The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia kicks off in Perth this weekend as the Western Force host the Lions. We look at the match from a betting angle and offer up a few bets for consideration.
British & Irish Lions
The Lions head into this match on the back of a narrow 24–28 defeat to Argentina in a warm-up fixture played last Friday in Dublin. That match saw several key players absent due to their involvement in the United Rugby Championship and Premiership finals just a week earlier.
For this opening tour clash, the Lions have named a strong starting XV. Several Leinster stars return to the squad, while experienced internationals such as Finn Russell and Elliot Daly are also included in the lineup, bringing a mix of creativity and composure to the side.
Starting Lineup
15 Elliot Daly, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Tomos Williams; 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Scott Cummings, 5 Joe McCarthy, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Henry Pollock.
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Marcus Smith.
Western Force
The Western Force ended their 2025 Super Rugby campaign on a low note, losing their final five matches of the season. Their most recent outing came on 24 May at home against the Waratahs, where they suffered a 17–22 defeat in extra time.
Despite their form slump and some internationals not available for selection, the Force have named a strong side for this clash, featuring a handful of experienced internationals in the starting lineup. They’ll be eager to make a statement against the touring Lions.
Starting Lineup
15 Ben Donaldson, 14 Mac Grealy, 13 Matt Proctor, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Alex Harford, 9 Nic White (captain); 1 Tom Robertson, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3 Ollie Hoskins, 4 Sam Carter, 5 Darcy Swain, 6 Will Harris, 7 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi.
Replacements: 16 Nic Dolly, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Tiaan Tauakipulu, 19 Lopeti Faifua, 20 Reed Prinsep, 21 Henry Robertson, 22 Max Burey, 23 Bayley Kuenzle.
Historical Context & Betting Angle
In their last two tours—South Africa (2021) and New Zealand (2017)—the British & Irish Lions have lost just two matches against club opposition, both in 2017 against the Blues and the Highlanders. More often than not, these tour matches result in dominant Lions victories, often with big winning margins and high total scores.
The Western Force come into this match on a five-game losing streak, while the Lions will be motivated to deliver a statement performance in their tour opener. Given the gulf in class and the strength of the Lions lineup, a one-sided affair is a likely outcome.
- Suggested Bet: Handicap – Lions [-25.5] @ 1.91
The Lions will look to start fast and impose themselves physically and tactically. Covering this spread seems well within reach.
The last time these two teams met was in the 2013 Lions tour of Australia, where the visitors thrashed the Force 69–17. This pattern of high-scoring wins over club sides has continued—on their 2021 South Africa tour, the lowest score the Lions posted against a local team was 49 points. With firepower across the park again in 2025, another high total could be on the cards.
- Suggested Bet: Total Points – Over 59.5 @ 1.90
Both history and team selection point toward a free-flowing, high-scoring match.
Click here for all Western Force v British and Irish Lions Markets
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
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