It is 54 years since the British & Irish Lions last lost a game in the state of Queensland and Wales skipper Jac Morgan will be one of those players charged with extending that record when he gets his big chance to start in the back row for the second time in three games Wednesday 2 July – Kick-off 11.00am BST).
The Ospreys’ star was in the side that lost 28-24 to Argentina in Dublin in the opening game of the 2025 tour and joins Tom Curry and Jack Conan in a new look back row trio for the second game on Australian soil.
As the sole Welsh representative on the trip following the hamstring injury to Tomos Williams that ended his trip in Perth, the pressure is on him to maintain the proud Welsh record of always having at least one Welsh player in a Lions Test team in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand stretching all the way back to 1899.
Andy Farrell’s side will be seeing to build on their 54-7 demolition of Western Force in Perth last weekend as they seek to build the momentum into the three-match Test series with Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies.
The home side are coached by Les Kiss, who knows all there is to know about northern hemisphere rugby after a six-year stint as an assistant coach with Ireland, three years as director of rugby at Ulster and then a shorter period at London Irish.
The Reds won eight of their 14 games in Super Rugby Pacific this season before bowing out to eventual champions the Crusaders in the quarter finals, 32-12. It means Morgan and co can expect a step up in quality from last weekend.
“Then games are coming thick and fast. Three games in eight days and it keeps on rolling after that, so this is the exciting part of the tour for us,” said Farrell ahead of the Brisbane clash.
“We’ve just been outlining to the lads what the weeks are going to look like. Not much training out there on the field, but plenty of mental preparation.
“We see it as a great opportunity for ourselves to be fast-tracking our ambition, our potential as a team.”
Queensland Reds: Jock Campbell (captain); Lachie Anderson, Josh Flook, Hunter Paisami, Tim Ryan; Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Kalani Thomas; Aidan Ross, Matt Faessler, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Josh Canham, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Seru Uru, John Bryant, Joe Brial
Reps: Josh Nasser, George Blake, Sef Fa’agase, Ryan Smith, Angus Blyth, Conor Vest, Louis Werchon, Isaac Henry
British & Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje (captain), Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Jack Conan
Reps: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith, Garry Ringrose
Oval Insights
- The Lions have played 37 previous matches in the state of Queensland with their only two defeats being at the hands of today’s opponents, the Reds, at Exhibition Ground in 1899 and Ballymore in 1971.
- Lions have played Queensland Reds on 14 previous occasions, winning 12 and losing two.
- The tourists have played four previous games at Suncorp Stadium, two in 1966 against Queensland and the Wallabies, and two in 2013 against the Reds and the Wallabies and have won all four.
- The Reds had the second-best tackle success rate (81.9%) in Super Rugby this year. They averaged 22 tackles missed (3rd) and four line breaks conceded (1st) per game.
- The Reds scored ten maul tries (1st) in Super Rugby last season. They averaged 4.6 metres per maul (1st), and had a maul success rate of 92.3% (2nd).
- Lachie Anderson was the top try scorer (eight) for the Queensland Reds last season. He made 11 line breaks (1st), beat 21 defenders (3rd), and won seven turnovers (3rd).
- James Lowe made three line breaks (1st), five offloads (1st), and assisted two tries last weekend. Mack Hansen made the most carry metres (100) and also assisted two tries.
- Elliot Daly scored a brace last weekend. He made 96 carry metres (2nd), made one line break and assisted four (1st).
- Josh Van Der Flier made 23 tackles (1st) last weekend. He also beat three defenders, assisted two breaks and a try.