Tomos Williams scored his first try for the British & Irish Lions in their 54-7 win over the Western Force in Perth but then limped out of the action after diving to grab a second with a suspected hamstring injury.
It was just what the Wales scrum half and the Lions didn’t want in their first game on Australian soil. Other than that, they recovered pretty well from their 28-24 defeat to Argentina in the tour opener in Dublin the previous weekend.
The Lions had never lost a game in Perth before their arrival at the Optus Stadium and threw down the gauntlet to their hosts with a try from their opening attacking phase. The Force sent the kick-off straight back down field and the tourists opened up straight away.
They went through the phases and worked a ruck on the 22 wide on the left. Williams fed half-back partner Finn Russell and he cross kicked to the right for skipper Dan Sheehan. The Irishman took the Ball above his head, flicked inside to James Lowe and then cut back inside the wing to receive the scoring pass.
It was a fantastic opening gambit and Russell added the extras. But despite that bright opening, the Force muscled up, hit back with a try of their own through skipper Nick White four minutes later to make it 7-7 and dominated possession and territory in the opening 40 minutes.
Williams first try of the night was down to the work of Henry Pollock, who became the youngest Lions forward since Bryan West in South Africa in 1968 at the age of 20, as he made the cut into the Force 22 before popping off the scoring pass to his faithful scrum half in support.
The quick thinking of Russell paved the way for the third Lions try in the first half, from full back Elliot Daly, and the tourists led 21-7 at the break with Pollock in the sin-bin for a breakdown offence.
Five more tries flowed after the break as the Lions took on board a half-time blast from head coach Andy Farrell. Their defence improved, their scrum got more powerful, and they made their presence felt far more.
An attack from deep led to Williams racing into the right corner seven minutes after the re-start for his second try but as he dived to score, he went head over heels and appeared to have damaged his left hamstring high up in his leg. He was taken off immediately and replaced by Alex Mitchell.
The Lions now head to Brisbane for a midweek clash with Queensland Reds and Farrell may have to consider calling up England scrum half Jack van Portvliet from Argentina to act as cover as he also has injury concerns over Irish scrum half Jamison Gibson-Park.
Farrell made four changes to his pack as well as brining on Mitchell and, with Pollock back in the act after the Williams try, the Lions began to motor. Garry Ringrose and man of the match Joe McCarthy both crossed in the space of four minutes as the gap grew to 33 points. Then Daly’s second score and a final try for Mitchell ensured the Lions topped the half-century mark.
If it was a job well done in the end, there will be concern not only surrounding Williams’ injury, but also from the fact the tourists failed to gather six re-starts. The work continues.
Scorers: Western Force: Try: Nick White; Con: Ben Donaldson; Lions: Tries: Tomos Williams 2, Elliot Daly 2, Dan Sheehan, Garry Ringrose, Joe McCarthy, Alex Mitchell; Cons: Finn Russell 5, Marcus Smith 2