would have liked.

Tommy Freeman (Right Wing) RATING: 7 Freeman, like Lowe, had a few good runs but not his best off the boot.

Hugo Keenan (Fullback) RATING: 7 Keenan had a bit of a mixed bag. He was outmuscled in the air for Australia's first try but covered the back field well and had some good touches.

Replacements

Ronan Kelleher RATING: N/A Kelleher only got a few minutes but did enough to keep things steady.

Andrew Porter RATING: 6 Porter had a similar performance to Genge, with some good runs but the scrum didn't go to plan.

Will Stuart RATING: 7 Stuart had a decent stint after replacing Furlong and did the job well.

Ollie Chessum RATING: 7.5 Chessum imposed himself physically but not quite at the level he was during the tour matches.

Alex Mitchell RATING: N/A Mitchell only got a few minutes at the end.

Marcus Smith RATING: N/A Smith only got a few minutes at the end.

Bundee Aki RATING: 8 Aki brought a lot of physicality to the midfield when he came on and was tough for Australia to handle.

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