British & Irish Lions player ratings vs First Nations & Pasifika XV | 2025

British & Irish Lions player ratings: The Lions eventually got the job done on a 24–19 scoreline against an entertaining, if at times leaky, First Nations and Pasifika XV.

Here’s how we rated the Lions:

1. Pierre Schoeman – 6
Just about survived Taniela Tupou, with the other side of the scrum more to blame here. Carried frequently in traffic for the Lions, though for little return against a gnarly FNP pack.

2. Jamie George – 6
Kept his nose clean at lineout time and got through a decent shift in the loose.

3. Finlay Bealham – 4
Got rinsed more times at scrum time than a white t-shirt with a pesky Bolognese stain. He wasn’t much better in contact, coughing up ball and metres. He’s had a fine tour, but this was an off-night.

4. James Ryan – 5
Yellowed for a professional foul on 25 minutes, which was his main contribution to the first forty. Some decent work before being subbed off on 54 minutes.

5. Scott Cummings – 6
Penalised near the First Nations line on six minutes and got pick-pocketed on occasion at the lineout – although he proved the Lions’ most reliable option in that phase of play.

6. Jac Morgan – 5.5
For all the hype in some quarters around a potential Test selection for the Welshman, this was a pretty anonymous shift.

7. Josh van der Flier – 7
Some metre-eating carrying moments early doors, when it looked like the Lions were set to run away with it. Had a 51st-minute try chalked off for a knock-on in the build-up and coughed the ball up on the line a few minutes later.

8. Henry Pollock – 6
Proved more annoying than anything else; just ask big Sere Uru, who took him to task for some scrum-half tugging action. Some solid lineout work might have been the highlight here, but the all-action version was nowhere to be seen.

9. Ben White – 7
Sharp service from the Toulon half-back, who combined well with Smith.

10. Fin Smith – 7
Best of a mixed bunch, making a handful of line breaks in the first half, albeit against a porous defence.

11. Duhan van der Merwe – 6
One or two loose-handling moments, although he drew defenders when called on to truck it up. Stayed in the fight and was rewarded for his efforts with a 63rd-minute try in the corner. A player low on confidence, he often looked a beat off here.

12. Owen Farrell – 7
His 20th game as a Lion and his first as skipper, Farrell didn’t miss a beat getting stuck in. A deft chip saw Osborne pick up the visitors’ first try, and he looked to create for those around him.

13. Jamie Osborne – 7
Got the Lions’ first five-pointer and tried to stay busy. Got his second just after half-time – a walk-in after a superb pass from Kinghorn. A couple of sloppy moments blotted the copy, but certainly far more good than bad.

14. Darcy Graham – 7.5
Ran it into touch in an early scoring opportunity and a dog shot from Triston Reilly ended another chance two minutes later. Got on board a few minutes later, before sadly having to leave the field with injury after just 16 minutes.

15. Blair Kinghorn – 7
Back from injury and vying for a Test spot, the Scot had little in the way of defensive work in the first half, but had a few decent upfield gallops. Threw a careless pass that was duly intercepted by Reilly for the home side’s first try. Made up for it with a bobby-dazzler of a pass to put Osborne in.

REPLACEMENTS – 6
Ben Earl brought a directness otherwise missing from a Lions side intent on trying to be fancy, while Garry Ringrose was called upon to play over 65 minutes due to Graham’s early night and ran some really nice lines. Tom Clarkson improved the scrum, while Gregor Brown didn’t look out of his depth. The rest weren’t on long enough to rate or were unused.