Western Force vs British & Irish Lions Prediction: Lions can hit the ground running

After opening the 2025 Tour with a defeat to Argentina in Dublin, the British & Irish Lions play their first match on Australian soil against the Western Force in Perth on Saturday (11:00 BST)

It’s the first of five matches in the build-up to the first Test against Australia in Brisbane on July 19. Read on for my Western Force vs British & Irish Lions predictions.

Team News

The Lions will be led by Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan, one of five Leinster players added to the line-up having been held back for Friday’s match against Argentina.

Fly-half Finn Russell, another player involved in a domestic final the previous weekend as his Bath side lifted the Premiership trophy at Twickenham, also starts.

Two players are retained from the line-up that lost to the Pumas although in different positions - Sione Tuipulotou moves from outside to inside centre while Tadhg Beirne is named at six.

The Force are able to call on six of their Wallaby internationals including former Exeter scrum-half Nic White, but winger Harry Potter has remained with the Australia squad and seasoned full-back Kurtley Beale, who faced the Lions in the Test arena in 2013, is injured.

Western Force vs British & Lions Odds

Western Force are the weakest of the Australian Super Rugby sides and finished third from bottom in this year’s standings with just four wins from 14 games.

So it’s no surprise to see the British & Irish Lions chalked up at 1/200 to claim their first win of the 2025 tour and as 26-point handicap favourites.

These teams met on the 2013 tour, when the Lions were 39-point favourites and ran in nine tries in a 69-17 victory.

Lions -26 @ 10/11

It’s not unusual for the Lions to be slow into their stride on tour but a match against the Force offers an opportunity to put in a destructive performance.

Last week’s defeat to Argentina will have served as a wake-up call while the inclusion of the Leinster and Bath players who were involved in domestic finals a fortnight ago should keep them sharp.

The Force did not reach the Super Rugby play-offs and had a bye week in the final round of the regular season so they are playing their first match for more than a month and several players have been away with the Wallabies.

The Lions have named a powerful tight five and look set to pound their way towards the line before unleashing their dangerous backs in space.

Mac Grealy to score a try anytime @ 5/2

There are some short prices against a number of Lions players in the tryscorer betting, headed by winger James Lowe and captain Dan Sheehan at just 4/7.

Exciting youngster Henry Pollock is also odds-on to get across the whitewash as he starts at number eight, and while the Lions are expected to heavily outscore their opponents, there may be better value to be found on the Force teamsheet.

This season’s top scorer Carlo Tizzano is with the Australia squad along with exciting winger Harry Potter while Kurtley Beale is injured, so it could be worth taking a punt on Mac Grealy

The winger has six tries to his name this season including two in his last three matches and could find some space as the Pumas did last weekend.

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