Well, the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia is well and truly in full swing, with Perth pulling out all the stops last week for a memorable evening at Optus Stadium.
We witnessed historic debuts, poignant goodbyes, and more “Lions, Lions, Lions” chants than I could keep track of.
It’s set to be an exhilarating six weeks ahead.
AN UNFORGETTABLE DEBUT
Lions head coach Andy Farrell was relaxed as he spoke about his decision to appoint Irishman Dan Sheehan as captain and award him his first tour cap ahead of the match against the Force.
It took only 90 seconds for the 26-year-old to make an impact, playing a pivotal role in their opening tour try by skillfully offloading to winger James Lowe before receiving the return pass to score.
Sheehan’s year has been monumental – he overcame a serious ACL injury, led his country, secured the United Rugby Championship, and now takes the helm of the Lions.
I caught up with the easygoing hooker during Stan Sports’ Captain Run show, where he made an appearance in socks and Birkenstocks… quite the unconventional look!
Surely someone could sort this big guy out with a pair of pluggers, slides, or even Crocs for the tour? Can’t have the captain wandering around like a Scandinavian backpacker!
BITTERSWEET GOODBYES
Western Force lock Sam Carter played his farewell match on Saturday, closing a chapter on a career that spanned over 200 professional games and included 16 Tests for the Wallabies.
Carter is among a select few who have faced the Lions across two tours, having started in Canberra during their memorable upset victory in 2013.
Catch all the action from the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia on Stan Sport, the exclusive platform to view every match live and on demand
The well-travelled giant, who also played for Ulster and Leicester, shared his plans to remain in Perth with his family, enjoying life in the Golden West.
Another one-time Wallaby, Ollie Hoskins, has also hung up his mouthguard for the last time. Hoskins had an unforgettable Wallabies debut in 2021, making an impact after being called up from the England Premiership for a spring tour match against Wales. It was a one-and-done affair.
Both have had long and fruitful careers in rugby, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
BEALE’S RETURN ON THE HORIZON
On a final note from Perth, Kurtley Beale mentioned to me that he is optimistic about returning for the First Nations/Pacifika game in Melbourne.
A hamstring strain kept him from playing on Saturday, but the additional recovery time leading up to the encounter at Marvel Stadium should see him fit.
From the sidelines at Optus, KB put in some effort by running the water and cheering on every play as if he were in the game.
Assisting Beale with the hydration duties was two-time Super Rugby champion and former Force flyhalf Jono Lance.
Kurtley Beale of the Western Force. Getty
FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS
Stan Sport colleague Justin Harrison gained some interesting insights into the magnitude of the upcoming six weeks while speaking with just one of the tour operators in the lobby of our hotel in Perth.
“How many have you got?” queried ‘Goog’.
“We’ve got just over 100 Lions fans with us this weekend, but that will increase by the time we hit Sydney.”
“How many by Sydney?” Harrison followed up.
“Oh, our tour group alone will exceed 3000 by then.”
Whatever quantity of kegs the pubs in Sydney have arranged, they might want to double it… and then some.
Ollie Chessum of the British and Irish Lions snaps a selfie with fans in Perth. Getty
BUTLER SENDS CHILLS
Sky Sports UK, Stan’s broadcast partner for the tour, provides fans in Australia the chance to enjoy their coverage alongside ours.
As I always say, having options is a bonus!
Anyway, the Sky team has roped in Hollywood star and rugby enthusiast Gerard Butler to introduce their tour opener, and it was nothing short of brilliant.
Known for hits like 300, Olympus Has Fallen, How To Train Your Dragon, and my personal favourite, Den Of Thieves, Butler stirs up the excitement while describing what it truly means to be a Lion.
JUST ONE GOAL AWAY
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a fairytale conclusion for a TV personality who had a bet on a same-game multi in the Force vs Lions match.
This one-off punter was poised to collect an impressive $42,000 from a $100 wager, with just one leg of the seven-leg bet falling short.
The bet included Dan Sheehan as first try scorer, both teams scoring at least one try, and over 6.5 tries from the Lions, among other stipulations.
Regrettably, they needed a specific Force player to score, and that player came agonisingly close on several occasions.
HISTORICAL BROADCAST DEBUT
Before I wrap things up, a huge congratulations to Olympic Sevens gold medallist Alicia Lucas (formerly Quirk), who made history by becoming the first woman in Australia to take the lead as a play-by-play commentator over the weekend.
The former playmaker made her commentary debut alongside expert Kiri Baker during the Australia A vs Samoa clash in Canberra.
Lucas has already contributed as an expert on Stan, but the leap to play-by-play is significant and unprecedented in Australia.
She follows in the footsteps of New Zealand’s Rikki Swannell, who was the first woman to lead a men’s World Cup commentary and has also called Super Rugby matches.
Swannell was also the voice during the last Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
We can expect to see more of Lucas this week, as the dual-international joins Stan’s coverage of the Lions tour.
Join us tonight for Between Two Posts with Matt Burke and Morgan Turinui, and again on Thursday for Rugby Heaven at Cargo Bar in Sydney.
We would love to have you with us at the iconic Darling Harbour pub to be part of the live audience. DM the crew here.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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