Lions player ratings Brumbies: Russell and Chessum star

Wednesday, 09 July 2025 at 12:54

byGeorge Wellbelove

Lions player ratings vs Brumbies as Andy Farrell's 'almost Test XV' impress in another win, this time in the Australian capital.

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Scroll down for Lions player ratings vs Brumbies from the GIO Stadium Canberra.

The British and Irish Lions kept their unbeaten run alive with a 36-24 victory over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra, but they were made to work for every inch in what was their most challenging outing on Australian soil so far.

The tourists made another sluggish start, conceding early to Brumbies back-rower Tuaina Taii Tualima. But once they got going, the Lions showed flashes of real quality, with Ollie Chessum continuing his superb form and James Lowe finishing well out wide.

Marcus Smith was thrust into the action earlier than expected after full-back Blair Kinghorn limped off with a knee injury. The fly-half made an instant impact with a try of his own to help swing momentum back the Lions’ way.

Corey Toole kept the Brumbies in touch with a sharp score, but the Lions took a 19-10 lead into the break. Second-half tries from Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier looked to have put the game to bed, but the hosts weren’t done yet.

Hudson Creighton and Liam Bowron crossed to bring the Brumbies back into the fight, ensuring a nervy finish for the Lions, who despite sealing a 36-24 win, know there’s plenty to tighten up before the bigger tests to come.

Brumbies: 24

Tries: Tualima (4'), Toole (37'), Creighton (51'), Bowron (76')
Cons: Lonergan (52'), Debreczeni (76')
Pens:

British & Irish Lions: 36

Tries: Chessum (15'), Lowe (29'), M Smith (40'), Ringrose (47'), van der Flier (68')
Cons: Russell (30', 40', 48', 69')
Pens: Russell (62')

Lions player ratings Brumbies:

15.⁠ ⁠Blair Kinghorn - 4

t was an unfortunate game for the Scot. He gave away an early penalty for offside, which then afforded the Brumbies a platform for their first try.

His match was cut short after suffering an HIA and was replaced by Marcus Smith after 25 minutes.

14.⁠ ⁠Tommy Freeman - 6

The Northampton Saint is more than likely to be starting against Australia but this match did not particularly help him. He was unconvincing in the air and did not have a significant impact on the match. He had a very scary moment with Gibson-Park as Freeman’s pass flew through his hands in their dead ball area.

13.⁠ ⁠Garry Ringrose - 7

Ringrose is just getting better and better. Some lovely defensive work at the start of the match set the tone early for the Lions as they set to use their physicality against the Brumbies. He scored a world class try after setting up a 1-2 with Marcus Smith. After a dummy and pass to Smith, who then grubbered through, Ringrose was able to showcase his speed and dot it down. Strong performance.

12.⁠ ⁠Bundee Aki - 6

There is something about Aki, which does not seem to fit within the system that Andy Farrell wants to play. This is surprising considering that Aki has played under Farrell for years. The centre delivered a terrible pass to Lowe out wide and struggled with passes out of the back to Russell but was able to contribute well with strong tackling and gainline success.

11.⁠ ⁠James Lowe - 5

A game to forget for Lowe. Yes, he got a try but he was off the pace all match, before he got replaced by Hansen in the 63rd minute. His kicking game is an asset to the Lions but Lowe seemed to lack a lot of confidence, best shown by a botched try as he tried to step back instead of diving for the tryline. Hopefully, he can come back stronger.

10.⁠ ⁠Finn Russell - 8

The fly half is critical to the Lions’ success. He had a major hand in Chessum’s try and his kicking out of hand was second to none. Russell’s ability to pick any pass out, whether it be short, flat or long, makes him a very dangerous player to face. He will undoubtedly be the difference maker against Australia.

9.⁠ ⁠Jamison Gibson-Park - 7

He generated quick ball from the deck and kept the attack going. Some important box kicks and good all round play. A couple of errors, which resulted in two knock ons, were frustrating but ultimately, they did not result in the Brumbies scoring. A few things to work on but a decent performance.

1.⁠ ⁠Ellis Genge - 6

Genge was at his best in the scrum, putting his opposite number under serious pressure. Apart from this, he was fairly inconspicuous. He gave away a penalty for going off his feet when the Lions were in a promising position midway through the first half.

2.⁠ ⁠Dan Sheehan - 8

3.⁠ ⁠Tadhg Furlong - 6

Much like his prop counterpart, Furlong was stable and punishing in the scrum. The set piece is clearly a focus on this Lions tour. Whilst the lineout platform has struggled, it is credit to the front row that the scrum has performed well. Fairly quiet match, however.

4.⁠ ⁠Maro Itoje - 7

The master of disrupting. Itoje showed his class yet again, perhaps on a slightly toned down level. The captain led by example yet again with superb work rate. Itoje often appears to go unnoticed during matches, but he is doing the important dirty work. Slowing down rucks and making himself a nuisance are what he is best at.

5.⁠ ⁠Joe McCarthy - 6

The Leinster second row will most likely be partnering Itoje against Australia so it is important that they play with each other as much as possible. McCarthy lent his weight and size to the scrum incredibly as the Brumbies crumbled under the pressure.

6.⁠ ⁠Ollie Chessum - 8.5

Chessum was like a man possessed. In my view, a man of the match performance is defined by physicality and grit. Chessum offers so much to the Lions with his versatility in being able to jump in the lineout and also his sheer aggressiveness. He was rewarded with a try for his efforts.

7.⁠ ⁠Tom Curry - 7

The flanker definitely proved his worth in this match. His hard running lines and huge threat as a ball carrier caused a multitude of issues for the defence. His work rate off the ball is excellent, much like Itoje.
Good outing.

8.⁠ ⁠Jack Conan - 6

Conan went missing during the first 20 minutes, which was unlike him. He did grow into the game but he did not have the same impact as his counterparts. He will have a point to prove next time out.

REPLACEMENTS:

16.⁠ ⁠Ronan Kelleher - 6

Kelleher and Sheehan can simply be interchangeable. Sheehan will be a starter, but Kelleher is a very handy replacement. The Irishman continued his teammate’s strong work as he came on with twenty minutes to go.

17.⁠ ⁠Andrew Porter - 6

The story of the front row for this match was that they did their job and not much more. Continuing the destructive scrummaging and hard ball carrying would have been their task. And Porter did it.

18.⁠ ⁠Will Stuart - 6

Much like Porter, Stuart did not put a foot wrong but did not excel either. There were a couple of important clear outs and dominant collisions but nothing important to note.

19.⁠ ⁠Josh van der Flier - 7

An exciting outing from van der Flier. He injected a new pace into the match and paired with Pollock, they were very promising. He will be pushing greatly for a spot in the test side.

20.⁠ ⁠Henry Pollock - 7

The 20 year old did not have much time to make an impact but he managed to do it. A couple of barnstorming runs and he was always interfering in rucks, this time without receiving a yellow card, as he did against Argentina. A nice cameo off the bench.

21.⁠ ⁠Alex Mitchell - N/A (not on for long enough)

The scrum half was not on long enough to receive a rating.

22.⁠ ⁠Marcus Smith - 5.5

It seemed as though Smith was against it as soon as he came on for the injured Kinghorn. He was caught out for the Brumbies’ second try as he squared up too early and Corey Toole raced past. Smith was targeted in the air, where he was left isolated. He made amends as he combined brilliantly with Ringrose for a try.

23.⁠ ⁠Mack Hansen - 7

Hansen was returning to the Brumbies for the first time since 2021 and played decently. He came on and made an immediate impact as he moved off his wing to give Pollock space for a break. It was a satisfactory outing after a tricky last couple games for the winger.