Farrell demands more after tight Lions win

Owen Farrell insists The British & Irish Lions have plenty to work on ahead of the second Test with Australia after a battling victory against a spirited First Nations & Pasifika XV.

Jamie Osborne scored two tries, while Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe also crossed, but the Lions struggled to contain a powerful First Nations & Pasifika XV team.

The hosts scored three tries through Triston Reilly, Seru Uru and Rob Leota and sensed a famous win in the final few minutes, only for Henry Pollock to win a crucial turnover.

The Lions left Marvel Stadium with a 24-19 win, their seventh straight success in Australia, but Farrell – who captained the side in his first start of the Tour – was underwhelmed by the performance.

“Probably too tight for us, massive credit to the Pasifika,” he said.

“They came out and gave it to us. We couldn’t get a foothold in the game for 60 mins but massive credit to them but I am thankful we got the job done in the end.

“There’s always a number of things to improve on, not just one thing. It felt frantic at times, we could have been a bit calmer.

“We spoke at half-time and regrouped, managed to be a bit more direct at the start of the second half and get more territory but they found their way back into the game.

“Some of the chases from the first half compared to the second half were miles better.

“I enjoyed being out there, it’s a great Tour and there is more to come with all eyes on Saturday. We’ll enjoy this, recover and we’ll see what happens.”

Andy Farrell echoed that but is keen to look ahead of the second Test against Australia on Saturday.

The Lions carry a 1-0 series lead into the MCG and the Head Coach believes it will be the biggest occasion of their lives.

“It doesn’t get any bigger [than what’s coming on Saturday],” he said.

“We’ll enjoy this evening. A rest tomorrow for us and all hands on deck Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

“There were some great performances by some individuals. Ben White, Jamie [Osborne], the lads who came in and played their first game – delighted for them.

“So upsetting for [injured] Darcy Graham, too – it showed how much it meant to him. He has a Lions cap and scored a try and he’ll remember that forever.”

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