Western Force vs British & Irish Lions: UK kick off time, TV information and team news
Team news, TV broadcast details and latest quotes ahead of Western Force v British and Irish Lions.
The British and Irish Lions are currently preparing for their first warm-up fixture in Australia after their summer got underway with a defeat against Argentina on Friday night.
Andy Farrell’s side fell to a 24-28 defeat at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium after what was a somewhat sloppy display against the Pumas - but they will ramp up their preparations for their three-test series against Australia with a series of warm-up games over the next fortnight.
Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe, Sione Tuipulotu, Finn Russell, Huw Jones, Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings will all hope to be handed an opportunity to stake a claim for a place in Farrell’s starting side for the first test against the Wallabies next month when the Lions take on Western Force this weekend.
With days to go until the Lions first game down under, we take a look at all of the information you need to know.
What did Andy Farrell say after the British and Irish Lions defeat to Argentina?
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Lions head coach said: "It wasn't exactly a show from us, it was a show from Argentina. First and foremost, congratulations to them, they thoroughly deserve their win. They capitalised on all the errors we made. But as far as we're concerned, there is a lot to do. You cannot win any Test match with that error rate. We lost enough ball there for a full tour, let alone a match against a good side like Argentina. We threw passes that were never on.
"It wasn't just that, it was the aerial battle and the scraps on the floor. They were hungrier than us, that is just not acceptable. The lineout and breakdown work was off a bit at times. I'm disappointed. We need to be honest with ourselves, take the learning and improve, then at least it will stand for something."
Where and when does the Western Force v British and Irish Lions match take place?
The Lions will kickstart their preparations for their three-test series against Australia down under when they face Super Rugby Pacific side Western Force. The game will take place on Saturday, June 28 and kick-off at the Optus Stadium in Perth has been set for 11am BST (8pm AEST)
Is the Western Force v British and Irish Lions game being shown live on television?
Yes, Sky Sports are showing every one of the Lions warm-up and test matches during their tour down under. They will be broadcasting live from the Optus Stadium on Saturday and their coverage will get underway at 10am via their Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action channels. talkSPORT will have also live radio commentary of the match.
What is the latest team news ahead of Western Force v British and Irish Lions?
Scotland full-back Blair Kinghorn will not be available to feature after Toulouse qualified for the Top 14 final and he will not arrive down under until next week. The likes of Finn Russell, Gary Ringrose, Ollie Chessum and Josh van de Flier will hope to see some action after missing out in the defeat against Argentina on Friday night.
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