British and Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje hopes Australia need to whitewash his aspect after Henry Pollock revealed the group want to win the sequence 3-0.
After six warm-up matches, The Lions play their first Take a look at towards Australia this Saturday at 11am (build-up from 10am), reside on Sky Sports activities, in Brisbane as they search for their first sequence win since 2013, which additionally got here towards the Wallabies.
Their final 3-0 sequence victory in Australia was in 1904, whereas the 1974 group, which is thought to be the best ever, received three Checks and drew one in South Africa.
“I think that’s definitely the ambition. It goes without saying, no one wants to lose a game,” mentioned Itoje of Pollock’s feedback.
“It might be a bit bizarre if one in every of my team-mates mentioned ‘we need to win two and lose one’, that may be a bit odd.
“I hope it’s Australia’s ambition too, to win all the games. We want to win every game we play. But all our focus is this Saturday, the other two games will look after themselves.”
On Monday, the Lions introduced Scotland trio Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham will be part of the squad to assist present cowl after the primary Take a look at.
Head coach Andy Farrell named a 38-player squad in Could however since arriving in Australia, full-back Jamie Osborne, hooker Jamie George and prop Tom Clarkson have additionally been added.
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British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell acknowledges he has some tough choices to make relating to group choice after they thrashed an Australia and New Zealand Invitational XV previous to the Take a look at sequence
“Andy has called them in because he believes it will help us achieve our goal of winning a Test series,” mentioned Itoje.
“All of the players that have been called in are quality players. They have a high level of experience and achieved things in their career. We are all in this together.
“It would not matter if there is a late name up. Now we have seen late name ups up to now have had big impacts on the tour in optimistic methods. I’ve little question everybody who’s referred to as up will play a component within the group attaining their aim.”
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Highlights from the sixth sport of the 2025 tour because the British and Irish Lions took on an Australia and New Zealand Invitational XV at Adelaide Oval
Itoje, who’s the primary black captain of the Lions, has more and more starred within the warm-up matches resulting in the primary Take a look at.
The 30-year-old says “it is an amazing honour” to be a part of a 3rd Lions tour and thinks it is “different” to some other match together with the Six Nations or Rugby World Cup.
“Naturally in Test week there’s a sharpening of the mind. There’s probably a higher level of focus,” he mentioned.
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Former British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton believes present skipper Maro Itoje wanted a giant efficiency of their win over Queensland Reds and that he delivered with the strain on him
“The quality of our opposition this week will be significantly higher than what we have faced up until now. We know there is going to be a big step up.
“As we get nearer to the sport we’ll get sharper. There is a wholesome rigidity within the squad as a result of we all know that is what now we have been working in direction of.”
British and Irish Lions tour of Australia on Sky Sports activities
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Watch the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia completely reside on Sky Sports activities this summer time
Sky Sports activities will completely present the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Checks towards the Wallabies and 6 warm-up matches to be proven completely reside.
