Brisbane - The British and Irish Lions passed the first genuine test of their Australia tour by grinding down a spirited Queensland Reds 22-12 in a rainy tour match on Saturday.
Scrumhalf Ben Youngs scored a first-half try and flyhalf Owen Farrell added 17 points in a perfect kicking night for the Lions, who had to weather a fierce second-half challenge in front of more than 50 000 fans at a heaving Lang Park.
Although shorn of seven capped Wallabies, the Quade Cooper-captained Reds led for much of the first half after a brilliant individual try by wing Luke Morahan and pulled within seven points when scrumhalf Nick Frisby touched down in the 64th minute.
But the Lions held on to record their third win from three tour matches after easy victories over the Barbarians in Hong Kong and Western Force in Perth.
They return to Lang Park to play the first of three Test matches against the Wallabies on June 22.
The Lions' next tour match is against a Combined New South Wales-Queensland County side in Newcastle on Tuesday, June 11 (kick-off 11:30 SA time)
Teams:
Reds
15 Ben Lucas, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Luke Morahan, 10 Quade Cooper (captain), 9 Nick Frisby, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Beau Robinson, 6 Ed Quirk, 5 Ed O'Donoghue, 4 Adam Wallace-Harrison, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 James Hanson, 1 Ben Daley
Substitutes: 16 Albert Anae, 17 Sam Denny, 18 Jono Owen, 19 Radike Samo, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Jono Lance, 22 Mike Harris, 23 Dom Shipperley
British & Irish Lions
15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton (captain), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Matt Stevens, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola
Substitutes: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Dan Cole, 18 Adam Jones, 19 Paul O'Connell, 20 Justin Tipuric, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Jonathan Sexton, 23 George North
Scrumhalf Ben Youngs scored a first-half try and flyhalf Owen Farrell added 17 points in a perfect kicking night for the Lions, who had to weather a fierce second-half challenge in front of more than 50 000 fans at a heaving Lang Park.
Although shorn of seven capped Wallabies, the Quade Cooper-captained Reds led for much of the first half after a brilliant individual try by wing Luke Morahan and pulled within seven points when scrumhalf Nick Frisby touched down in the 64th minute.
But the Lions held on to record their third win from three tour matches after easy victories over the Barbarians in Hong Kong and Western Force in Perth.
They return to Lang Park to play the first of three Test matches against the Wallabies on June 22.
The Lions' next tour match is against a Combined New South Wales-Queensland County side in Newcastle on Tuesday, June 11 (kick-off 11:30 SA time)
Teams:
Reds
15 Ben Lucas, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Luke Morahan, 10 Quade Cooper (captain), 9 Nick Frisby, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Beau Robinson, 6 Ed Quirk, 5 Ed O'Donoghue, 4 Adam Wallace-Harrison, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 James Hanson, 1 Ben Daley
Substitutes: 16 Albert Anae, 17 Sam Denny, 18 Jono Owen, 19 Radike Samo, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Jono Lance, 22 Mike Harris, 23 Dom Shipperley
British & Irish Lions
15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton (captain), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Matt Stevens, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola
Substitutes: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Dan Cole, 18 Adam Jones, 19 Paul O'Connell, 20 Justin Tipuric, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Jonathan Sexton, 23 George North