2025 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR:
Wednesday, July 2 –
QUEENSLAND REDS v BRITISH & IRISH LIONS, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 8pm local time/11am Irish time (live Sky Sports Action & Main Event/talkSPORT)
Team News: Fit-again backs Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park will become the latest British & Irish Lions debutants when the tourists play the Queensland Reds at Brisbane’s 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium.
Their Leinster and Ireland team-mate, second row Ryan, is set to make his Lions bow as a replacement, while there is a first start for Andrew Porter, and Jack Conan will wear the number 8 jersey for the first time on this tour.
There will be nine Ireland players on duty with Bundee Aki and Rónan Kelleher also part of a strong starting XV. Joining Ryan on the bench are Garry Ringrose, one of the Lions’ try scorers against the Western Force, and Finlay Bealham.
For their second outing on Australian soil, head coach Andy Farrell has made 14 changes with Scotland out-half Finn Russell the only player retained from the 54-7 win over the Force on Saturday.
Tour captain Maro Itoje returns in an all-England second row partnership with Ollie Chessum, packing down behind a front row of Porter, Kelleher, and Bath and England tighthead prop Will Stuart.
Conan gets his opportunity at the base of the scrum, combining with Tom Curry and Jac Morgan, who were two of the starting back rowers from the 1888 Cup encounter with Argentina at the Aviva Stadium.
Keenan and Gibson-Park, who missed Leinster’s BKT United Rugby Championship final victory due to their respective calf and glute injuries, have recovered to feature in the Lions’ new-look back-line.
Tommy Freeman and Duhan van der Merwe complete an exciting back-three, Gibson-Park will link up with Russell at half-back, and Aki joins forces with Scotland’s Huw Jones in the centre as the competition for places intensifies even more.
Farrell commented: “This is proper touring, isn’t it? 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.
“We’ve just been outlining to the lads this morning actually what the weeks are going to look like. Not much training actually out there on the field, but plenty of mental preparation.
“You know if you ask any player what would they rather do – be involved in big games playing for the Lions, or training every day? I know which I’d rather do.
“We see it as a great opportunity for ourselves to be fasttracking our ambition, our potential as a team. It’s exciting for Hugo and Jamison, and James Ryan. We’re delighted for those three (to make their debuts).”
He added: “The Reds are a great side, that’s obvious if you’ve watched their games, not just this year but last year as well. Les (Kiss) has done a fantastic job with them.
“They play a great brand of rugby and are able to play in many different ways. So this will be 100% a big step up for us on Wednesday night.”
Meanwhile, head coach Les Kiss has included nine Wallabies in his matchday squad for the Queensland Reds’ first meeting with the Lions in 12 years.
Kiss has gone for size up front with a six-two bench split. Their starting front row features former All Black Aidan Ross, who will make his Reds debut, incumbent Wallabies hooker Matt Faessler, and dual international Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, who had a season at Ulster in 2022/23.
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Josh Canham form an all-Test engine room, with fellow Wallaby Seru Uru joining John Bryant and Joe Brial in the back row.
Kalani Thomas partners Harry McLaughlin-Phillips at half-back, while Hunter Paisami and Josh Flook join forces in midfield, and Jock Campbell captains the side from full-back, flanked by Tim Ryan and Lachie Anderson.
Kiss, the former Ireland assistant coach, can call on two more Australian internationals from the bench in Josh Nasser and Angus Blyth, with Sef Fa’agase, George Blake, Ryan Smith, and Conor Vest all set to provide forward impact.
The versatile Louis Werchon covers half-back, while Isaac Henry is the other replacement back after his strong return from a lengthy absence due to a ruptured patella tendon.
QUEENSLAND REDS: Jock Campbell (capt); 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.
Replacements:Josh Nasser, George Blake, Sef Fa’agase, Ryan Smith, Angus Blyth, Conor Vest, Louis Werchon, Isaac Henry.
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland); Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England), Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (capt), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England), Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales), Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland).
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England), Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Ben Earl (Saracens/England), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England), Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland).
Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Paul Williams, Ben O’Keeffe (both NZR)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
Pre-Match Quotes: Hugo Keenan (British & Irish Lions) –
The turnout in Dublin, the ‘Sea of Red’ that was there was incredibly cool and a great atmosphere, and then to see a good few of the fans already over in Perth. Playing in such a cool stadium was another special day.
“It’s an exciting sort of start to the journey, but we know it’s turning the page pretty quickly now. The games are coming thick and fast, but it’s what we want and where we want to be.
“I’m incredibly proud of it (becoming a Lion). I’m really looking forward to putting on the jersey for the first time. It means a lot to my friends, family, the coaches that I’ve had who have gotten me to this stage.
“Excited about the opportunity, and it’s sort of one of the pinnacles of a rugby career, and it doesn’t come around that often. You have to savour these moments and try to enjoy it as much as you can.”
Les Kiss (Queensland Reds) –
It’s a one-off match but we’ve had a line of sight with their games against Argentina and the Western Force. They are an incredibly good and talented team.
“They have taken on some of the DNA of the Irish team, and I’d like to welcome Andy Farrell, Simon Easterby, and their other coaches.
“In this match, we have to be very good at the breakdown and aerially. They’ve shown their attacking side too. We have to meet those challenges.
“But we’ll put our brand of rugby out there as well. We’ll keep backing ourselves. Why can’t we put our best foot forward, rip in and see what happens?.”
Match Facts:
– 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
– The Lions have played the 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 Pacific this year. They averaged 22 tackles missed (third) and four line breaks conceded (first) per game
– The Reds scored ten maul tries (first) in Super Rugby Pacific in 2025. They averaged 4.6 metres per maul (first), and had a maul success rate of 92.3% (second)
– Lachie Anderson was the Reds’ top try scorer, with eight, this season. He made 11 line breaks (first), beat 21 defenders (third), and won seven turnovers (third)
– James Lowe made three line breaks (first), five offloads (first), and assisted two tries against the Western Force last weekend. Mack Hansen made the most carry metres (100), and also assisted two tries
– Elliot Daly scored a brace of tries against the Force. He made 96 carry metres (second), made one line break, and assisted four (first)
– Josh van der Flier made 23 tackles (first) during last Saturday’s game in Perth. He also beat three defenders, and assisted two breaks and a try
Most Recent Meetings:
1989: British & Irish Lions Tour To Australia – Queensland 15 British & Irish Lions 19, Ballymore
2001: British & Irish Lions Tour To Australia – Queensland Reds 8 British & Irish Lions 42, Suncorp Stadium
2013: British & Irish Lions Tour To Australia – Queensland Reds 12 British & Irish Lions 22, Suncorp Stadium
