The British and Ireland Lions were tasked with work but eased with another backline injury victory in a 36-24 victory over the depleted ACT Brunby team in Canberra on Wednesday.
The Lions fullback Blair Kinghorn came out early in the first half and spent the rest of the game icing his left knee on ice at Canberra Stadium.
Kinghorn’s injury is another headache for Coach Andy Farrell ahead of next week’s first Wallabies Test, already losing Elliott Daly in the three-game series.
As Lock Maro Itoje recalled that Captain and Flyhalf Finn Russell overseeing traffic, Farrell made the lineup tipped to match the series opener teams into the field.
They got off to a poor start and tried it out in the opening minutes, but they scored 5 to notch their fourth consecutive victory on the Australian Tour, following victory at Waratah in Western Force, Queensland Reds and New South Wales.
Ollie Chessum, James Lowe and Marcus Smith recorded Trice in the first half, with Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier crossing after the break.
“Brumby was very good today. They challenged us throughout the game,” Ito je said.
“Obviously, for us to clean up, for us to work on it. We need to be a little more accurate with Opposition 22, but I think we’ll take a step forward.”
The Brumbies lacked virtually all of the Wallabies, but they held the contest on a cold night at Canberra with trys from Tuaina Taii Tualima, Corey Toole, Hudson Creighton and Liam Bowron.
Before the match, Itje urged the Lions to slap the “front door” of Brunby, but the hosts raided forward to try the first 8th Tulima.
Lions prostitute Dan Sheehan was penalised in the first minute for obstructing under a highball, and Brumby was pushed against the try line at the mall, falling until Tulima lifted the rack and scored.
The Lions settled in the dominant scrum, which released Bandi Aki for the defensive shredding darts on the line.
Scrum half Jamison Gibson Park shifted the tack to the left and found Russell with Chesham placed on the corner line.
The Lions continued to probe along their left flank, and were almost rewarded when Lowe crossed, but they gave it a try as Brumby fullback Andy Muirhead slipped his leg under the ball.
That was a short grace for the hosts as Lowe jogged at the same corner right after a great pass.
Beating in the collision, Brunby returned to his boots and was rewarded when the lion was punished for a lineout behind the 22-meter line.
When the replacement Fullback Smith gave too much toe and there was too much space, the winger took the long ball and ran to trim the lead 12-10.
However, Brunby wasted momentum with a poor kick from a dropout at the goal line.
Russell let them pay, and set up Smith to try after the halftime siren and slotted his second conversion.
Ringrose doubled in punishment seven minutes after rebooting after a sharp strike play from the lineout.
Gived to Smith, Ring Rose chases after the English playmaker’s grabber kick, trying to blow the lead away.
But Brunby was hanging there.
Using options on either side of the attacking scrum, Ryan Ronergan moved to Muirhead on the blindside and set up a charging Clayton for his third try.
Lonergan converted the deficit to trim to nine points, but Larry quickly became Peter.
Bowron gave it to the home fans, but Van der Freier settled the debate 12 minutes from behind the mall.
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