The Lions XV likely to be picked for opener

Head coach Farrell has decisions to make ahead of Saturday

- By BEN JAMES

WITH the tour warm-up out of the way and the British and Irish Lions now situated Down Under, the 2025 tour of Australia is well and truly underway.

The 28-24 defeat to Argentina would have offered a lot to head coach Andy Farrell, with his side showing promising signs in attack but ultimately proving wasteful with their execution.

Still, having carried the ball more than any Lions team since the 2013 warm-ups, it was a clear indication of how Farrell's Lions are going to play.

After three tours with Warren Gatland in charge, this is a very different Lions team when it comes to gameplan.

Possession-based rugby, with multiple carrying options off four-man pods and flankers holding their width on the edges, is straight out of Farrell's Ireland playbook.

Unsurprisingly, given the Ireland-heavy squad, the tour is likely going to be defined by which players from the other home nations fit best into that system.

That is where the first match on Australian soil will be interesting, as Farrell now has a number of his Leinster contingent available.