British and Irish Lions grind out a 21-10 win over Waratahs for a third win in 8 days

SYDNEY (AP) — The British and Irish Lions had their toughest win of the Australian tour so far, holding off the New South Wales Waratahs 21-10 on Saturday in their third game in eight days.

Big back-to-back wins over Western Force and Queensland Reds followed a similar patterns where the Lions surged in the second half against the local Super Rugby teams to post 50-plus scores.

It was a different rhythm in Sydney, with a third different captain for the Lions and another re-arranged lineup ahead of the three-test series against the Wallabies.

The Lions led 14-5 at halftime and, despite having vast superiority in possession and field position, had to struggle for an 11-point win.

“The Waratahs played a great, combative game, and made it very difficult especially at the breakdown and in the contact work and with the line speed,” Lions head coach Andy Farrell said. “It’s good learning for us.

“We found a way in the end, but to have so much possession and territory, and so many turnovers, you know, we need to be better than that.”

A Jones double

Center Huw Jones scored close-range tries in the 12th and 35th minutes to give the Lions a 14-0 lead, although the Waratahs had a try by flanker Charlie Gamble overturned by the Television Match Official for a lineout obstruction in between.

The Waratahs scored from the second kick restart, sending the ball to the short side where winger Darby Lancaster beat some forward defenders, was knocked off balance by Hugo Keenan’s covering tackle before scrambling the last five meters to score in the left corner. That made it 14-5 at halftime.

The Lions hadn’t conceded after a second-half point in their opening two wins but that run ended less than two minutes after the break, when Waratahs hooker Ethan Dobbins crashed over after a driving maul from a lineout, with two backs joining the maul.

Jack Bowen’s conversion attempt hit the near upright, leaving the score at 14-10.

The Lions were denied an almost immediate try in response by some desperate cover defense before scrumhalf Alex Mitchell scored in the 55th, darting to the shortside from a ruck after sustained pressure from a scrum penalty and a stream of Waratahs errors.

Finn Smith converted to make it 21-10 and it appeared the Lions were starting to get on a roll again, particularly when man-of-the-match Mitchell kicked a 50-22 to give the Lions another ideal attacking opportunity.

He then threw the last pass for replacement prop Ellis Genge to drive over the tryline on the hour, but the ball was lost in the tackle and the Waratahs held firm.

The Lions barged over again in the 76th but had a try disallowed for a lineout obstruction in the buildup, and weren’t able to cross again in a scrappy, error-strewn encounter.

The Lions dominated in every key statistic, with 62% of possession, 70% of territory, double the amount of visits to the opposition quarter and triple the number of line breaks, but lacked the accuracy to fully convert that ascendency.

“A lot of dropped balls, a lot of turnovers … a bit frustrating from our end in terms of not being very clinical and that kind of cohesiveness not being there,” said Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne, who led the Lions in Sydney. “It was very physical and we probably lacked the physicality a bit in the game at times, and that’s something that we’re definitely going to have to look at and step up.”

Farrell arrives

Former England captain Owen Farrell joined the Lions to replace Elliot Daly, who broke his left forearm in the second half against the Reds. Farrell was with the squad in the stands watching the game on Saturday — laughing when the TV cameras showed him on a giant stadium screen.

Farrell, now on his fourth Lions tour, hasn’t played an international since leading England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Next games

The Lions are now 3-0 since a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup in Dublin before the traveling to Australia for a nine-game tour, which includes three tests against the Wallabies on July 19, 26 and Aug. 2.

The British and Irish squad will next play the Canberra-based Brumbies on Wednesday.

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