Brave Brumbies show Wallabies how to challenge the Lions

The British & Irish Lions are definitely mighty opponents, but the Brumbies have proved they are not invincible. And that’s good news for the Wallabies.

The ACT Brumbies took it to the British & Irish Lions at GIO Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

At least the Wallabies can now see the top of the mountain they are trying to reach.

The British & Irish Lions are definitely mighty opponents but they are not invincible.

Trumpeted as one the strongest squads to visit our shores, the tourists are not quite as daunting as everyone first thought even after completing a clean sweep of wins against Australia’s four Super Rugby teams.

But they are still pretty damn good, so the Wallabies will need to play better than they have in years to have any chance of claiming the three-Test series.

The Lions’ latest victory, a 36-24 success over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday night, was proof of that, though it also served as a reminder that the Home Nations have some flaws that can be exposed.

Their best is awesome as they demonstrated in crossing for five tries and weathering a Brumbies storm that weaker teams might have wilted against.

Lions star Henry Pollock fends Brumbies defender Andy Muirhead. Picture: Getty Images

But they also made far too many mistakes and found themselves under pressure from a heavily-depleted ACT side that was missing most of its Test stars but still managed four tries in reply.

“I guess like every other Australian team, we’ve come up short. They were pretty good,” said Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said.

“That’s probably their test team, which is what everyone’s talking about. I thought their scrum was outstanding, their detail was good, our lineout was outstanding, but their detail around the paddock, they shifted the ball really well, caught us on the edges a couple of times.

“They are a really dangerous outfit. I guess looking forward now to the Test match, I know there’s another game and the Test match in 10 days time, but it’s going to be really exciting.”

Australia’s best-performed team in Super Rugby, the Brumbies fought hard, as they always do, and might have got a bit closer if only they had a bit more luck with the officials but they never really looked like repeating their famous win over the Lions from 2013.

The only time they led on Wednesday was when they caught the Lions napping early on and number eight Tuaina Taii Tualima scored from the back of a ruck after just four minutes.

Corey Toole scores for the Brumbies. Picture: Getty Images

The Brumbies did get within two points just before the interval when wing Corey Toole dived over out wide and to less than 10 when replacement centre Hudson Creighton scored after the restart but the Lions always had enough in reserve despite chalking up their second lowest total since arriving in Australia after posting half-centuries against the Western Force and Queensland Reds.

“The Brumbies were very good. They challenged us throughout the whole game,” said Lions captain Maro Itoje.

“It was a hotly contested game but another step in the right direction. Obviously things for us to work on, things for us to tidy up. We need to be a bit more accurate in the opposition 22 buut I think it was a step forward.

“We’re building a team. We’re a group of individuals coming together to create the Lions so the more we play, the better we’ll become, we just need to accelerate that as quick as possible.”

The big worry for the Lions is the side that took the field against the Brumbies is close to their best line-up which they are expected to pick for the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19.

That should give the Wallabies some hope after they made a stuttering start to their campaign with a scrappy 21-18 win over Fiji on Sunday.

British and Irish Lions' Garry Ringrosethe Brumbies' Ryan Lonergan. Picture: AFP

The Australians have got enough problems of their own with head coach Joe Schmidt, who was in Canberra to watch the Lions and Brumbies live, looking for a new playmaker after Noah Lolesio was ruled out of the series after undergoing neck surgery.

Schmidt will announce his squad on Friday, with experienced fly half James O’Connor understood to be in contention for a recall.

The Lions still have another warm-up match to play, against a combined Australia-New Zealand Invitational side at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, which will give coach Andy Farrell another chance to look at players in contention before they head to the Queensland capital.

The Lions scored three first half tries, through Ollie Chessum, wing James Lowe and reserve fullback Marcus Smith, who came on for the injured Blair Kinghorn.

They added two more in the second term, through Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier, but the home side had the final say when reserve hooker Liam Bowron burrowed his way over five minutes from the end.

“The way we defended was quality and it shows how much pride the boys have in this jersey, although we weren’t perfect,” said Brumbies captain Ryan Lonergan.

“The Lions put us under a whole lot of pressure, as we expected and when we didn’t clear our end well or we weren’t disciplined, they made us pay.”