Henry Pollock demonstrated his emerging star quality, but scrum-half Tomos Williams suffered a hamstring injury as the British and Irish Lions triumphed 54-7 over the Western Force in Perth.
In their inaugural match on Australian soil, the Lions scored eight tries to one in front of 46,656 fans on Saturday night. However, the win came with a cost.
Williams, with 65 Test caps for Wales, injured his left hamstring while diving for his second try in the 47th minute. As he limped off the field with the Lions leading 26-7, the 30-year-old appeared disappointed.
ABC Sport will provide live blog coverage of the British and Irish Lions’ Australian tour this July and August.
The second half saw the Lions dominate with five tries, but the first half was a challenge as the Force came out strong.
Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch proved nearly unstoppable in the first half, creating several impressive line breaks, boosting his chances for selection in the upcoming three-Test series.
The Force controlled possession (60%) and territory (67%) in the first half, but Pollock’s tireless work helped the Lions secure a 21-7 lead at halftime.
At just 20 years old, Pollock is being hailed as a future star. His powerful runs, one of which assisted Williams’ first try, were key to the Lions’ success.
Lions coach Andy Farrell had criticized his team’s 28-24 loss to Argentina last week, calling it unacceptable. The response came quickly: just 96 seconds into the match, skipper Dan Sheehan initiated a brilliant play, catching a cross-kick before passing to James Lowe, who returned it to Sheehan for the opening try.
The Force retaliated with Nic White’s try following 19 phases of determined play.
Despite being under pressure, the Lions extended their lead to 14-7 in the 17th minute when Pollock made a break and passed from the ground to set up Williams’ try.
Pietsch’s efforts kept the Lions on edge, but a quick tap from fly-half Finn Russell caught the Force off guard, and fullback Elliot Daly crossed for a 21-7 lead in the 36th minute. However, just before halftime, Pollock was shown a yellow card for multiple penalties.
Even with one player down, the Lions moved the ball across the field, and Williams touched down seven minutes into the second half.
The Lions added four more tries to ensure a dominant start to their Australian tour.
Their next match is Wednesday night against the Queensland Reds at Brisbane’s Lang Park.
