British and Irish Lions gear up for first Test with big win against AUNZ Invitational XV

After struggling to start previous tour matches well, that was rectified on Saturday as they moved into a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Duhan van der Merwe scored a brace in the opening half while Ben White also crossed the whitewash to set them up nicely for the rest of the game.

They didn't give their opponents a sniff and further tries from Sione Tuipulotu, Scott Cummings, Ronan Kelleher, Henry Pollock and Van der Merwe, who completed his hat-trick, sealed the Lions' best win of the tour.

Some expected a highly talented invitational team to give the Lions problems ahead of the first Test next weekend, but their lack of time together showed as the tourists produced their most cohesive display of the tour.

They were excellent both with and without the ball as they negated the threat the hosts potentially posed and duly dominated proceedings.

Andy Farrell's men found themselves 12-0 in front after just 10 minutes with Van der Merwe the first to go over.

It was Hugo Keenan, who was much sharper on Saturday, that spotted the opportunity after AUNZ kicked the ball out on the full. The Ireland star saw the chance to go quickly and, after some good hands from the visitors, the Scotland wing crossed the whitewash.

The Lions were looking much sharper with ball in hand and that was demonstrated by White. Making his first start of the tour, the scrum-half spotted a gap close to the ruck and sped underneath the posts for a 12-0 advantage.

It had been the ideal first quarter for the tourists but it got even better as they touched down for the third time. On this occasion, they initially went route one with some powerful carries from the forwards before it was shifted wide and Mack Hansen provided the assist for Van der Merwe to score.

That would be their last try of the half as the hosts edged into the contest, but the Lions still did much of the running with Huw Jones particularly impressive.

Jones would come off early in the second period â- no doubt to protect him given Garry Ringrose's injury â- but not before he had played a part in their next score.

The Scotland centre latched on to a loose pass from Les Kiss' men and kicked ahead, allowing Hansen to pick the ball up and set up an attack inside the opposition 22. Although that move did not result in a try, AUNZ infringed and from the resultant tap penalty, Tuipulotu crossed the whitewash.

With the game won, Farrell's outfit could have relented but they did not and after good work from Owen Farrell - making his tour bow -- White and Ben Earl, Cummings charged over from close range.

Van der Merwe then followed his fellow Scot by touching down, thus completing his hat-trick, as the hosts started to lose their discipline.

There were several needless infringements from AUNZ and eventually referee Andrea Piardi lost his patience, leading to a yellow card for Shannon Frizell

With Frizell off the field, the Lions scored their sixth and seventh tries as Kelleher and Pollock rounded out an excellent performance.

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